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Quality Assurance Manager Salary in the United States

How much does a Quality Assurance Manager make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Quality Assurance Manager in the United States is $128,401 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $62.

However, a Quality Assurance Manager's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $152,765
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $116,298 to $141,154
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $105,279
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Quality Assurance Manager Salaries

A Quality Assurance Manager'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 Manager Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Quality Assurance Manager'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 Specialist IV (7+ years): $125,902
  • Quality Assurance Specialist V (7-10 years): $152,383
  • Quality Assurance Manager (10+ years): $128,401
  • Quality Assurance Senior Manager (10+ years): $162,593
  • Quality Assurance Director (10+ years): $198,217
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Quality Assurance Specialist IV7+ years$125,902
Quality Assurance Specialist V7-10 years$152,383
Quality Assurance Manager10+ years$128,401
Quality Assurance Senior Manager10+ years$162,593
Quality Assurance Director10+ years$198,217
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How Do Quality Assurance Managers 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 Quality Assurance Managers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $142,166.
  • California: $141,626.
  • Massachusetts: $139,739.

Top Paying Cities for Quality Assurance Manager

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: $161,952
  • San Francisco: $160,179
  • Oakland: $156,803

What Skills Can Increase a Quality Assurance Manager's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.92% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Quality Management System (Mentioned in 2.61% Job Postings): Enforcing a set of policies and procedures in coordinating and directing an organization to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
  • Root Cause Analysis (Mentioned in 1.28% Job Postings): In science and engineering, root cause analysis (RCA) is a method of problem solving used for identifying the root causes of faults or problems. It is widely used in IT operations, telecommunications, industrial process control, accident analysis (e.g., in aviation, rail transport, or nuclear plants), medicine (for medical diagnosis), healthcare industry (e.g., for epidemiology), etc. RCA can be decomposed into four steps: Identify and describe clearly the problem. Establish a timeline from the normal situation up to the time the problem occurred. Distinguish between the root cause and other causal factors (e.g., using event correlation). Establish a causal graph between the root cause and the problem.RCA generally serves as input to a remediation process whereby corrective actions are taken to prevent the problem from reoccurring. The name of this process varies from one application domain to another.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.92%
Quality Management System 2.61%
Root Cause Analysis 1.28%
See More Skills

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 Manager's salary.

  • Oncology: Can increase your salary by up to 12%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Oncology $143,809
12%
Collaboration $133,537
4%
Innovation $133,537
4%
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Quality Assurance Manager Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Quality Assurance Manager salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $143,738. While startup companies pay approximate $121,599.

Quality Assurance Manager Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup 1~50 $121,599
Growth Stage 51~500 $128,605
Established 501~5000 $138,804
Enterprise 5000+ $143,738

Quality Assurance Manager Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Quality Assurance Manager roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Telecom and Aerospace & Defense sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Quality Assurance Manager positions in Transportation or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Quality Assurance Manager as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industry for a Quality Assurance Manager

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Telecom$192,602$93.050%

How Education impacts an Quality Assurance Manager's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Quality Assurance Manager enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for an Quality Assurance Manager with a Bachelor's Degree is between $122,625 and $130,534.

Quality Assurance Manager Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Quality Assurance Manager
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.5%
High School 12.1%
Associates 8.9%
Bachelors 52.6%
Masters 24.2%
Doctorate 1.7%
View as Graph

Quality Assurance Manager Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Quality Assurance Manager'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 August 01, 2026
$116,298
Average $128,401/year
$141,154
$9,692
Average $10,700/month
$11,763
$2,237
Average $2,469/week
$2,715
$56
Average $62/hour
$68
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $141,154 $11,763 $2,715 $68
Average $128,401 $10,700 $2,469 $62
25th Percentile $116,298 $9,692 $2,237 $56

Quality Assurance Manager Salary Growth & Career Path

Quality Assurance Manager

Next Role

Advancement

For a Quality Assurance Manager, the most direct path to higher earnings is advancing to the Quality Assurance Senior Manager role. This promotion typically comes with a significant pay increase, bringing the average annual salary to $162,593 - a projected growth of 27% over your current level.

Most common benefits for Quality Assurance Manager

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

Common company salaries for Quality Assurance Manager

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

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FAQ about Quality Assurance Manager

1. Where can a Quality Assurance Manager earn the most?

A Quality Assurance Manager's earning potential can vary widely depending on several factors, including location, industry, experience, education, and the specific employer. According to the latest salary data by Salary.com, a Quality Assurance Manager earns the most in San Jose, CA, where the annual salary of a Quality Assurance Manager is $161,952.

2. What is the highest pay for Quality Assurance Manager?

The highest pay for Quality Assurance Manager is $152,765.

3. What is the lowest pay for Quality Assurance Manager?

The lowest pay for Quality Assurance Manager is $105,279.

4. What are the responsibilities of Quality Assurance Manager?

Responsible for the implementation of policies and procedures to ensure adherence to production quality standards. Monitors and audits process, material, and product testing against established standards and conducts a continuous analysis of quality defects and deviations. Identifies deficiencies or gaps in testing activities and develops solutions to ensure adequate and robust quality processes. Optimizes processes to comply with existing and new regulatory requirements. Typically requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to a director. Manages subordinate staff in the day-to-day performance of their jobs. True first level manager. Ensures that project/department milestones/goals are met and adhering to approved budgets. Has full authority for personnel actions. Typically requires 5 years experience in the related area as an individual contributor. 1 - 3 years supervisory experience may be required. Extensive knowledge of the function and department processes.

5. What industry pays the highest salary for Quality Assurance Manager?

The Telecom industry offers the highest average compensation for Quality Assurance Manager roles, with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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