Recommendation Systems Engineer.
Manchester.
$145,000
median salary, 9% above the national average
$112,000 to $185,000. Last updated August 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
Manchester is 6% more expensive than the national average. For Recommendation Systems Engineers, that shakes out to a median of $145,000, with the full range spanning $112,000 to $185,000. Compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Know the range before you walk in. 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 Recommendation Systems Engineer in Manchester, 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 $162,090 for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Manchester-Nashua, NH metropolitan area, based on 4,370 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$95,950
25th percentile
$125,790
Median
$162,090
75th percentile
$173,560
90th percentile
$206,180
Workers surveyed
4,370
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 Recommendation Systems Engineer specifically. The Manchester 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 $131,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$94,000
to $116,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$123,000
to $152,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$160,000
to $189,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$181,000
to $225,000
Total compensation.
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$145,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $175,000
How Manchester compares.
Manchester, NH
$145,000
Cost of living: 6% above average
National Average
$133,000
Manchester is $12,000 above
Recommendation Systems Engineer salary by city.
Salary by role in Manchester.
What you should know.
Here is what the Recommendation Systems Engineer market actually looks like in Manchester. Manchester is New Hampshire's largest city and a growing satellite hub for Boston's tech economy. The lack of state income tax and sales tax makes it highly attractive for professionals who commute to or work remotely for Boston area employers. Defense, healthcare, and small tech firms anchor the local economy. Compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers is driven by depth of technical specialization, open-source or published work, and the specific technology stack. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 10% in a typical year. Within tech-sector Recommendation Systems Engineers specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
Recommendation Systems 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 Manchester, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.
Base salary is not the full picture. Total compensation for Recommendation Systems Engineers runs roughly $176K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~10% 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: new Hampshire has no state income tax on wages and no sales tax. Manchester has no city income tax. This makes it one of the lowest taxed metros in the Northeast. When someone quotes you $145,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Use the no income tax advantage to negotiate. Many professionals live in Manchester and work remotely for Boston companies, keeping the higher salary with zero state tax. The range for Recommendation Systems Engineers in Manchester runs from $112,000 to $185,000. 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?
- An AI Safety Engineer in Manchester earns $144,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Manchester is CTO at $308,000
Common questions.
Recommendation Systems Engineer salary in other cities.
Other salaries in Manchester.
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Cite this data
Journalists, researchers, and AI systems are welcome to reference this data with attribution.
"Recommendation Systems Engineer Salary in Manchester, NH." Orbyt Salary Explorer, August 2026. https://www.orbytlabs.ai/orbyt-jobs/salaries/recommendation-systems-engineer/manchester
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