What are the main factors that influence a Sdet's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Sdet's salary?

A Sdet's salary grows with experience: starting around $91,813 for beginners, reaching about $93,787 at mid-level, and approach $97,833 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Sdet?

Sdet salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Sdet roles are District of Columbia $103,841, California $103,447, Massachusetts $102,068. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Sdet roles make?

Salaries for Sdet level roles vary by specialization: Automation Tester SDET: $111,807; Lead Sdet: $75,306; Senior Sdet: $54,186; Software Development Engineer Test (SDET): $49,652.

How do different companies affect a Sdet's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Sdet roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Sdet Salary in the United States

How much does a Sdet make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Sdet in the United States is $93,787 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $45.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $113,961
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $79,576 to $104,347
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,637

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Sdet Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$104,347	$8,696	$2,007	$50
Average	$93,787	$7,816	$1,804	$45
25th Percentile	$79,576	$6,631	$1,530	$38

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Key Factors That Influence Sdet Salaries

A Sdet'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 Sdet Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Sdet'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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $91,813
Early Career (1-2 years): $92,405
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $93,787
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $95,366
Expert (over 8 years): $97,833

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Sdet	$91,813
Intermediate Level Sdet	$92,405
Senior Level Sdet	$93,787
Specialist Level Sdet	$95,366
Expert Level Sdet	$97,833

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Sdet 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 Sdets. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $103,841.
California: $103,447.
Massachusetts: $102,068.

District of Columbia $103,841 California $103,447 Massachusetts $102,068 Washington $101,693 New Jersey $101,656 Alaska $101,524 Connecticut $100,230 New York $99,705

Hawaii $98,026 Rhode Island $97,238 Maryland $96,704 Minnesota $95,972 Colorado $95,691 Illinois $95,597 Oregon $95,241 Delaware $94,978

New Hampshire $94,813 Virginia $94,443 Pennsylvania $93,365 Nevada $92,821 North Dakota $92,643 Michigan $92,361 Wisconsin $92,258 Vermont $92,052

Texas $91,480 Maine $91,442 Arizona $91,386 Ohio $91,320 Georgia $90,457 Indiana $90,026 Wyoming $89,942 Utah $89,810

Iowa $89,754 Kansas $89,304 Louisiana $89,173 North Carolina $89,126 Missouri $89,107 Florida $88,741 Montana $88,544 Nebraska $88,357

Kentucky $88,253 South Carolina $87,878 Tennessee $87,644 Idaho $87,550 New Mexico $86,865 Oklahoma $86,715 Alabama $86,162 South Dakota $85,234

Arkansas $84,727 West Virginia $84,455 Mississippi $83,639

Top Paying Cities for Sdets

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: $118,293
San Francisco: $116,998
Oakland: $114,533

