IC6 Engineer.
Boston.
$296,000
median salary, 18% above the national average
$231,000 to $385,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Orbyt estimates IC6 Engineer pay in Boston at $296,000, within a range of $231,000 to $385,000. That is 18% above the national average. Boston's job market is powered by world class universities, a thriving biotech corridor, and established finance and healthcare sectors. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page.
Salary range.
Where do you fall?
Orbyt estimate for IC6 Engineer in Boston, modelled from national occupation wages adjusted for local cost of living. The published government benchmark for this occupation is below.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $166,090 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, based on 42,310 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$102,950
25th percentile
$131,880
Median
$166,090
75th percentile
$183,740
90th percentile
$214,100
Workers surveyed
42,310
Why this differs from the estimate above. The Orbyt estimate of $296,000 is 78% higher than this published figure. That is usually not an error in either number: BLS reports by occupation code, and Software Developers covers a different population than the IC6 Engineer title as it is typically advertised. Both are shown, unreconciled, so you can judge which one describes the job you mean.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) rather than IC6 Engineer specifically. The Boston range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1252Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $267,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$192,000
to $237,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$252,000
to $311,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$326,000
to $385,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$370,000
to $459,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $61,000 to the total package.
Base
$296,000
Equity
$33,000
Bonus
$22,000
Signing
$6,000
Estimated total: $357,000
How Boston compares.
Boston, MA
$296,000
Cost of living: 22% above average
National Average
$250,000
Boston is $46,000 above
IC6 Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Boston.
What you should know.
If you are interviewing for IC6 Engineer roles in Boston, here is what you are walking into. Boston's job market is powered by world class universities, a thriving biotech corridor, and established finance and healthcare sectors. The Kendall Square area is one of the most concentrated biotech hubs globally. Tech salaries in Boston are competitive with West Coast markets, particularly for roles that intersect with life sciences, AI, and robotics. Compensation for IC6 Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Signing bonuses near $13K are standard for lateral hires and reset every 2 to 4 years. Within tech-sector IC6 Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 67%+ variance across the compensation band.
IC6 Engineers typically progress Junior → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal over 8 to 12 years, with the Staff+ levels carrying significant technical scope and cross-team influence. The director/VP track diverges around year 8 for those who choose management; IC staff-plus roles keep building technical depth. In Boston, those numbers run higher. The cost of living here is 22% above average, and employers adjust to compete.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for IC6 Engineers includes a meaningful signing bonus near $13K, which resets every 2 to 4 years for lateral hires. Base plus bonus (10% of base at target) forms the bulk of ongoing annual comp; signing bonuses are best thought of as a 4-year amortized component. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included. And on the tax side: massachusetts has a flat 5% income tax on most earnings, plus a 4% surtax on income above $1 million. There is no city income tax in Boston, keeping the total burden moderate. When someone quotes you $296,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize specialized credentials or advanced degrees. Boston employers, especially in biotech and finance, place a premium on educational pedigree and certifications. The range for IC6 Engineers in Boston runs from $231,000 to $385,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: BLS OES, H-1B LCA (DOL). COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified July 1, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A CTO, AI Startup in Boston earns $283,000 (4% less)
- The highest-paying role in Boston is CTO at $381,000
Common questions.
IC6 Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Boston.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"IC6 Engineer Salary in Boston, MA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/ic6-engineer/boston
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