SOC 15-1252

Software Engineer Salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + MA
COL Index: 121.21 (+21.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 68.1% Realized
$86,281 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $126,670 $60.90/hr
Effective Tax Drag 25.89% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$32,789 $1,261.12/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $60.90 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$7,600/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,672/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$17,365
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$7,854
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,837
Massachusetts Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$5,733
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$86,281 ($3,318.49 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Software Engineer Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $126,670
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $96.4k 25th $106k Median: $126,670 50th (Median) $127k 75th $167k 90th $210k You: $126,670
10th (Entry) $96,370 $46.33/hr
25th (Junior) $106,330 $51.12/hr
50th (Median) $126,670 $60.90/hr
75th (Senior) $167,100 $80.34/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $210,150 $101.03/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA
1
Junior Software Engineer (L3)CS degree or equivalent bootcamp/portfolio, foundational data structures
$82,441$39.64/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Mid-Level Software Engineer (L4)Independent feature delivery, system design, CI/CD and DB optimization
$119,236$57.33/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Software Engineer (L5)Architectural leadership, cross-team design reviews, mentorship
$160,224$77.03/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Staff / Principal Engineer (L6)Company-wide tech strategy, distributed system fault tolerance, high scale
$212,390$102.11/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA medianView National Software Engineer Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
22% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,593/month Requires minimum annual gross of $63,720
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,034/month Requires minimum annual gross of $81,360
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $26.81/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $25.45/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$126,670-$32,789$86,281$3,318.49
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$150,421-$41,026$100,370$3,860.37
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$174,171-$49,317$114,404$4,400.15
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$197,922-$56,776$129,270$4,971.93
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$221,673-$63,790$144,582$5,560.84
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Massachusetts tax codes.

Market Baseline
$126,670/yr
$60.90/hr · SOC 15-1252
Statutory Tax Drag
25.89% Effective
-$32,789 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
22% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$5,597/mo
Post-$1,593/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 15-1252
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA: Market Snapshot

Software Engineer roles in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA report a median annual wage of $126,670, 6.8% below the national median of $135,980. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $96,370 to $210,150, and HUD’s $1,593 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 15.1% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $26.81 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Software Engineer

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$213,110+68.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$186,640+47.3%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$167,280+32.1%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$166,830+31.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$166,090+31.1%
Boulder, CO$164,560+29.9%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$163,270+28.9%
Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT$162,650+28.4%
Manchester-Nashua, NH$162,090+28.0%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$160,920+27.0%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Architectural and Engineering Managers$169,330$81.41/hr
Marketing Managers$161,020$77.41/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$156,040$75.02/hr
Financial Manager$144,950$69.69/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$140,500$67.55/hr
Sales Managers$138,100$66.39/hr
Fundraising Managers$136,890$65.81/hr
Physician Assistant$134,860$64.84/hr
Nurse Practitioner$133,050$63.97/hr
Public Relations Managers$132,990$63.94/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 377 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Software Engineer Salary in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA (2026) Overview

Software Engineer median pay in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA is $126,670 a year ($60.90/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA?

The median annual wage is $126,670 ($60.90 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $96,370 and $210,150. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Software Engineer in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA after taxes?

On the median wage of $126,670, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $91,731 a year ($7,644 a month) after $34,939 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 27.58%, using 2026 tax rules.