Sovereign

Tech

Software Engineer Salary · Boston vs London

Net pay, tax drag, and purchasing power modeled for 2025 offers. Built for relocating teams, expats, and comp committees.

Net pay

Boston

$112,449

25.0% effective rate

Net pay

London

£71,068

39.3% effective rate

Annual delta

Spread

+$41,381

Boston advantage

City

Boston

Deep biotech and hedge fund density supported by elite universities and a high cost of living.

Median professional income

$78,500

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

$150,000

Net after tax

$112,449

Cost-of-living index

76

Rent index

95

City

London

Europe’s leading financial center. Salaries typically include a "London weighting" to offset housing costs.

Median professional income

£48,500

Role modeled

Software Engineer

Gross base

£117,000

Net after tax

£71,068

Cost-of-living index

56

Rent index

56

Purchasing power

Net income vs lifestyle drag

Boston

$9,371

Housing$2,811
Essentials$1,874
Discretionary$2,343
Savings$2,343

London

£5,922

Housing£1,777
Essentials£1,184
Discretionary£1,481
Savings£1,481

Cost-of-living deep dive

Flip into the COL template for this exact pair. See rent burdens, discretionary drift, and PPP commentary.

Open COL page

Remote benchmark

Need a borderless baseline? Run the remote analyzer across our tier-one city basket.

Remote comparison

More combinations

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Frequently asked

Who wins for Software Engineer net pay: Boston or London?+
Boston keeps about $41,381 more after tax (25.0% effective rate) compared to London (39.3%).
How different are the cost-of-living profiles?+
Boston posts a cost-of-living index of 76 and rent index of 95. London comes in at 56 / 56. The purchasing power gap tightens once you factor in rent and lifestyle drift.
What salary uplift offsets London's taxes?+
You would need roughly £68,126 in additional gross compensation to match the same take-home pay in Boston.