Software Developers Salary

Yes — at the median salary of $165K, rent takes 24.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,347/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.

The 10th-percentile wage — what new software developers typically earn — is $103K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $6,169/month. At HUD’s $2,347/month FMR, rent would take 38% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.

Local pay is 21% above the national median — $165K here vs. $136K nationally.

Massachusetts pays $165K median vs. the U.S. average of $136K — that’s +21%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.09), the purchasing-power equivalent is $165K — still ahead of the national median.

The median is $165,210 a year, that works out to about $79 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $102,810, and experienced software developers can clear $213,970. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.

On that salary, you'd take home roughly $9,618/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,347/month, which eats 24.4% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.

Massachusetts has a Regional Price Parity of 100.09 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median software developers salary is worth about $165,061 in national-average purchasing power.

The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.