Software Qa Specialist Salary in the United States

How much does a Software Qa Specialist make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Qa Specialist in the United States is $53,797 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $26.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $68,114
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $46,501 to $61,291
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $39,858
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI Onboarding
AI-Powered HR
View as table View as graph 25% $46,501 10% $39,858 90% $68,114 75% $61,291 $53,797 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Software Qa Specialist Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $61,291 $5,108 $1,179 $29
Average $53,797 $4,483 $1,035 $26
25th Percentile $46,501 $3,875 $894 $22
Check out Software Qa Specialist Job Openings in the United States
QA Specialist

giftHEALTH Inc - Columbus, OH

QA Calibration Specialist

Eliquent Life Sciences, Inc - Columbus, OH

Fire Protection QA QC Specialist

TP Mechanical Contractors - Columbus, OH

Search More Software Qa Specialist Jobs in the United States

Key Factors That Influence Software Qa Specialist Salaries

A Software Qa Specialist'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 Qa Specialist Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software Qa Specialist'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): $48,772
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $55,317
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $65,987
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $74,153
  • Expert (over 8 years): $123,000
Levels Salary
Software ... Level Software Qa Specialist$48,772
Software ... Level Software Qa Specialist$55,317
Software ... Level Software Qa Specialist$65,987
Software ... Level Software Qa Specialist$74,153
Software ... Level Software Qa Specialist$123,000
$48,772 0 yr
$55,317 < 2 yrs
$65,987 2-4 yrs
$74,153 5-8 yrs
$123,000 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Software Qa Specialists

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: $67,855
  • San Francisco: $67,112
  • Oakland: $65,697

What Skills Can Increase a Software Qa Specialist's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 6.51% 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 2.91% 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.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.27% 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.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 6.51%
Software Testing 2.91%
Software Development 2.27%
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 Qa Specialist's salary.
  • IDEA: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
  • Social Engineering: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
  • Penetration Testing: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
IDEA
$59,715
11%
Social Engineering
$58,639
9%
Penetration Testing
$58,101
8%
Cybersecurity
$58,101
8%
Python
$57,563
7%
Software Development
$57,563
7%
Get Latest Data

Software Qa Specialist Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Software Qa Specialist roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Software Qa Specialist positions in Hospitality & Leisure or MFG Nondurable typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Software Qa Specialist as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Software Qa Specialist

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Pharmaceuticals$64,557$31.020%
Biotechnology$61,867$30.015%
Financial Services$61,867$30.015%
Software & Networking$61,867$30.015%
Energy & Utilities$59,177$28.010%

Software Qa Specialist Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Qa Specialist'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

Salary Trends for Software Qa Specialist

Salaries for a Software Qa Specialist can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $57,236 in 2023 to around $58,289 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Software Qa Specialist salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Software Qa Specialist Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$57,236
2024
$58,623
2025
$58,289
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $57,236
2024 $58,623
2025 $58,289
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Software Qa Specialist

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 Software Qa Specialist

Here are companies hiring for Software Qa Specialist and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Software Qa Specialist Job

Ready to take the next step in your career? Browse thousands of current Software Qa Specialist job openings on our job board. Use the search bar below to find your perfect match.

United States
  • eviCore healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    eviCore healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Provides timely expert medical review for requests to evaluate the medical necessity of services that do not meet utilization review criteria while located... more

    6 Days Ago

  • MD Staff, LLC

    Columbus, OH

    MD Staff, LLC | Columbus, OH

    Neurologist Locum Tenens Opportunity Near Columbus, OH. We are excited to offer a rewarding locum tenens opportunity for a Board Certified or Board Eligibl... more

    6 Days Ago

  • C.R. England

    Columbus, OH

    C.R. England | Columbus, OH

    Job Description. C.R. England is Now Urgently Hiring Local Dedicated CDL-A Truck Drivers. Dedicated Local Fleet - Home Daily - Competitive Pay* - Full Bene... more

    12 Days Ago

  • Maxim Healthcare

    Columbus, OH

    Maxim Healthcare | Columbus, OH

    Private duty nursing (PDN) allows medically fragile patients to receive quality, skilled nursing care in the comfort of their home: a setting preferred by ... more

    14 Days Ago

  • Schneider

    Columbus, OH

    Schneider | Columbus, OH

    CDL-A - Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Dedicated Reefer truck driver - Kroger. Average pay. $1,200-$1,450 weekly. Home time. Daily. Experience. Al... more

    15 Days Ago

  • Family Dollar

    Columbus, OH

    Family Dollar | Columbus, OH

    Customer Service Associate. We're seeking a Customer Service Associate to join our team and deliver a great shopping experience for every customer. Duties ... more

    17 Days Ago

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 Software Qa Specialist

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Software Qa Specialist?

The Pharmaceuticals industry offers the highest average compensation for Software Qa Specialist roles, with salaries approximately 20% 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.

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