upper level job

Hourly Wage for Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary in the United States

How much does a Quality Assurance Engineer III make hourly?

As of May 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Quality Assurance Engineer III in the United States is $48, which translates to an annual salary of about $100,764.

However, the hourly wage can vary significantly based on several factors. Here’s a detailed look at the typical pay range per hour:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $56 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $45 to $53 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $41 per hour
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2025 Compensation Trend
Smart Recruiting
AI-Powered HR
View as table View as graph 25% $45 10% $41 90% $56 75% $53 $48 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $109,422 $9,119 $2,104 $53
Average $100,764 $8,397 $1,938 $48
25th Percentile $93,184 $7,765 $1,792 $45
Check out Quality Assurance Engineer III Job Openings in the United States
Quality Assurance Engineer

Preformed Line Products - Cleveland, OH

Sr Quality Assurance Engineer

ADVICS North America, Inc. - Lebanon, OH

Registered Nurse

Loyola University Health System - MAYWOOD, IL

Sonographer Level III

University of Vermont Health - Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital - PLATTSBURGH, NY

Search More Quality Assurance Engineer III Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries

A Quality Assurance Engineer III'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 Quality Assurance Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Quality Assurance Engineer III'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:

  • Quality Assurance Engineer I (0-2 years): $75,696
  • Quality Assurance Engineer II (2-4 years): $89,089
  • Quality Assurance Engineer III (4-7 years): $100,764
  • Quality Assurance Engineer IV (7+ years): $125,299
  • Quality Assurance Engineer V (7-10 years): $150,347
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Quality Assurance Engineer I0-2 years$75,696
Quality Assurance Engineer II2-4 years$89,089
Quality Assurance Engineer III4-7 years$100,764
Quality Assurance Engineer IV7+ years$125,299
Quality Assurance Engineer V7-10 years$150,347
$75,696 Quality A...
$89,089 Quality A...
$100,764 Quality A...
$125,299 Quality A...
$150,347 Quality A...
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Quality Assurance Engineer IIIs

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: $127,094
  • San Francisco: $125,702
  • Oakland: $123,053

What Skills Can Increase a Quality Assurance Engineer III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Team Development (Mentioned in 3.93% Job Postings): Building and developing effective teams to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.98% 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.
  • JavaScript (Mentioned in 1.84% Job Postings): Using JavaScript in the development and maintenance of Web-based application systems.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Team Development 3.93%
Software Development 2.98%
JavaScript 1.84%
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 Quality Assurance Engineer III's salary.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Android: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Linux: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Python
$106,810
6%
Android
$105,802
5%
Linux
$105,802
5%
Debugging
$105,802
5%
Networking
$104,795
4%
Computer Science
$104,795
4%
Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Quality Assurance Engineer III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Quality Assurance Engineer IIIs 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 Quality Assurance Engineer III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $102,178 and $106,839).

Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Quality Assurance Engineer III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.6%
High School 2.8%
Associates 6.1%
Bachelors 52.6%
Masters 36.4%
Doctorate 1.4%
view as graph

Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Quality Assurance Engineer III'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.

Last Updated on May 01, 2026

Salary Trends for Quality Assurance Engineer III

Salaries for a Quality Assurance Engineer III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $102,459 in 2023 to around $102,924 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Quality Assurance Engineer III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Quality Assurance Engineer III Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$102,459
2024
$103,109
2025
$102,924
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $102,459
2024 $103,109
2025 $102,924
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Quality Assurance Engineer III

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
For Employers

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution.

Compensation Planning

Common company salaries for Quality Assurance Engineer III

Here are companies hiring for Quality Assurance Engineer III and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Quality Assurance Engineer III Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Quality Assurance Engineer III job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
For Employees

Get a Salary Increase

Analyze the market and your qualifications to negotiate your salary with confidence.

Search Job Openings

Search thousands of open positions to find your next opportunity.

For Employers

Adjust Employee Salary

Individualize employee pay based on unique job requirements and personal qualifications.

Price My Industry Jobs

Get the latest market price for benchmark jobs and jobs in your industry.

FAQ about Quality Assurance Engineer III

1. What are the responsibilities of Quality Assurance Engineer III?

Performs inspections and sets quality assurance testing models for analysis of raw materials, materials in process, and finished products. Assists in developing quality control policies and evaluates production limitations. Requires a bachelor's degree. May report to an executive or a manager. Work is generally independent and collaborative in nature. Contributes to moderately complex aspects of a project. Typically requires 4-7 years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Quality Assurance Engineer III

Specify the abilities and skills that a person needs in order to carry out the specified job duties. Each competency has five to ten behavioral assertions that can be observed, each with a corresponding performance level (from one to five) that is required for a particular job.

1.)

Team Development: Building and developing effective teams to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.

2.)

Software Development: 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.

3.)

JavaScript: Using JavaScript in the development and maintenance of Web-based application systems.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third-party data sources. We also provide multiple percentiles of salary information for your reference, click here to know Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial to Getting Pay Equity Right. With more online, real-time compensation data than any other website, Salary.com helps you determine your exact pay target.

Are you an HR manager or compensation specialist?

Salary.com's CompAnalyst platform offers:

  • Detailed skills and competency reports for specific positions
  • Job and employee pricing reports
  • Compensation data tools, salary structures, surveys and benchmarks.
Learn about CompAnalyst
lower level job