Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Northeast
Key facts
- #1 New York, NY: 2,795 openings
- #2 Boston, MA: 887 openings
- #3 Pittsburgh, PA: 313 openings
- 50 cities ranked in the Northeast
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 19% across all cities in our data.
- 1New York NY2,795 openings
- 2Boston MA887 openings
- 3Pittsburgh PA313 openings
- 4Cambridge MA246 openings
- 5Philadelphia PA215 openings
- 6Waltham MA178 openings
- 7Rochester NY161 openings
- 8Jersey City NJ138 openings
- 9King of Prussia PA126 openings
- 10Buffalo NY111 openings
What stands out
- The lead is wide: New York (2,795 openings) is well clear of Buffalo at #10 (111 openings).
- New York is the largest market in the top ten, with 2,795 engineering openings behind its figure.
- Cities with fewer than 30 engineering openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
The top 25
- 1
New York NY
2,795 openings
- Share of all openings
- 14%
- Median engineering pay
- $200k
- All openings
- 20,410
Hiring most here: Amazon, Publicis Groupe, Morgan Stanley
Based on 2,795 engineering openings.
- 2
Boston MA
887 openings
- Share of all openings
- 17%
- Median engineering pay
- $185k
- All openings
- 5,086
Hiring most here: Vertex Pharmaceuticals, State Street, Confidential
Based on 887 engineering openings.
- 3
Pittsburgh PA
313 openings
- Share of all openings
- 20%
- Median engineering pay
- $146k
- All openings
- 1,534
Hiring most here: PNC Financial Services Group, Highmark Health, UPMC
Based on 313 engineering openings.
- 4
Cambridge MA
246 openings
- Share of all openings
- 19%
- Median engineering pay
- $159k
- All openings
- 1,275
Hiring most here: The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Harvard University, Biogen
Based on 246 engineering openings.
- 5
Philadelphia PA
215 openings
- Share of all openings
- 12%
- Median engineering pay
- $136k
- All openings
- 1,852
Hiring most here: Confidential, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, GSK
Based on 215 engineering openings.
- 6
Waltham MA
178 openings
- Share of all openings
- 31%
- Median engineering pay
- $195k
- All openings
- 580
Hiring most here: Boston Dynamics, Anduril Industries, Xometry
Based on 178 engineering openings.
- 7
Rochester NY
161 openings
- Share of all openings
- 31%
- Median engineering pay
- $102k
- All openings
- 516
Hiring most here: L3HARRIS Technologies, Harris Health Strategic Fund, Rochester Institute of Technology
Based on 161 engineering openings.
- 8
Jersey City NJ
138 openings
- Share of all openings
- 23%
- Median engineering pay
- $162k
- All openings
- 610
Hiring most here: DTCC, Verisk Analytics, JPMorgan Chase
Based on 138 engineering openings.
- 9
King of Prussia PA
126 openings
- Share of all openings
- 39%
- Median engineering pay
- $108k
- All openings
- 327
Hiring most here: Lockheed Martin Services, Sikorsky Aircraft, Lockheed Martin
Based on 126 engineering openings.
- 10
Buffalo NY
111 openings
- Share of all openings
- 27%
- Median engineering pay
- $135k
- All openings
- 415
Hiring most here: Moog Military Aircraft, University at Buffalo, Moog
Based on 111 engineering openings.
- 11
Lexington MA
111 openings
- Share of all openings
- 44%
- Median engineering pay
- $149k
- All openings
- 253
Hiring most here: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Lincoln Lab), Takeda Development Center Americas, Kiniksa Pharmaceuticals International
Based on 111 engineering openings.
- 12
Marlborough MA
95 openings
- Share of all openings
- 38%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 252
Hiring most here: RTX, Hologic, Danaher
Based on 95 engineering openings.
- 13
Burlington MA
87 openings
- Share of all openings
- 32%
- Median engineering pay
- $135k
- All openings
- 268
Hiring most here: State Street, Veracode, Vericel
Based on 87 engineering openings.
- 14
Bedford MA
84 openings
- Share of all openings
- 44%
- Median engineering pay
- $123k
- All openings
- 193
Hiring most here: The MITRE, Stoke Therapeutics, Entegris
Based on 84 engineering openings.
- 15
Newark NJ
83 openings
- Share of all openings
- 19%
- Median engineering pay
- $163k
- All openings
- 426
Hiring most here: Broadridge Financial Solutions, Amazon, Audible
Based on 83 engineering openings.
- 16
Quincy MA
83 openings
- Share of all openings
- 32%
- Median engineering pay
- $172k
- All openings
- 256
Hiring most here: State Street, Anduril Industries, Anduril
Based on 83 engineering openings.
- 17
Syracuse NY
83 openings
- Share of all openings
- 21%
- Median engineering pay
- $121k
- All openings
- 397
Hiring most here: Upstate Medical University, Hidden Level, HII Mission Technologies
Based on 83 engineering openings.
- 18
Andover MA
79 openings
- Share of all openings
- 48%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 166
Hiring most here: RTX, TransMedics Group, Vicor
Based on 79 engineering openings.
- 19
Wilmington MA
76 openings
- Share of all openings
- 51%
- Median engineering pay
- $144k
- All openings
- 148
Hiring most here: Onto Innovation, L3HARRIS Technologies, Unifirst
Based on 76 engineering openings.
