New York City is the second-highest-paying market for H1B software engineers, with a unique finance-tech premium. DOL LCA data for FY2024 shows 28,600 filings at a median of $188,000 — 57% above the national H1B median. Two Sigma pays $265K and Goldman Sachs Engineering $185K, reflecting Wall Street's demand for technical talent.
Key fact: New York is the only US tech hub where finance-technology roles at hedge funds (Two Sigma, Citadel, D.E. Shaw) regularly exceed San Francisco's median wage by $60K–$90K. For quantitative software engineers, NYC is the highest-paying city in the country.
| Role | Median |
|---|---|
| SWE L3 | $162,000 |
| Senior SWE L4 | $198,000 |
| Staff SWE L5 | $245,000 |
| Quantitative Developer | $285,000 |
| ML Engineer L4 | $205,000 |
Source: DOL LCA disclosures, FY2024.
| Employer | Median Wage |
|---|---|
| Google NYC | $178,000 |
| Two Sigma | $265,000 |
| Goldman Sachs Engineering | $185,000 |
| Amazon NYC | $168,000 |
| Bloomberg LP | $158,000 |
| JPMorgan AI | $162,000 |