Massachusetts (MA)
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An automated macro-level review of Massachusetts's tech ecosystem.Massachusetts Hiring Grade
The job market in Massachusetts created 2,833 total visa applications. Based on this hiring demand, the area secures an H1B Index Grade of "A".
Reliable Market
Hiring practices in Massachusetts are completely standard. Employers split their visa applications evenly between new arrivals and workers transferring from other companies.
State Taxes & Expenses
Before moving to Massachusetts for a $127,507 salary, professionals must evaluate real expenses. After the 5.0% state tax and living costs, true purchasing power equals roughly $121,132.
High Approval Chances
Employers in Massachusetts enjoy a strong 99.3% visa approval rate. On top of that, businesses here applied for 653 Green Cards to keep their international staff long-term.
Expert Skill Sets
If you are a senior candidate, Massachusetts offers a massive advantage. 38.4% of the sponsored opportunities in this state are engineered for highly experienced specialists.
Biggest Job Market
Most of the businesses sponsoring visas in Massachusetts are based in Boston. This regional hiring is strongly driven by the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry.
Layoff Radar & Risk Indicators
Top Metro Hubs in Massachusetts
Hiring volume across major cities mapped against the state baseline compensation rate of $127,507.Talent Sourcing Pipeline
Are companies hiring fresh talent or poaching from competitors?State Wage Premium
On average, employers in Massachusetts offer salaries that are $14,043 higher than the baseline prevailing wage required by the Department of Labor.
10-Year Salary Trends
Comparing state-level base compensation growth for temporary H-1B visas versus permanent Green Cards (PERM).Top Hiring Employers
Companies sponsoring the most visas in this state.Top Emerging Startup in Massachusetts
Records show exactly 1 young company actively expanding its foreign workforce in Massachusetts.
O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers across the state.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Cohort Size | Minimum Base | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 614 | 21.7% | $37,000 | $78,333 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 919 | 32.4% | $41,870 | $114,088 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 570 | 20.1% | $55,120 | $149,325 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 517 | 18.2% | $50,378 | $178,131 |
| Not Disclosed (Blank) | 213 | 7.5% | $59,223 | $133,545 |
Geographic Deployment & Worksites
The top locations where state employers place their workers.| City/Metro Area | Workforce % | City Median Pay | Wage (Level IV) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | 33.3% (944 Filings) | $130,000 | 15.8% |
| Cambridge, MA | 12.8% (362 Filings) | $129,900 | 22.4% |
| Waltham, MA | 4.1% (117 Filings) | $131,621 | 20.5% |
| Natick, MA | 3.1% (88 Filings) | $154,606 | 29.5% |
| Quincy, MA | 2.3% (65 Filings) | $131,082 | 13.8% |
| Worcester, MA | 1.9% (54 Filings) | $72,538 | 3.7% |
| Marlborough, MA | 1.8% (51 Filings) | $148,000 | 17.6% |
| Burlington, MA | 1.7% (47 Filings) | $146,806 | 23.4% |
| Framingham, MA | 1.7% (47 Filings) | $125,000 | 21.3% |
| Andover, MA | 1.2% (33 Filings) | $130,735 | 33.3% |
| Lowell, MA | 1.1% (31 Filings) | $140,525 | 25.8% |
| Somerville, MA | 1.1% (31 Filings) | $90,500 | 6.5% |
| Westborough, MA | 1.1% (31 Filings) | $116,397 | 19.4% |
| Woburn, MA | 1.1% (30 Filings) | $139,038 | 13.3% |
| Wilmington, MA | 0.9% (26 Filings) | $129,315 | 19.2% |
| Belmont, MA | 0.9% (25 Filings) | $99,840 | 16.0% |
| Charlestown, MA | 0.9% (25 Filings) | $77,267 | 20.0% |
| Westford, MA | 0.8% (24 Filings) | $138,784 | 12.5% |
| Hopkinton, MA | 0.8% (23 Filings) | $151,940 | 34.8% |
| North Reading, MA | 0.8% (22 Filings) | $149,400 | 13.6% |
| Hingham, MA | 0.8% (22 Filings) | $50,000 | 0.0% |
