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New York's STEM Salaries Surpass the National Average, Reaching $112,000 for Software Engineers

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  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. age-reaching-112-000-for-software-engineers.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Saturday, November 15th 2025 at 19:11 GMT by fingerlakes1

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New York’s STEM Salaries Leap Past the National Average – A 2025 Snapshot

Published November 15, 2025 – Finger Lakes 1

The latest report released by the Finger Lakes 1 newsroom confirms what many in the tech community have been saying for months: New York State’s STEM workforce is now earning more on average than their peers across the United States. In a detailed analysis that draws on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LinkedIn’s Economic Graph, and state‑level workforce studies, the article explains how New York’s median salaries for engineers, data scientists, and other tech professionals have surged past the national median, and why this trend is reshaping the region’s economy.

1. The Numbers That Matter

The headline figure—$112,000 in median salary for software engineers in New York versus $103,000 nationally—might look modest at first glance, but it masks a sharper reality for certain sub‑fields. Data scientists, for example, earned an average of $129,000 in the state compared with $118,000 on the national stage. According to the article’s infographic (linked to a downloadable PDF hosted by the Finger Lakes 1 newsroom), the median earnings for biomedical engineers and cybersecurity specialists in New York also sit 7–9 % above the national median.

These numbers come from a cross‑section of sources:

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – occupational wage estimates for 2024, adjusted for the new 2025 salary cycle.
• LinkedIn Economic Graph – salary estimates derived from 1.2 million verified profiles in the state.
• New York State Department of Labor – a 2025 workforce outlook report that projects a 5 % year‑over‑year growth in STEM employment.

The article notes that the overall increase in median salaries is largely attributable to the concentration of high‑paying tech and financial‑services firms in the New York City metro area, where the cost of living is roughly 20 % higher than the national average.

2. Why New York Outperforms

a. A Thriving Tech Ecosystem

The article highlights several key drivers behind the state’s salary boom:

• High‑Profile Hubs: The “Wall Street to Silicon Valley” migration has seen firms like Google Cloud, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services expand their New York operations. The newsroom links to a Bloomberg piece that details how Amazon’s data‑center expansion in Long Island is expected to create 2,000 new tech jobs over the next five years.
• Fintech Surge: New York remains the global headquarters for fintech giants such as PayPal, Stripe, and JPMorgan Chase. The piece cites a 2025 fintech salary survey that shows fintech analysts earning 12 % more than their counterparts in other states.
• Biotech & Life Sciences: The state’s life‑science corridor, anchored by the NYC BioTech Alliance, has attracted venture capital and research grants that push biomedical engineering salaries upward. A linked article from the New York Times notes a 15 % increase in biotech hiring since 2023.

b. Education & Talent Pipeline

Another important factor is the robust pipeline of STEM talent in New York:

• Higher Education: The article notes that institutions like Columbia University, NYU, and Cornell Tech consistently rank in the top 10 for engineering graduate degrees. It cites a LinkedIn Talent Insights report showing that 42 % of software engineers in the state graduated from one of these five universities—a proportion 8 % higher than the national average.
• State Initiatives: The New York State Office of Technology and Innovation launched the STEM Workforce Initiative in 2023, providing grants to community colleges for STEM training. A press release linked in the article quotes Gov. Kathy Hochul praising the initiative for “reducing skill gaps and ensuring that New York’s workforce stays competitive.”

c. Cost of Living Adjustment

The article does not shy away from the fact that higher salaries in New York are partly a response to the elevated cost of living. A sidebar (linked to a Housing Affordability Report from the NYC Department of Housing Preservation) shows that the median rent for a one‑bedroom apartment in Manhattan was $3,700 in 2025, up 18 % from 2023. The wage increase is thus also a reflection of the need for higher pay to maintain purchasing power.

3. What This Means for Workers and Employers

a. Job Seekers

• Negotiation Power: The article advises tech professionals in New York to leverage the higher median salaries when negotiating offers, especially for positions that can be remote or hybrid.
• Geographic Mobility: It points out that many companies are offering “remote‑first” policies, allowing workers in lower‑cost parts of the state to enjoy New York‑level pay while living in more affordable cities like Buffalo or Rochester.

b. Employers

• Competitive Advantage: Human‑resources executives quoted in the article say that “staying competitive in pay is a must to attract top talent, especially when we’re competing against tech hubs in California and Washington.”
• Retention: The piece cites a Deloitte study (linked in the article) that found companies offering salaries above the median had 35 % lower turnover in the STEM sector.

4. The Road Ahead

The newsroom finishes with a forward‑looking perspective:

• Projected Growth: The 2025 New York State Workforce Outlook projects a 6 % growth in STEM employment over the next decade, outpacing the national projection of 4 %. This would likely keep the salary advantage intact.
• Policy Recommendations: The article notes that local policymakers are considering additional incentives—tax credits for firms that offer STEM scholarships, and expanded apprenticeship programs—to sustain the trend.

It also includes a link to a forthcoming New York Times op‑ed by the state’s Chief Technology Officer that outlines a “Tech‑First” economic plan, which the article recommends readers check out for a deeper dive into policy proposals.

5. Bottom Line

In sum, the Finger Lakes 1 article paints a clear picture: New York’s STEM salaries are not only exceeding the national average but doing so with a breadth of support—from corporate investment and high‑profile tech campuses to educational pipelines and state policy. While the higher cost of living tempers the headline numbers, the data suggests that New York’s tech workforce is on a trajectory that, if maintained, could continue to set a benchmark for the rest of the country.

For those interested in the raw data, the article provides links to the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage tables, the LinkedIn Economic Graph dashboard, and the state’s Workforce Forecast report—all downloadable directly from the Finger Lakes 1 website.