In Boston, MA, software developers earn a median of $166,090 a year, according to the latest BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. It runs 37% above the national median of $121,110 for this occupation — pay here is notably stronger than the U.S. average. The middle 50% land between $131,880 and $183,740 — a 51,860 range that reflects differences in seniority, employer type, and specialization. The catch: Boston is roughly in line with the national cost of living (cost index 100 against a 100 baseline), so that headline number buys less than it would elsewhere. On an hourly basis that is about $79.85, useful for comparing contract or part-time offers.

For context, the national median for software developers across all U.S. metros in our data is $121,110.