| Malden, MA | 0.7% (21 Filings) | $115,000 | 9.5% |
| Bedford, MA | 0.7% (21 Filings) | $131,100 | 23.8% |
| Newton, MA | 0.7% (21 Filings) | $131,082 | 28.6% |
| North Quincy, MA | 0.7% (20 Filings) | $106,434 | 0.0% |
| Acton, MA | 0.7% (19 Filings) | $133,943 | 15.8% |
| Needham, MA | 0.7% (19 Filings) | $115,627 | 15.8% |
| Lexington, MA | 0.7% (19 Filings) | $159,672 | 15.8% |
| Shrewsbury, MA | 0.7% (19 Filings) | $125,638 | 36.8% |
| Boxborough, MA | 0.6% (17 Filings) | $148,119 | 23.5% |
| Medford, MA | 0.5% (15 Filings) | $150,000 | 33.3% |
| Southborough, MA | 0.5% (14 Filings) | $74,672 | 14.3% |
| Springfield, MA | 0.5% (14 Filings) | $124,800 | 35.7% |
| Norwood, MA | 0.5% (14 Filings) | $119,544 | 28.6% |
| Milford, MA | 0.5% (13 Filings) | $116,397 | 7.7% |
| Brighton, MA | 0.5% (13 Filings) | $132,839 | 15.4% |
| Billerica, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $121,454 | 0.0% |
| Brookline, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $145,000 | 25.0% |
| Wakefield, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $111,619 | 0.0% |
| Wellesley, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $145,000 | 50.0% |
| Rutland, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $55,182 | 0.0% |
| Westwood, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $118,320 | 0.0% |
| Everett, MA | 0.4% (12 Filings) | $91,962 | 8.3% |
| Littleton, MA | 0.4% (11 Filings) | $115,000 | 36.4% |
| Beverly, MA | 0.4% (11 Filings) | $150,000 | 9.1% |
| Danvers, MA | 0.4% (11 Filings) | $118,435 | 9.1% |
| Chelsea, MA | 0.4% (10 Filings) | $105,482 | 10.0% |
| Chelmsford, MA | 0.4% (10 Filings) | $143,000 | 20.0% |
| Walpole, MA | 0.3% (9 Filings) | $49,275 | 22.2% |
| Amherst, MA | 0.3% (8 Filings) | $95,312 | 0.0% |
Most Poached Roles
Roles with the highest volume of H-1B transfers, indicating aggressive headhunting.Dominant Industries
Distribution of cases by broad industry sector.Historical Retention Rate
Year-over-year percentage of successful visa renewals and extensions.Top Third-Party End Clients i
Where consultants are deployed.Highest Compensation Roles i
Top positions ranked by median base pay.Law Firms & Third-Party Work i
Leading legal counsel for visas.
Visa Volume & Success
-87.5% YoY Decline
LCA approvals, denials, and overall certification rates.
USCIS Petition Processing
New vs. Renewed approvals and denials in the state.Green Card Sponsorships
PERM residency applications and median GC wages.Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employers Matrix
A detailed ledger of all corporate clients operating in Massachusetts.Complete Jobs Matrix
The job titles most frequently sponsored in this state.| Job Title in State | LCA Count | Median Pay | Salary Variance | Legal Wage Premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research Fellow | 105 | $76,000 | $30,100 Range | +$13,350 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer | 69 | $154,606 | $116,499 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Engineer | 53 | $135,000 | $139,920 Range | +$3,918 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Associate | 49 | $71,000 | $33,120 Range | +$12,136 Over Min |
| Research Scientist | 44 | $81,082 | $57,578 Range | +$9,676 Over Min |
| Software Developer | 43 | $131,082 | $109,812 Range | +$8,112 Over Min |
| Assistant Professor | 34 | $141,900 | $242,300 Range | +$72,215 Over Min |
| Investigator | 32 | $81,749 | $56,285 Range | +$10,343 Over Min |
| Principal Software Engineer | 20 | $178,131 | $25,394 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Postdoctoral Fellow | 17 | $70,304 | $16,597 Range | +$8,923 Over Min |
| Research Associate | 16 | $86,834 | $57,800 Range | +$18,350 Over Min |
| Hospitalist | 15 | $293,467 | $121,471 Range | +$86,403 Over Min |
| Lead Software Engineer | 13 | $160,000 | $55,161 Range | +$5,394 Over Min |
| Data Engineer | 13 | $109,990 | $75,101 Range | +$2,433 Over Min |
