QA/Validation Engineer I Salary in the United States
How much does a QA/Validation Engineer I make in the United States?
As of July 01, 2026, the average salary for a QA/Validation Engineer I in the United States is $75,690 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.
However, a QA/Validation Engineer I's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $86,331
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,130 to $81,260
Key Factors That Influence QA/Validation Engineer I Salaries
A QA/Validation Engineer I's salary isn't a fixed number.
It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education, and company size can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects QA/Validation Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a QA/Validation Engineer I's salary.
As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases.
Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do QA/Validation Engineer I Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work.
States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors
often pay more to attract QA/Validation Engineer Is.
For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $95,470
San Francisco: $94,430
Oakland: $92,440
San Jose, CA$95,470
San Francisco, CA$94,430
Oakland, CA$92,440
New York, NY$87,150
Paramus, NJ$86,090
Queens Village, NY$86,090
Passaic, NJ$86,020
Bergenfield, NJ$86,010
Stamford, CT$85,850
Huntington, NY$85,810
Newark, NJ$85,250
Bridgeport, CT$85,090
Vallejo, CA$84,940
New Brunswick, NJ$84,910
Petaluma, CA$84,870
Middlesex, NJ$84,720
Somerset, NJ$84,670
Santa Cruz, CA$84,570
Boston, MA$84,110
Monterey, CA$83,850
Seattle, WA$83,670
Santa Rosa, CA$83,660
Los Angeles, CA$83,630
Juneau, AK$83,440
Washington, DC$83,350
Orange, CA$83,090
Santa Ana, CA$82,890
Long Beach, CA$82,810
Anaheim, CA$82,790
Anchorage, AK$82,760
Santa Maria, CA$82,530
Everett, WA$82,510
Danbury, CT$82,250
Bremerton, WA$82,140
Tacoma, WA$81,870
New Suffolk, NY$81,870
Sacramento, CA$81,850
Santa Barbara, CA$81,770
Trenton, NJ$81,680
San Diego, CA$81,680
Brockton, MA$81,600
Fairbanks, AK$81,410
Lompoc, CA$81,220
Lowell, MA$81,160
Ventura, CA$81,140
Nashua, NH$81,130
Stockton, CA$81,120
Modesto, CA$80,570
Poughkeepsie, NY$80,400
Kennewick, WA$80,260
Olympia, WA$80,260
New Haven, CT$80,230
Lawrence, MA$79,960
Hartford, CT$79,880
Riverside, CA$79,870
New Bedford, MA$79,790
Richland, WA$79,790
Bakersfield, CA$79,680
Atlantic City, NJ$79,650
San Bernardino, CA$79,650
New Britain, CT$79,650
New London, CT$79,620
Norwich, CT$79,590
Portsmouth, NH$79,580
Boulder, CO$79,420
Portland, OR$79,310
Worcester, MA$79,310
Minneapolis, MN$79,070
Philadelphia, PA$78,960
Honolulu, HI$78,720
Saint Paul, MN$78,680
Vineland, NJ$78,660
Providence, RI$78,440
Chicago, IL$78,220
Bellingham, WA$78,130
Springfield, MA$78,070
Baltimore, MD$78,050
Chico, CA$77,860
Pittsfield, MA$77,660
Manchester, NH$77,510
Spokane, WA$77,180
Denver, CO$77,170
Albany, NY$76,820
Troy, NY$76,780
Nassau, NY$76,700
Schenectady, NY$76,630
Wilmington, DE$76,570
Burlington, VT$76,460
Salem, OR$76,430
Portland, ME$76,190
Yakima, WA$76,120
Rochester, MN$75,880
Reno, NV$75,850
Fresno, CA$75,850
Milwaukee, WI$75,780
Detroit, MI$75,700
Ann Arbor, MI$75,690
Allentown, PA$75,680
Colorado Springs, CO$75,550
Syracuse, NY$75,510
Carson City, NV$75,510
Houston, TX$75,410
Eugene, OR$75,370
Gary, IN$75,280
Springfield, OR$75,220
Bismarck, ND$75,200
Galveston, TX$75,150
Medford, OR$75,040
Fort Collins, CO$75,010
Concord, NH$74,970
Austin, TX$74,950
Mesa, AZ$74,790
Reading, PA$74,780
Phoenix, AZ$74,770
Dallas, TX$74,750
Saint Cloud, MN$74,680
Madison, WI$74,570
Utica, NY$74,370
Rochester, NY$74,250
Des Moines, IA$74,240
Raleigh, NC$74,230
Atlanta, GA$74,120
Battle Creek, MI$74,100
Salt Lake City, UT$74,080
Lancaster, PA$73,960
Harrisburg, PA$73,860
Kansas City, MO$73,780
Fort Worth, TX$73,760
Champaign, IL$73,760
Kansas City, KS$73,760
Columbus, OH$73,740
Boca Raton, FL$73,730
Pittsburgh, PA$73,700
Richmond, VA$73,670
Indianapolis, IN$73,650
Cleveland, OH$73,640
