As the demand for experienced engineering talent in the Boston area continues to outpace the supply, Planet Technology’s (formerly WinterWyman) annual Software Salary & Jobs Report shows an increase in the salaries of these specialized technologists.

1. Salary Data

Salary by Engineers

While engineers of all backgrounds are in critical demand, Software, Mobile and UI engineers commanded particularly high salaries over the past 12 months. Figure 1 shows the range of salaries and the average salary from our practice’s primary areas of focus from the past year.

Over the past several years, software engineers from almost every background have enjoyed rising salaries, a trend that looks to continue (see Figures 2 and 3).

2. Job Demand

Figures 4 and 5 show which software jobs and which technologies we have seen the highest demand for in Greater Boston.

Figure 6 shows how the demand for certain technologies has changed from year to year based on the job requirements and preferences of our clients.

3. Job and Engineer Locations

Job Demand by Location

Planet Technology’s Software Technology practice has seen a notable shift away from Boston’s suburbs and into the City since 2015 (see Figure 7).

Engineer Locations

Not surprising, engineers chose to live near their offices with Boston, Cambridge and Somerville combining for 33% of household locations (see Figure 8).

Commuting Distances

As a reflection of so many engineers living close to Boston and the surrounding suburbs, our Software candidates didn’t have far to go to their new offices (see Figure 9).

4. Looking Ahead

Barring a change in the economy, we anticipate the market for Software talent to remain hot. With Greater Boston and national tech unemployment rates approaching record lows, we’re seeing tremendous, sustained demand for engineers. As a result, experienced talent has the upper hand in the labor market, commanding higher salaries and being particular about the types of companies, cultures and projects they pursue.