San Jose, CA $118,293

San Francisco, CA $116,998

Oakland, CA $114,533

New York, NY $107,985

Paramus, NJ $106,672

Queens Village, NY $106,668

Passaic, NJ $106,578

Bergenfield, NJ $106,570

Stamford, CT $106,364

Huntington, NY $106,325

Newark, NJ $105,632

Bridgeport, CT $105,434

Vallejo, CA $105,248

New Brunswick, NJ $105,210

Petaluma, CA $105,154

Middlesex, NJ $104,976

Somerset, NJ $104,910

Santa Cruz, CA $104,788

Boston, MA $104,216

Monterey, CA $103,887

Seattle, WA $103,672

Santa Rosa, CA $103,653

Los Angeles, CA $103,625

Juneau, AK $103,381

Washington, DC $103,278

Orange, CA $102,944

Santa Ana, CA $102,697

Long Beach, CA $102,603

Anaheim, CA $102,584

Anchorage, AK $102,537

Santa Maria, CA $102,256

Everett, WA $102,237

Danbury, CT $101,907

Bremerton, WA $101,778

Tacoma, WA $101,440

New Suffolk, NY $101,438

Sacramento, CA $101,412

Santa Barbara, CA $101,309

Trenton, NJ $101,205

San Diego, CA $101,205

Brockton, MA $101,102

Fairbanks, AK $100,873

Lompoc, CA $100,633

Lowell, MA $100,557

Ventura, CA $100,540

Nashua, NH $100,521

Stockton, CA $100,511

Modesto, CA $99,827

Poughkeepsie, NY $99,620

Olympia, WA $99,442

Kennewick, WA $99,442

New Haven, CT $99,405

Lawrence, MA $99,067

Hartford, CT $98,973

Riverside, CA $98,955

New Bedford, MA $98,861

Richland, WA $98,861

Bakersfield, CA $98,729

San Bernardino, CA $98,692

New Britain, CT $98,683

Atlantic City, NJ $98,683

New London, CT $98,645

Norwich, CT $98,617

Portsmouth, NH $98,598

Boulder, CO $98,399

Portland, OR $98,270

Worcester, MA $98,261

Minneapolis, MN $97,970

Philadelphia, PA $97,838

Honolulu, HI $97,529

Saint Paul, MN $97,484

Vineland, NJ $97,463

Providence, RI $97,191

Chicago, IL $96,919

Bellingham, WA $96,807

Springfield, MA $96,732

Baltimore, MD $96,704

Chico, CA $96,469

Pittsfield, MA $96,216

Manchester, NH $96,038

Spokane, WA $95,625

Denver, CO $95,616

Albany, NY $95,175

Troy, NY $95,137

Nassau, NY $95,037

Schenectady, NY $94,940

Wilmington, DE $94,865

Burlington, VT $94,734

Salem, OR $94,697

Portland, ME $94,406

Yakima, WA $94,312

Rochester, MN $94,021

Reno, NV $93,974

Fresno, CA $93,974

Milwaukee, WI $93,890

Detroit, MI $93,796

Ann Arbor, MI $93,780

Allentown, PA $93,768

Colorado Springs, CO $93,609

Syracuse, NY $93,562

Carson City, NV $93,562

Houston, TX $93,431

Eugene, OR $93,384

Gary, IN $93,271

Springfield, OR $93,196

Bismarck, ND $93,177

Galveston, TX $93,112

Medford, OR $92,971

Fort Collins, CO $92,933

Concord, NH $92,887

Austin, TX $92,858

Mesa, AZ $92,661

Reading, PA $92,652

Phoenix, AZ $92,643

Dallas, TX $92,615

Saint Cloud, MN $92,525

Madison, WI $92,399

Utica, NY $92,146

Rochester, NY $91,996

Des Moines, IA $91,986

Raleigh, NC $91,977

Atlanta, GA $91,836

Battle Creek, MI $91,808

Salt Lake City, UT $91,780

Lancaster, PA $91,639

Harrisburg, PA $91,508

Kansas City, MO $91,414

Champaign, IL $91,395

Kansas City, KS $91,395

Fort Worth, TX $91,386

Columbus, OH $91,370

Boca Raton, FL $91,348

Pittsburgh, PA $91,311

Richmond, VA $91,273

Indianapolis, IN $91,255

Cleveland, OH $91,245

Las Vegas, NV $91,133

Cincinnati, OH $91,133

Petersburg, VA $90,992

Huntsville, AL $90,851

Lansing, MI $90,789

Lebanon, PA $90,776

Pueblo, CO $90,767

Appleton, WI $90,739

Buffalo, NY $90,701

Dayton, OH $90,673

Racine, WI $90,654

Charlotte, NC $90,645

Saint Louis, MO $90,617

York, PA $90,561

Elkhart, IN $90,561

Gastonia, NC $90,543

Billings, MT $90,520

Beaumont, TX $90,495

Lorain, OH $90,476

Benton Harbor, MI $90,457

Toledo, OH $90,439

Binghamton, NY $90,392

Rock Hill, SC $90,382

Rockford, IL $90,336

Springfield, IL $90,298

Elyria, OH $90,289

Fargo, ND $90,289

Flagstaff, AZ $90,223

Fort Lauderdale, FL $90,167

Duluth, MN $90,110

Miami, FL $90,110

Cheyenne, WY $90,045

Grand Forks, ND $90,045

Bangor, ME $89,838

Cedar Rapids, IA $89,735

Durham, NC $89,696

Louisville, KY $89,688

Grand Rapids, MI $89,670

Hialeah, FL $89,660

Casper, WY $89,529

Scranton, PA $89,416

New Orleans, LA $89,388

Virginia Beach, VA $89,379

Akron, OH $89,332

Peoria, IL $89,210

Sarasota, FL $89,191

Nashville, TN $89,126

Omaha, NE $89,126

Green Bay, WI $89,126

Baton Rouge, LA $89,079

Charleston, SC $89,060

Jamestown, NY $89,013

Davenport, IA $89,013

Tucson, AZ $88,966

Saint Petersburg, FL $88,910

Tampa, FL $88,891

Evansville, IN $88,835

Port Arthur, TX $88,835

Bradenton, FL $88,797

Santa Fe, NM $88,629

Orlando, FL $88,460

Clearwater, FL $88,432

Canton, OH $88,235

La Crosse, WI $88,235

Albuquerque, NM $88,178

Newport News, VA $88,169

High Point, NC $88,141

Ogden, UT $88,103

Corpus Christi, TX $88,028

Norfolk, VA $87,972

Laramie, WY $87,972

Rock Island, IL $87,916

Saginaw, MI $87,897

Jacksonville, FL $87,888

Salisbury, NC $87,869

Boise, ID $87,850

Moline, IL $87,803

Fort Myers, FL $87,775

Memphis, TN $87,756

Tulsa, OK $87,710

Waterloo, IA $87,653

Spartanburg, SC $87,559

Lincoln, NE $87,513

Fort Wayne, IN $87,494

Provo, UT $87,484

Cedar Falls, IA $87,372