Las Vegas, NV$73,550
Cincinnati, OH$73,550
Petersburg, VA$73,440
Huntsville, AL$73,330
Lansing, MI$73,280
Lebanon, PA$73,270
Pueblo, CO$73,260
Appleton, WI$73,240
Buffalo, NY$73,200
Dayton, OH$73,180
Racine, WI$73,170
Charlotte, NC$73,160
Saint Louis, MO$73,140
York, PA$73,090
Elkhart, IN$73,090
Gastonia, NC$73,080
Billings, MT$73,060
Beaumont, TX$73,040
Lorain, OH$73,020
Benton Harbor, MI$73,010
Toledo, OH$72,990
Binghamton, NY$72,960
Rock Hill, SC$72,950
Rockford, IL$72,910
Springfield, IL$72,880
Elyria, OH$72,870
Fargo, ND$72,870
Flagstaff, AZ$72,820
Fort Lauderdale, FL$72,770
Duluth, MN$72,730
Miami, FL$72,730
Cheyenne, WY$72,670
Grand Forks, ND$72,670
Bangor, ME$72,510
Cedar Rapids, IA$72,430
Durham, NC$72,390
Louisville, KY$72,390
Grand Rapids, MI$72,370
Hialeah, FL$72,360
Casper, WY$72,260
Scranton, PA$72,170
New Orleans, LA$72,150
Virginia Beach, VA$72,140
Akron, OH$72,100
Peoria, IL$72,000
Sarasota, FL$71,990
Nashville, TN$71,930
Omaha, NE$71,930
Green Bay, WI$71,930
Baton Rouge, LA$71,900
Charleston, SC$71,880
Jamestown, NY$71,840
Davenport, IA$71,840
Tucson, AZ$71,800
Saint Petersburg, FL$71,760
Tampa, FL$71,740
Evansville, IN$71,700
Port Arthur, TX$71,700
Bradenton, FL$71,670
Santa Fe, NM$71,530
Orlando, FL$71,400
Clearwater, FL$71,370
Canton, OH$71,210
La Crosse, WI$71,210
Albuquerque, NM$71,170
Newport News, VA$71,160
High Point, NC$71,140
Ogden, UT$71,110
Corpus Christi, TX$71,050
Norfolk, VA$71,000
Laramie, WY$71,000
Rock Island, IL$70,960
Saginaw, MI$70,940
Jacksonville, FL$70,930
Salisbury, NC$70,920
Boise, ID$70,900
Moline, IL$70,870
Fort Myers, FL$70,840
Memphis, TN$70,830
Tulsa, OK$70,790
Waterloo, IA$70,740
Spartanburg, SC$70,670
Lincoln, NE$70,630
Fort Wayne, IN$70,620
Provo, UT$70,610
Cedar Falls, IA$70,520
San Antonio, TX$70,490
Greensboro, NC$70,460
South Bend, IN$70,450
Savannah, GA$70,370
Muskegon, MI$70,340
Birmingham, AL$70,330
Winston Salem, NC$70,290
Lake Charles, LA$70,110
Anderson, IN$70,090
Lexington, KY$70,070
Augusta, GA$70,050
Greenville, SC$70,050
Lima, OH$69,990
Wichita, KS$69,980
Tuscaloosa, AL$69,980
Columbia, SC$69,910
Springfield, OH$69,900
Asheville, NC$69,780
Bloomington, IN$69,720
Knoxville, TN$69,450
Shreveport, LA$69,440
Wilmington, NC$69,340
Roanoke, VA$69,340
Topeka, KS$69,210
Frankfort, KY$69,200
Oklahoma City, OK$69,150
Chillicothe, OH$69,120
Longview, TX$69,110
Melbourne, FL$69,100
Sioux Falls, SD$68,980
Mobile, AL$68,970
Terre Haute, IN$68,940
Altoona, PA$68,900
Amarillo, TX$68,850
Killeen, TX$68,820
Fayetteville, AR$68,760
Chattanooga, TN$68,740
Sioux City, IA$68,670
Idaho Falls, ID$68,660
Lynchburg, VA$68,600
Gainesville, FL$68,500
Portsmouth, OH$68,460
Little Rock, AR$68,440
Lafayette, LA$68,410
Youngstown, OH$68,410
Daytona Beach, FL$68,370
Clarksville, TN$68,360
Pensacola, FL$68,350
Temple, TX$68,350
Hopkinsville, KY$68,130
Erie, PA$68,110
Florence, SC$68,080
Charleston, WV$67,960
Great Falls, MT$67,920
Macon, GA$67,820
Tallahassee, FL$67,810
Fayetteville, NC$67,790
Waco, TX$67,780
Helena, MT$67,720
Pine Bluff, AR$67,700
Vincennes, IN$67,600
Lubbock, TX$67,570
Alamogordo, NM$67,530
Twin Falls, ID$67,460
Rapid City, SD$67,440
Huntington, WV$67,300
Jackson, MS$67,300
Greenville, MS$67,290
Parkersburg, WV$67,220
Montgomery, AL$67,200
Wichita Falls, TX$67,130
Springfield, MO$67,130
Biloxi, MS$67,090
Monroe, LA$67,010
Johnstown, PA$66,960
Sumter, SC$66,930
Columbus, GA$66,920
Pascagoula, MS$66,780
Abilene, TX$66,780
Kingsport, TN$66,580
Albany, GA$66,580
Gulfport, MS$66,560
Alexandria, LA$66,310
Fort Smith, AR$66,120
El Paso, TX$65,920
Las Cruces, NM$65,580
Harlingen, TX$65,380
Pocatello, ID$65,370
Florence, AL$65,270
Brownsville, TX$65,260
Mcallen, TX$65,100
Dothan, AL$64,990
Columbus, MS$64,540
Altus, OK$64,190
Lawton, OK$64,050
Pierre, SD$63,770
What Skills Can Increase a QA/Validation Engineer I's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 4.09% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Software Development (Mentioned in 2.91% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.
