Looking back on the calendar year 2019, demand for experienced engineering talent in the Boston area continued to outpace supply. As a result, WinterWyman’s annual Software Salary & Jobs Report showed a continued increase in the salaries of these specialized technologists. As in past years, we are noticing peak demand for Full Stack Engineers, as well as seeing a continued migration of more software product shops setting down roots outside the City. Read on for more of our findings below.
1. Salary Data
Salary by Engineers
Over the past several years, Software Engineers from almost every background have enjoyed rising salaries, a trend that continued in 2019. The charts below highlight the changes for some of the major categories WinterWyman serves and for the level of Software professionals we place.
2. Job Demand
WinterWyman’s Software Technology practice’s data also provides insight into what skillsets are most in demand. In addition to the intelligence gleaned from software placements, discussions with WinterWyman’s client base inform an understanding of what technologies are hot and which may be falling out of favor. Figures 3, 4, and 5 show which software jobs and which technologies we have seen the highest demand for in Greater Boston. Over the past several years, job demand has remained strong with the biggest jumps coming at the individual-language level, which is discussed in detail below.
Much like the salary data, which technologies are “hot” are reflected in job order data. This is the case for Back-End and Full-Stack Engineers, as well as Web UI and Mobile developers.
The area chart below 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
WinterWyman’s Software Technology practice has seen a notable shift away from Boston’s suburbs and into the city since 2015. This past year was no exception with Boston and Cambridge being home to 61% of the jobs we worked on in 2019. However, with the Innovation District and parts of Cambridge remaining cost-prohibitive for new startups and size- or cost-restrictive for larger companies seeking a campus setting, we also saw a resurgence in popularity for the Mass Pike / Route 128 interchange with Waltham and Newton leading the way.
Engineering Locations
Not surprising, engineers chose to live near their offices with Boston, Cambridge and Somerville combining for 61% of household locations.
Of note, though, is the large number of tech professionals living north of the City. From Bedford to Lowell, Reading to Woburn, our engineering candidates were spread out in suburban towns to the north of Boston. With remote work, or partial remote weeks, becoming more the norm than the exception, and the high cost to live in Boston, it’s our belief that this trend will continue.