San Antonio, TX $87,334

Greensboro, NC $87,297

South Bend, IN $87,287

Savannah, GA $87,184

Muskegon, MI $87,147

Birmingham, AL $87,137

Winston Salem, NC $87,091

Lake Charles, LA $86,865

Anderson, IN $86,847

Lexington, KY $86,819

Augusta, GA $86,790

Greenville, SC $86,790

Lima, OH $86,715

Wichita, KS $86,706

Tuscaloosa, AL $86,706

Columbia, SC $86,622

Springfield, OH $86,603

Asheville, NC $86,453

Bloomington, IN $86,387

Knoxville, TN $86,049

Shreveport, LA $86,040

Wilmington, NC $85,918

Roanoke, VA $85,918

Topeka, KS $85,749

Frankfort, KY $85,739

Oklahoma City, OK $85,674

Chillicothe, OH $85,637

Longview, TX $85,627

Melbourne, FL $85,618

Sioux Falls, SD $85,468

Mobile, AL $85,459

Terre Haute, IN $85,421

Altoona, PA $85,365

Amarillo, TX $85,299

Killeen, TX $85,271

Fayetteville, AR $85,196

Chattanooga, TN $85,168

Sioux City, IA $85,083

Idaho Falls, ID $85,065

Lynchburg, VA $84,990

Gainesville, FL $84,868

Portsmouth, OH $84,821

Little Rock, AR $84,802

Lafayette, LA $84,765

Youngstown, OH $84,765

Daytona Beach, FL $84,708

Clarksville, TN $84,699

Pensacola, FL $84,690

Temple, TX $84,683

Hopkinsville, KY $84,408

Erie, PA $84,389

Florence, SC $84,352

Charleston, WV $84,202

Great Falls, MT $84,155

Macon, GA $84,024

Tallahassee, FL $84,014

Fayetteville, NC $83,996

Waco, TX $83,977

Helena, MT $83,911

Pine Bluff, AR $83,876

Vincennes, IN $83,761

Lubbock, TX $83,724

Alamogordo, NM $83,667

Twin Falls, ID $83,583

Rapid City, SD $83,555

Jackson, MS $83,386

Huntington, WV $83,379

Greenville, MS $83,377

Parkersburg, WV $83,281

Montgomery, AL $83,264

Wichita Falls, TX $83,170

Springfield, MO $83,170

Biloxi, MS $83,123

Monroe, LA $83,030

Johnstown, PA $82,964

Sumter, SC $82,926

Columbus, GA $82,917

Pascagoula, MS $82,739

Abilene, TX $82,739

Kingsport, TN $82,495

Albany, GA $82,495

Gulfport, MS $82,467

Alexandria, LA $82,157

Fort Smith, AR $81,923

El Paso, TX $81,670

Las Cruces, NM $81,248

Harlingen, TX $81,009

Pocatello, ID $80,994

Florence, AL $80,872

Brownsville, TX $80,854

Mcallen, TX $80,657

Dothan, AL $80,525

Columbus, MS $79,968

Altus, OK $79,531

Lawton, OK $79,353

Pierre, SD $79,015

What Skills Can Increase a Sdet's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 39.39% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Microsoft Office (Mentioned in 1.58% Job Postings): Microsoft Office is a suite of desktop productivity applications that is designed by Microsoft for business use. You can create documents containing text and images, work with data in spreadsheets and databases, create presentations and posters.
Client Service (Mentioned in 0.93% Job Postings): Client services are the processes and interactions organizations and members of their staff have with their clients.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	39.39%
Microsoft Office	1.58%
Client Service	0.93%

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 Sdet's salary.

Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Merchandising: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 16%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Commitment	$109,731	17%
Merchandising	$109,731	17%
Analysis	$108,793	16%
Financial Services	$106,917	14%
Project Management	$105,979	13%
Coordination	$104,103	11%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Sdet's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Sdets 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 Sdet with a Bachelor's Degree is between $82,077 and $92,175).

Sdet Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Sdet

No Diploma 1.2%

High School 17.2%

Associates 13.5%

Bachelors 56.4%

Masters 11.7%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	1.2%
High School	17.2%
Associates	13.5%
Bachelors	56.4%
Masters	11.7%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Sdet Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Sdet'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

$79,576

Average $93,787/year

$104,347

$6,631

Average $7,816/month

$8,696

$1,530

Average $1,804/week

$2,007

$38

Average $45/hour

$50

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$104,347	$8,696	$2,007	$50
Average	$93,787	$7,816	$1,804	$45
25th Percentile	$79,576	$6,631	$1,530	$38

Salaries of jobs related to Sdet

Salary Trends for Sdet

Salaries for a Sdet can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $96,420 in 2023 to around $95,740 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Sdet salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Sdet Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$96,420

2024

$96,410

2025

$95,740

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$96,420
2024	$96,410
2025	$95,740
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Sdet

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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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.)

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