| Software Engineering | 12 | $193,466 | $93,478 Range | +$38,860 Over Min |
| Project Manager | 11 | $97,739 | $75,018 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Software Development Engineer Ii | 11 | $143,700 | $63,318 Range | +$12,618 Over Min |
| Software Engineer Ii | 11 | $153,284 | $55,351 Range | +$22,202 Over Min |
| Data Scientist | 11 | $114,100 | $55,682 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Business Analyst | 10 | $114,088 | $38,352 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Scientist | 10 | $107,535 | $64,193 Range | +$18,636 Over Min |
| Principal Quality Engineer | 9 | $140,525 | $38,245 Range | +$5,928 Over Min |
| Web Software Developer | 9 | $95,680 | Fixed Pay | +$1,186 Over Min |
| Quality Engineer | 9 | $88,338 | $43,139 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Manager | 9 | $178,131 | $111,619 Range | +$23,545 Over Min |
| Postdoctoral Research Fellow | 9 | $70,040 | $13,619 Range | +$8,659 Over Min |
| Senior Quality Engineer | 9 | $119,912 | $18,412 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Senior Research Associate | 8 | $80,330 | $20,000 Range | +$6,178 Over Min |
| Director | 8 | $175,550 | $71,100 Range | +$44,468 Over Min |
| Senior Consultant | 8 | $144,235 | $97,568 Range | +$23,782 Over Min |
| Software Engineer Iii | 8 | $183,177 | $55,633 Range | +$28,571 Over Min |
| General Dentist | 8 | $148,751 | $200,138 Range | +$1,009 Over Min |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | 8 | $48,838 | Fixed Pay | Baseline Pay |
| Consultant | 7 | $118,726 | $36,700 Range | +$2,371 Over Min |
| Computer Programmer | 7 | $102,500 | $47,730 Range | Baseline Pay |
| Clinician | 7 | $63,107 | $17,056 Range | +$1,373 Over Min |
| Spanish Immersion Teacher | 7 | $43,000 | $8,000 Range | +$5,456 Over Min |
| Software Development Engineer I | 6 | $112,653 | $21,443 Range | +$5,096 Over Min |
| Validation Engineer | 6 | $101,254 | $17,098 Range | +$1,737 Over Min |
| Senior Software Engineer I | 6 | $157,600 | $9,445 Range | +$26,518 Over Min |
Historical Compensation Ledger
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | YoY Growth | Maximum | Median | Top-Heavy Skew i | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | In Progress | $375,178 | $124,800 | Balanced | $23.00/hr |
| 2025 | +3.8% | $400,000 | $117,244 | Balanced | $17.00/hr |
| 2024 | +4.4% | $400,000 | $112,986 | Balanced | $15.00/hr |
| 2023 | +2.6% | $400,000 | $108,200 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2022 | +5.4% | $400,000 | $105,414 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2021 | +5.3% | $385,000 | $100,000 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2020 | +6.6% | $400,000 | $95,000 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2019 | +1.4% | $400,000 | $89,114 | Balanced | $14.00/hr |
| 2018 | +9.8% | $400,000 | $87,859 | Balanced | $13.00/hr |
| 2017 | +5.4% | $400,000 | $80,000 | Balanced | $10.00/hr |
| 2016 | N/A | $400,000 | $75,878 | +5.4% Skew | $12.00/hr |
Recent Visa Filings (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures processed in this state.State Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights regarding Massachusetts.What is the tax rate on a professional salary in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, state taxes sit around 5.0%. For a professional earning the $127,507 median, expect roughly $6,375 in state deductions.
What is the best-paying market in Massachusetts?
Boston offers the highest salaries across the state, reflecting a median base pay of $130,000.
How likely are companies in Massachusetts to sponsor a Green Card?
During this cycle, employers in Massachusetts filed 653 permanent Green Card applications, yielding a 23.0% retention rate.
Which industry hires the most foreign workers in Massachusetts?
The local hiring market is dominated largely by the Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services industry, responsible for 36.5% of all certified applications.