Scrum (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
See More Skills
Skills
Demand Percentage
Analysis
4.09%
Software Development
2.91%
Scrum
2.02%
What skills can make your compensation higher?
Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay.
Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a QA/Validation Engineer I's salary.
Scrum: Can increase your salary by up to 31%.
Software Testing: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Jenkins: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Skill
Salary
Salary % Increase
Scrum
$99,154
31%
Software Testing
$92,342
22%
Jenkins
$89,314
18%
Agile
$86,287
14%
Linux
$85,530
13%
QA Automation
$84,773
12%
Get Latest Data
QA/Validation Engineer I Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise
QA/Validation Engineer I salary potential scales significantly with company size.
Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $84,659.
While startup companies pay approximate $71,596.
QA/Validation Engineer I Salary by Company Size
Company Size
Employees
Average Salary
Startup
1~50
$71,596
Growth Stage
51~500
$75,724
Established
501~5000
$81,754
Enterprise
5000+
$84,659
QA/Validation Engineer I Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For QA/Validation Engineer I roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, QA/Validation Engineer positions in Telecom or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view QA/Validation Engineer I as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a QA/Validation Engineer I
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services
$90,828
$44.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$90,828
$44.0
20%
Biotechnology
$87,044
$42.0
15%
Energy & Utilities
$83,259
$40.0
10%
Aerospace & Defense
$79,474
$38.0
5%
How Education impacts a QA/Validation Engineer I's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many QA/Validation Engineer Is enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a QA/Validation Engineer I with a Bachelor's Degree is between
$71,133
and $75,334).
QA/Validation Engineer I Salaries by Degree Level
Typical Education for QA/Validation Engineer I
No Diploma0.3%
High School8.8%
Associates8.8%
Bachelors59.6%
Masters21.7%
Doctorate0.8%
view as table
Degree Level
% of user with this level of education
No Diploma
0.3%
High School
8.8%
Associates
8.8%
Bachelors
59.6%
Masters
21.7%
Doctorate
0.8%
view as graph
QA/Validation Engineer I Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a QA/Validation Engineer I's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$69,130
Average$75,690/year
$81,260
$5,761
Average$6,308/month
$6,772
$1,329
Average$1,456/week
$1,563
$33
Average$36/hour
$39
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$81,260
$6,772
$1,563
$39
Average
$75,690
$6,308
$1,456
$36
25th Percentile
$69,130
$5,761
$1,329
$33
QA/Validation Engineer I Salary Growth & Career Path
For a QA/Validation Engineer I, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Intermediate Quality Assurance Engineer role.
This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to
$89,100 - a projected growth of
18%
over your current level.
Salaries of jobs related to QA/Validation Engineer I
Salaries for a QA/Validation Engineer I can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary increased from $66,167 in 2023
to around $66,435 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of QA/Validation Engineer I salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of QA/Validation Engineer I Over Time
2022
$???
2023
$66,167
2024
$66,532
2025
$66,435
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$66,167
2024
$66,532
2025
$66,435
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for QA/Validation Engineer I
Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers
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Compensation Planning
Common company salaries for QA/Validation Engineer I
Here are companies hiring for QA/Validation Engineer I and their salaries, click below for more details.
C
$128,509/per year
C R Bard Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
H
$124,697/per year
Henry Schein Canada
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$123,899/per year
Nordex Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$120,416/per year
Nipro Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$115,870/per year
Enovis
Biotechnology
the United States
A
$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy
Biotechnology
the United States
M
$112,110/per year
MiniMed Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug Development
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$110,229/per year
Life Technologies Corp
Biotechnology
the United States
Z
$106,224/per year
Zimmer Biomet
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$103,077/per year
Promontory Therapeutics
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$102,181/per year
Steris PLC
Biotechnology
the United States
G
$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicines
Biotechnology
the United States
R
$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLC
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$94,235/per year
Pleno Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$93,666/per year
Simulaids Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
N
$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CAS
Biotechnology
the United States
O
$86,468/per year
Onward Technology
Biotechnology
the United States
L
$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
E
$84,682/per year
Eyeco Ltd
Biotechnology
the United States
P
$84,523/per year
Paerosol
Biotechnology
the United States
I
$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences Inc
Biotechnology
the United States
S
$82,815/per year
Stateside PPE
Biotechnology
the United States
D
$82,041/per year
Digi Bio
Biotechnology
the United States
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