- 20
Somerville MA
71 openings
- Share of all openings
- 25%
- Median engineering pay
- $170k
- All openings
- 282
Hiring most here: Formlabs, Tulip Interfaces, Generate Biomedicines
Based on 71 engineering openings.
- 21
Albany NY
65 openings
- Share of all openings
- 18%
- Median engineering pay
- Not enough pay data
- All openings
- 365
Hiring most here: KPMG, New York State, Broadview Credit Union
Based on 65 engineering openings.
- 22
Woburn MA
65 openings
- Share of all openings
- 38%
- Median engineering pay
- $128k
- All openings
- 172
Hiring most here: RTX, Kbwfinancial, Spear Bio
Based on 65 engineering openings.
- 23
Hartford CT
64 openings
- Share of all openings
- 18%
- Median engineering pay
- $108k
- All openings
- 350
Hiring most here: CVS HEALTH, Hartford HealthCare, Eversource Energy
Based on 64 engineering openings.
- 24
Brooklyn NY
63 openings
- Share of all openings
- 9%
- Median engineering pay
- $150k
- All openings
- 680
Hiring most here: SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Williams-Sonoma, Altana AI
Based on 63 engineering openings.
- 25
Princeton NJ
62 openings
- Share of all openings
- 16%
- Median engineering pay
- $191k
- All openings
- 391
Hiring most here: Genmab A/S, Otsuka, ZS Associates
Based on 62 engineering openings.
Full ranking
All 50 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York NY | 2,795 openings | 2,795 |
| 2 | Boston MA | 887 openings | 887 |
| 3 | Pittsburgh PA | 313 openings | 313 |
| 4 | Cambridge MA | 246 openings | 246 |
| 5 | Philadelphia PA | 215 openings | 215 |
| 6 | Waltham MA | 178 openings | 178 |
| 7 | Rochester NY | 161 openings | 161 |
| 8 | Jersey City NJ | 138 openings | 138 |
| 9 | King of Prussia PA | 126 openings | 126 |
| 10 | Buffalo NY | 111 openings | 111 |
| 11 | Lexington MA | 111 openings | 111 |
| 12 | Marlborough MA | 95 openings | 95 |
| 13 | Burlington MA | 87 openings | 87 |
| 14 | Bedford MA | 84 openings | 84 |
| 15 | Newark NJ | 83 openings | 83 |
| 16 | Quincy MA | 83 openings | 83 |
| 17 | Syracuse NY | 83 openings | 83 |
| 18 | Andover MA | 79 openings | 79 |
| 19 | Wilmington MA | 76 openings | 76 |
| 20 | Somerville MA | 71 openings | 71 |
| 21 | Albany NY | 65 openings | 65 |
| 22 | Woburn MA | 65 openings | 65 |
| 23 | Hartford CT | 64 openings | 64 |
| 24 | Brooklyn NY | 63 openings | 63 |
| 25 | Princeton NJ | 62 openings | 62 |
| 26 | Lowell MA | 58 openings | 58 |
| 27 | Reading PA | 58 openings | 58 |
| 28 | Camden NJ | 55 openings | 55 |
| 29 | White Plains NY | 53 openings | 53 |
| 30 | Allentown PA | 50 openings | 50 |
| 31 | Westborough MA | 50 openings | 50 |
| 32 | Framingham MA | 48 openings | 48 |
| 33 | Danbury CT | 44 openings | 44 |
| 34 | Middletown RI | 44 openings | 44 |
| 35 | Mount Laurel NJ | 40 openings | 40 |
| 36 | Parsippany NJ | 39 openings | 39 |
| 37 | Cranberry PA | 36 openings | 36 |
| 38 | Norwood MA | 35 openings | 35 |
| 39 | Owego NY | 35 openings | 35 |
| 40 | Melville NY | 34 openings | 34 |
| 41 | Canonsburg PA | 33 openings | 33 |
| 42 | Chelmsford MA | 33 openings | 33 |
| 43 | Clifton NJ | 33 openings | 33 |
| 44 | Harrisburg PA | 33 openings | 33 |
| 45 | Horsham PA | 33 openings | 33 |
| 46 | Manchester NH | 31 openings | 31 |
| 47 | Piscataway NJ | 31 openings | 31 |
| 48 | Portland ME | 31 openings | 31 |
| 49 | Stamford CT | 31 openings | 31 |
| 50 | Watertown MA | 30 openings | 30 |
How this ranking works
A city is ranked on the number of its open professional roles classed in the engineering function, which includes software, hardware and data engineering.
Median engineering pay uses only listings that post a salary, and is shown only where at least 8 do. Cities need at least the minimum number of engineering openings to be ranked.
A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
Sample bar: cities with fewer than 30 engineering openings are not ranked.
Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles on employer career sites, verified in the last week. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which city ranks first: best cities for software and engineering jobs in the northeast?
- New York has the most software and engineering openings in the Northeast: 2,795 openings, in a market where engineering is 19% of openings across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 50 cities have at least 30 engineering openings, so the list has 50 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A city is ranked on the number of its open professional roles classed in the engineering function, which includes software, hardware and data engineering. Median engineering pay uses only listings that post a salary, and is shown only where at least 8 do. Cities need at least the minimum number of engineering openings to be ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Best cities for junior jobs in the Northeast
- Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Northeast
- Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Northeast
- Fastest-growing job markets in the Northeast
- Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Northeast
- Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Northeast
- Best cities for software and engineering jobs
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Northeast,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs-in-the-northeast
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-software-engineering-jobs-in-the-northeast">Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Northeast (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
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