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

What is the highest and lowest hourly pay for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III?

As of July 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer III in the United States is $55, which translates to an annual salary of about $113,833.

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): $60 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $51 to $58 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $47 per hour
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View as table View as graph 25% $51 10% $47 90% $60 75% $58 $55 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $119,941 $9,995 $2,307 $58
Average $113,833 $9,486 $2,189 $55
25th Percentile $105,384 $8,782 $2,027 $51
Check out Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Job Openings in the United States
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Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Preformed Line Products - Cleveland, OH

ACAPS Mainframe Software Engineer III

W3Global Inc. - Cincinnati, OH

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Key Factors That Influence Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries

A Software 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 Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software 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:

  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer I (0-2 years): $73,162
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer II (2-4 years): $93,894
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer III (4-7 years): $113,833
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV (7+ years): $131,456
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer V (7-10 years): $153,744
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Software Quality Assurance Engineer I0-2 years$73,162
Software Quality Assurance Engineer II2-4 years$93,894
Software Quality Assurance Engineer III4-7 years$113,833
Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV7+ years$131,456
Software Quality Assurance Engineer V7-10 years$153,744
$73,162 Software ...
$93,894 Software ...
$113,833 Software ...
$131,456 Software ...
$153,744 Software ...
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Software 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: $143,578
  • San Francisco: $142,006
  • Oakland: $139,013

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 2.96% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Test Scripts (Mentioned in 3.27% Job Postings): A test script in software testing is a set of instructions that will be performed on the system under test to test that the system functions as expected. There are various means for executing test scripts. Manual testing. These are more commonly called test cases. Automated testing. Short program written in a programming language used to test part of the functionality of a software system. Test scripts written as a short program can either be written using a special automated functional GUI test tool (such as HP QuickTest Professional, Borland SilkTest, IBM TPNS and Rational Robot) or in a well-known programming language (such as C++, C#, Tcl, Expect, Java, PHP, Perl, Powershell, Python, or Ruby). As documented in IEEE, ISO and IEC. Extensively parameterized short programs a.k.a. Data-driven testing Reusable steps created in a table a.k.a. keyword-driven or table-driven testing.
  • Manual Testing (Mentioned in 2.25% Job Postings): Manual Testing is a type of software testing in which test cases are executed manually by a tester without using any automated tools. It refers to a test process in which a QA manually tests the software application in order to identify bugs.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 2.96%
Test Scripts 3.27%
Manual Testing 2.25%
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 Software Quality Assurance Engineer III's salary.
  • Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Prioritization: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Products and Services
 $118,386
4%
Innovation
 $117,248
3%
Prioritization
 $117,248
3%
Teamwork
 $116,110
2%
Leadership
 $116,110
2%
Integrity
 $114,971
1%
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Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary by Company Size: Startups vs. Enterprise

Software Quality Assurance Engineer III salary potential scales significantly with company size. Data shows that Enterprise companies (5,000+ employees) pay the highest average salary at around $127,321. While startup companies pay approximate $107,676.

Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary by Company Size

Company Size Employees Average Salary
Startup1~50$107,676
Growth Stage51~500$113,884
Established501~5000$122,953
Enterprise5000+$127,321

Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Software Quality Assurance Engineer III roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 20% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 10% above the average. In contrast, Software Quality Assurance Engineer positions in Transportation or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Software Quality Assurance Engineer III as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$125,216$60.010%
Business Services$125,216$60.010%
Construction$125,216$60.010%
Energy & Utilities$125,216$60.010%
Healthcare$125,216$60.010%

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

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Software 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 Software Quality Assurance Engineer III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $106,639 and $111,757).

Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 1.1%
High School 7.7%
Associates 4.8%
Bachelors 55.8%
Masters 30.0%
Doctorate 0.6%
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Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software 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.

  • Yearly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Hourly
  • Table View
Last Updated on July 01, 2026
$105,384
Average $113,833/year
$119,941
$8,782
Average $9,486/month
$9,995
$2,027
Average $2,189/week
$2,307
$51
Average $55/hour
$58
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $119,941 $9,995 $2,307 $58
Average $113,833 $9,486 $2,189 $55
25th Percentile $105,384 $8,782 $2,027 $51

Salaries of jobs related to Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

Salary Trends for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

Salaries for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $108,219 in 2023 to around $107,834 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Software Quality Assurance Engineer III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Software Quality Assurance Engineer III Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$108,219
2024
$108,525
2025
$107,834
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $108,219
2024 $108,525
2025 $107,834
2026
View More
2027
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Most common benefits for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

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401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

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FAQ about Software Quality Assurance Engineer III

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Software Quality Assurance Engineer III roles, with salaries approximately 10% above the market median.

2. What are the responsibilities of Software Quality Assurance Engineer III?

Utilizes various testing procedures to ensure that software meets user requirements and established performance, functionality, and quality standards before release. Analyzes software requirements and technical specifications to identify proper testing methods and define acceptance criteria. Prepares data sets and edge cases to test logic, error handling, and system workflows to ensure reliability. Isolates, reproduces, and tracks defects. Documents testing objectives, scope, methods, and results according to required procedures. Performs functional, regression, security, and usability testing. Requires a bachelor's degree. Typically reports to 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.

3. What are the skills of Software 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.)

Analysis: Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.

2.)

Test Scripts: A test script in software testing is a set of instructions that will be performed on the system under test to test that the system functions as expected. There are various means for executing test scripts. Manual testing. These are more commonly called test cases. Automated testing. Short program written in a programming language used to test part of the functionality of a software system. Test scripts written as a short program can either be written using a special automated functional GUI test tool (such as HP QuickTest Professional, Borland SilkTest, IBM TPNS and Rational Robot) or in a well-known programming language (such as C++, C#, Tcl, Expect, Java, PHP, Perl, Powershell, Python, or Ruby). As documented in IEEE, ISO and IEC. Extensively parameterized short programs a.k.a. Data-driven testing Reusable steps created in a table a.k.a. keyword-driven or table-driven testing.

3.)

Manual Testing: Manual Testing is a type of software testing in which test cases are executed manually by a tester without using any automated tools. It refers to a test process in which a QA manually tests the software application in order to identify bugs.

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.

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