Programmer.
Boston.
$123,000
median salary, 24% above the national average
$90,000 to $161,000. Last updated August 2026.
Get the job.
Data points to own the conversation.
A Programmer in Boston earns a median of $123,000 in 2026. That is 24% above the national average. The range runs from $90,000 to $161,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. 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 Programmer 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 $128,900 for Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metropolitan area, based on 1,600 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$78,940
25th percentile
$102,290
Median
$128,900
75th percentile
$142,650
90th percentile
$168,320
Workers surveyed
1,600
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Computer Programmers (SOC 15-1251) rather than Programmer 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 15-1251Salary by experience.
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $111,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$80,000
to $98,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$105,000
to $129,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$135,000
to $160,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$154,000
to $191,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $36,000 to the total package.
Base
$123,000
Equity
$21,000
Bonus
$13,000
Signing
$2,000
Estimated total: $159,000
How Boston compares.
Boston, MA
$123,000
Cost of living: 22% above average
National Average
$99,000
Boston is $24,000 above
Programmer salary by city.
Salary by role in Boston.
What you should know.
The Programmer landscape in Boston is not what most salary sites will tell you. 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. Programmer compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 8% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Programmers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 65%+ variance across the compensation band.
Programmers progress from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with lead and management levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-functional scope. 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 Programmers runs roughly $95K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~8% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. 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 $123,000, 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 Programmers in Boston runs from $90,000 to $161,000. 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 Business Analyst in Boston earns $124,000 (1% more)
- The highest-paying role in Boston is CTO at $381,000
Common questions.
Programmer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Boston.
Related salary pages
Jump to nearby roles and cities most relevant to Programmers in Boston.
Related tools.
Do you work as a programmer in Boston?
Your individual figure is never published. Submissions appear only as aggregate percentiles, and nothing is shown for a role and city until at least five people have reported. It is stored against your account, which is what keeps the dataset clean.
Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Programmer Salary in Boston, MA." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/programmer/boston
Want this data on your site? Embed the salary widget. One script tag, free forever.
Related tools