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

How much does a Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV make hourly?

As of March 01, 2026, the average hourly rate for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV in the United States is $63, which translates to an annual salary of about $131,448.

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): $71 per hour
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $59 to $67 per hour
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $55 per hour
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View as table View as graph 25% $59 10% $55 90% $71 75% $67 $63 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $140,031 $11,669 $2,693 $67
Average $131,448 $10,954 $2,528 $63
25th Percentile $122,627 $10,219 $2,358 $59
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Key Factors That Influence Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV Salaries

A Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV'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 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 IV'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 II (2-4 years): $93,891
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer III (4-7 years): $113,835
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV (7+ years): $131,448
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer V (7-10 years): $153,658
  • Software Quality Assurance Engineer VI (10-12 years): $176,547
Job Role Years of Experience Average Salary
Software Quality Assurance Engineer II2-4 years$93,891
Software Quality Assurance Engineer III4-7 years$113,835
Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV7+ years$131,448
Software Quality Assurance Engineer V7-10 years$153,658
Software Quality Assurance Engineer VI10-12 years$176,547
$93,891 Software ...
$113,835 Software ...
$131,448 Software ...
$153,658 Software ...
$176,547 Software ...
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Software Quality Assurance Engineer IVs

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: $165,795
  • San Francisco: $164,165
  • Oakland: $160,524

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 3.01% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Software Testing (Mentioned in 3.19% Job Postings): Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the software product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects), and verifying that the software product is fit for use. Software testing involves the execution of a software component or system component to evaluate one or more properties of interest. In general, these properties indicate the extent to which the component or system under test: meets the requirements that guided its design and development, responds correctly to all kinds of inputs, performs its functions within an acceptable time, it is sufficiently usable, can be installed and run in its intended environments, and achieves the general result its stakeholders desire.
  • Scrum (Mentioned in 2.29% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 3.01%
Software Testing 3.19%
Scrum 2.29%
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 IV's salary.
  • Products and Services: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Programming: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Integrity: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Products and Services
 $145,907
11%
Programming
 $139,335
6%
Integrity
 $136,706
4%
Debugging
 $136,706
4%
Time Management
 $136,706
4%
Oral Communication
 $136,706
4%
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Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV'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 March 01, 2026
$122,627
Average $131,448/year
$140,031
$10,219
Average $10,954/month
$11,669
$2,358
Average $2,528/week
$2,693
$59
Average $63/hour
$67
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $140,031 $11,669 $2,693 $67
Average $131,448 $10,954 $2,528 $63
25th Percentile $122,627 $10,219 $2,358 $59

Salaries of jobs related to Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV

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FAQ about Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV

1. What are the responsibilities of Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV?

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 highly independent. May assume a team lead role for the work group. A specialist on complex technical and business matters. Typically requires 7+ years of related experience.

2. What are the skills of Software Quality Assurance Engineer IV

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.)

Software Testing: Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the software product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects), and verifying that the software product is fit for use. Software testing involves the execution of a software component or system component to evaluate one or more properties of interest. In general, these properties indicate the extent to which the component or system under test: meets the requirements that guided its design and development, responds correctly to all kinds of inputs, performs its functions within an acceptable time, it is sufficiently usable, can be installed and run in its intended environments, and achieves the general result its stakeholders desire.

3.)

Scrum: Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.

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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