Software Engineer salary: New York vs Boston
NYC leads in finance-adjacent tech; Boston leads in biotech and academic-spinout work. Salaries diverge by sector, not by city.
Software Engineer median · New York
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US · live Adzuna
Software Engineer median · Boston
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US · live Adzuna
New York market
New York pays the highest US tech salaries outside the Bay Area, with finance and AI commanding a sharp premium. Total comp is concentrated in cash; equity refresh culture is less aggressive than the West Coast.
Boston market
Boston is the densest biotech and academic-spinout market in the US, with a strong supporting tech and finance scene. Salaries sit ~10% below NYC for general tech roles but match or exceed for life sciences and research.
Software Engineer salary in New York (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
Software Engineer salary in Boston (full report)
Percentiles, contract day rate, side-income context.
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