ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Research Software Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts

IonQ

Senior Research Software Engineer

Boston, MA

$145K - $191K/yr

Proactively identify opportunities to make R&D software more accessible, scalable, and self-service for scientists. Requirements: * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related ...

IonQ

Senior Research Software Engineer

Boston, MA · On-site

$133K - $175K/yr

Proactively identify opportunities to make R&D software more accessible, scalable, and self-service for scientists. Requirements: * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related ...

RTX

Cyber Research Software Engineer II

Cambridge, MA · On-site

The Cyber Research Software Engineer II role involves developing systems and software to deter and defeat adversaries, requiring advanced software development skills and collaboration on cutting-edge ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsResearch Software Engineer JobsResearch Software Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts

Research Software Engineer information

See Massachusetts salary details

$121.8K

$225K

How much do research software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 27, 2026, the average yearly pay for research software engineer in Massachusetts is $218,981.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $223,900.00 and $223,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Research Software Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Research Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in Python, C++, or Java), a solid understanding of algorithms, and an academic or industry background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with version control systems like Git, cloud platforms, and experience using scientific computing libraries and frameworks are valuable, while a master's or Ph.D. can be advantageous for specialized roles. Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaborative skills help in working closely with researchers and multidisciplinary teams. These capabilities are crucial for successfully translating complex research problems into robust, reproducible software solutions that advance scientific inquiry.

What are some typical daily responsibilities for a Research Software Engineer?

As a Research Software Engineer, your daily work often involves designing and implementing software to support cutting-edge research projects, collaborating with scientists to understand their computational needs, and ensuring code reliability and reproducibility. You may spend time optimizing algorithms, writing unit tests, documenting software, and participating in code reviews within a collaborative team environment. Additionally, you might help deploy research applications on high-performance or cloud computing platforms and contribute to research publications. Balancing independent programming tasks with ongoing communication is key to making meaningful contributions to both the research and software development processes.

What is a Research Software Engineer job?

A Research Software Engineer (RSE) combines expertise in software development and research to create, maintain, and optimize software used in scientific or academic projects. They work closely with researchers to develop efficient, reliable, and reproducible software solutions for data analysis, simulations, or machine learning. RSEs bridge the gap between research and software engineering, ensuring that computational tools meet the needs of scientific investigations. Their role may involve coding, performance optimization, software sustainability, and deploying applications on high-performance computing or cloud platforms.

What are the most commonly searched types of Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts? The most popular types of Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts are:
What are popular job titles related to Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts? For Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts look for? The top searched job categories for Research Software Engineer jobs in Massachusetts are:
What cities in Massachusetts are hiring for Research Software Engineer jobs? Cities in Massachusetts with the most Research Software Engineer job openings:
What are popular job titles related to Research Software Engineer jobs in MA? For Research Software Engineer jobs in MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
Research Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Research Software Engineer job openings in Massachusetts as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 3% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $218,981 per year, or $105.3 per hour.

Temporary Research Software Engineer

Worcester Polytech

Worcester, MA • On-site, Remote

$20/hr

Part-time

Posted 26 days ago

Job description

JOB TITLE

Temporary Research Software Engineer

LOCATION

Worcester

DEPARTMENT NAME

Humanities & Arts - JM

DIVISION NAME

Worcester Polytechnic Institute - WPI

JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) seeks a temporary Research Software Engineer to support the Music-induced Analgesia Genome Study (IMAGS), an interdisciplinary research project investigating the use of music and physiological sensing technologies to support chronic pain management.
The successful candidate will help transform the IMAGS software into a portable, reproducible research platform that can be readily deployed and adapted by research teams at other institutions. Working closely with faculty investigators, the Research Software Engineer will design and implement a modern deployment architecture-utilizing containerization technologies such as Docker-to simplify installation, improve long-term maintainability, and support open scientific collaboration.
This work will contribute directly to the broader dissemination of the IMAGS platform by enabling researchers to install the software with minimal technical expertise while preserving a consistent, reproducible research environment across institutions. The position is funded through a summer research grant and provides an opportunity to contribute to an innovative project at the intersection of software engineering, music technology, biomedical sensing, and digital health.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Responsibilities:

Design and implement a containerized deployment of the IMAGS software platform using Docker or a similar container technology.

Develop an installation workflow that enables researchers to deploy the complete IMAGS system with minimal configuration.

Package web applications, databases, and supporting services into a reproducible software environment.

Configure persistent data storage, networking, and security for research deployments.

Create installation guides, technical documentation, and developer documentation for external research teams.

Improve the portability, maintainability, and long-term sustainability of the IMAGS software architecture.

Collaborate with faculty investigators to identify software requirements and prioritize development goals.

Test deployments across multiple operating systems and computing environments.

Participate in project meetings and provide regular progress updates.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree or current enrollment in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.

Experience developing software in Linux environments.

Experience with Docker, containerization technologies, or virtualization platforms.

Familiarity with web application deployment and server administration.

Strong programming and software engineering skills.

Excellent problem-solving abilities and attention to detail.

Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative research team.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Docker Compose, Kubernetes, or other container orchestration tools.

Experience deploying web applications using technologies such as Node.js, Python, PHP, or similar server-side frameworks.

Familiarity with databases such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, or SQLite.

Experience with Git and collaborative software development workflows.

Experience creating installation scripts, CI/CD pipelines, or automated deployment systems.

Interest in open-source software, reproducible research, scientific computing, or digital health technologies.

About the IMAGS Project The Music-induced Analgesia Genome Study (IMAGS) investigates how music can be used to help individuals manage chronic pain. The project employs custom physiological sensing hardware and software to measure changes in stress levels while participants listen to music. These data are analyzed and visualized to help researchers and music therapists better understand the characteristics of music that contribute to pain relief. IMAGS seeks to develop safe, accessible, and personalized alternatives that may complement traditional approaches to chronic pain management.

As part of this project, the IMAGS software platform is being redesigned to support reproducible, open scientific research by enabling research groups around the world to easily deploy and customize the system for their own studies.

Compensation:

Hourly rate is $20.00 per hour. This is a hybrid 15 hour per week position.

FLSA STATUS

United States of America (Non-Exempt)

WPI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status,or disability. It seeks individuals from all backgrounds and experiences who will contribute to a culture of creativity, collaboration, inclusion, problem solving, innovation, high performance, and change making.It is committed to maintaining a campus environment free of harassment and discrimination.

Apply