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Software Engineer Salary and Equity in Boston 2026
How much does a Software Engineer expect to make at Boston-based startups? The average expected salary for Software Engineers in Boston-based startups is 153k per year, with a range from 105k to 235k. These amounts were gathered from Wellfound self-reported data and represent the median salary range. The salary range for Software Engineers in Boston startups varies depending on factors such as industry, experience, skills, and startup stage.
152.9k
Average Salary
4 years
Average years of experience
Salary
The average salary for a Software Engineer in Boston is $152,875, which is 13.0% higher than the average Boston startup salary of$135,292. Software Engineer salaries in Boston are based on exclusive Wellfound data. All data is updated on a weekly basis. Factors that may influence salary include: years of experience, title, size of company, skill-set, and industry.
Top of market
$215,167/yr
Range $175k - $235k
Average
$152,875/yr
Range $125k - $170k
Below Average
$125,500/yr
Range $105k - $140k
Industries
The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get in Digital Entertainment, that is $234,000. This pay is 9.1% higher than the average Software Engineer salary in Boston, which is $214,400. The highest-paying industries in 2023 are: Digital Entertainment (avg $234,000 per year), Ride Sharing (avg $223,500 per year), Hybrid Vehicles (avg $223,500 per year).
Tech Stack
The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get with Rust, that is $210,000. This pay is 55.2% higher than the average salary in Boston startups, which is $135,292. Salary range for specific skills will vary based on the supply and demand in the current market.
Top Tech Stacks
The top-paying Software Engineer skills in Boston of 2026 are:
1. Rust
$210k
2. OpenCV
$200.5k
3. Numpy
$200k
4. PyTorch
$199k
5. Gradle
$189.5k
6. Vue
$179k
7. Go
$179k
8. C
$178k
9. Heroku
$176.5k
10. DynamoDB
$176k
Years of experience
Below Average
Average
Top of Market
The highest average salary a Software Engineer in Boston can get with 10+ years of experience, that is $110,000. This pay is 18.7% lower than the average salary in Boston startups, which is $135,292. The salary range varies with years of experience and depends on other factors such as skill set, size of company, and industry.
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