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

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

How does experience change A Tester's salary?

A Tester's salary grows with experience: a Tester (0-1 years)earns $48,176, a Software Quality Assurance Tester II (1-3 years)earns $54,644, a Software Quality Assurance Tester III (3-5 years)earns $65,197, a Software Quality Assurance Tester IV (5-7 years)earns $73,278, a Software Quality Assurance Supervisor (7+ years)earns $121,564,

What are the highest paying states for a Tester?

Tester salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Tester roles are District of Columbia $51,904, California $51,708, Massachusetts $51,018. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Tester roles make?

Salaries for Tester level roles vary by specialization: Bed Tester: $93,606; Penetration Tester: $88,586; Application Tester: $73,890; Automation Tester: $69,265; Drug Tester: $64,956.

How do different companies affect a Tester's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Tester 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.

Tester Salary in the United States

How much does a Tester make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Tester in the United States is $46,879 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $57,812
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $40,655 to $52,602
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $34,989

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Tester Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,602	$4,384	$1,012	$25
Average	$46,879	$3,907	$902	$23
25th Percentile	$40,655	$3,388	$782	$20

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence Tester Salaries

A Tester'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 Tester Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Tester'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): $48,176
Early Career (1-2 years): $54,644
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $65,197
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $73,278
Expert (over 8 years): $121,564

Levels	Salary
Tester Level Tester	$48,176
Software ... Level Tester	$54,644
Software ... Level Tester	$65,197
Software ... Level Tester	$73,278
Software ... Level Tester	$121,564

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $51,904.
California: $51,708.
Massachusetts: $51,018.

District of Columbia $51,904 California $51,708 Massachusetts $51,018 Washington $50,831 New Jersey $50,812 Alaska $50,747 Connecticut $50,100 New York $49,837

Hawaii $48,998 Rhode Island $48,604 Maryland $48,337 Minnesota $47,971 Colorado $47,831 Illinois $47,784 Oregon $47,606 Delaware $47,474

New Hampshire $47,392 Virginia $47,207 Pennsylvania $46,668 Nevada $46,396 North Dakota $46,307 Michigan $46,166 Wisconsin $46,115 Vermont $46,012

Texas $45,726 Maine $45,707 Arizona $45,679 Ohio $45,646 Georgia $45,215 Indiana $44,999 Wyoming $44,957 Utah $44,891

Iowa $44,863 Kansas $44,638 Louisiana $44,573 North Carolina $44,549 Missouri $44,540 Florida $44,357 Montana $44,258 Nebraska $44,165

Kentucky $44,113 South Carolina $43,926 Tennessee $43,808 Idaho $43,762 New Mexico $43,419 Oklahoma $43,344 Alabama $43,068 South Dakota $42,604

Arkansas $42,350 West Virginia $42,215 Mississippi $41,807

Top Paying Cities for Testers

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: $59,128
San Francisco: $58,481
Oakland: $57,249

San Jose, CA $59,128

San Francisco, CA $58,481

Oakland, CA $57,249

New York, NY $53,976

Paramus, NJ $53,320

Queens Village, NY $53,317

Passaic, NJ $53,273

Bergenfield, NJ $53,269

Stamford, CT $53,165

Huntington, NY $53,146

Newark, NJ $52,800

Bridgeport, CT $52,701

Vallejo, CA $52,608

New Brunswick, NJ $52,589

Petaluma, CA $52,561

Middlesex, NJ $52,472

Somerset, NJ $52,439

Santa Cruz, CA $52,378

Boston, MA $52,092

Monterey, CA $51,927

Seattle, WA $51,820

Santa Rosa, CA $51,811

Los Angeles, CA $51,797

Juneau, AK $51,675

Washington, DC $51,623

Orange, CA $51,456

Santa Ana, CA $51,333

Long Beach, CA $51,286

Anaheim, CA $51,276

Anchorage, AK $51,253

Santa Maria, CA $51,112

Everett, WA $51,103

Danbury, CT $50,938

Bremerton, WA $50,873

Tacoma, WA $50,704

New Suffolk, NY $50,703

Sacramento, CA $50,690

Santa Barbara, CA $50,639

Trenton, NJ $50,587

San Diego, CA $50,587

Brockton, MA $50,536

Fairbanks, AK $50,421

Lompoc, CA $50,301

Lowell, MA $50,263

Ventura, CA $50,254

Nashua, NH $50,245

Stockton, CA $50,240

Modesto, CA $49,898

Poughkeepsie, NY $49,795

Olympia, WA $49,706

Kennewick, WA $49,706

New Haven, CT $49,687

Lawrence, MA $49,518

Hartford, CT $49,471

Riverside, CA $49,462

New Bedford, MA $49,415

Richland, WA $49,415

Bakersfield, CA $49,350

San Bernardino, CA $49,331

New Britain, CT $49,326

Atlantic City, NJ $49,326

New London, CT $49,307

Norwich, CT $49,293

Portsmouth, NH $49,284

Boulder, CO $49,185

Portland, OR $49,120

Worcester, MA $49,115

Minneapolis, MN $48,970

Philadelphia, PA $48,904

Honolulu, HI $48,749

Saint Paul, MN $48,727

Vineland, NJ $48,717

Providence, RI $48,581

Chicago, IL $48,445

Bellingham, WA $48,389

Springfield, MA $48,351

Baltimore, MD $48,337

Chico, CA $48,220

Pittsfield, MA $48,093

Manchester, NH $48,004

Spokane, WA $47,798

Denver, CO $47,793

Albany, NY $47,573

Troy, NY $47,554

Nassau, NY $47,504

Schenectady, NY $47,456

Wilmington, DE $47,418

Burlington, VT $47,352

Salem, OR $47,334

Portland, ME $47,188

Yakima, WA $47,142

Rochester, MN $46,996

Reno, NV $46,973

Fresno, CA $46,973

Milwaukee, WI $46,931

Detroit, MI $46,884

Ann Arbor, MI $46,876

Allentown, PA $46,870

Colorado Springs, CO $46,790

Syracuse, NY $46,766

Carson City, NV $46,766

Houston, TX $46,701

Eugene, OR $46,677

Gary, IN $46,621

Springfield, OR $46,584

Bismarck, ND $46,574

Galveston, TX $46,541

Medford, OR $46,471

Fort Collins, CO $46,452

Concord, NH $46,429

Austin, TX $46,415

Mesa, AZ $46,316

Reading, PA $46,312

Phoenix, AZ $46,307

Dallas, TX $46,293

Saint Cloud, MN $46,248

Madison, WI $46,185

Utica, NY $46,059

Rochester, NY $45,984

Des Moines, IA $45,979

Raleigh, NC $45,974

Atlanta, GA $45,904

Battle Creek, MI $45,890

Salt Lake City, UT $45,876

Lancaster, PA $45,805

Harrisburg, PA $45,740

Kansas City, MO $45,693

Champaign, IL $45,684

Kansas City, KS $45,684

Fort Worth, TX $45,679

Columbus, OH $45,671

Boca Raton, FL $45,660

Pittsburgh, PA $45,641

Richmond, VA $45,623

Indianapolis, IN $45,613

Cleveland, OH $45,609

Las Vegas, NV $45,552

Cincinnati, OH $45,552

Petersburg, VA $45,482

Huntsville, AL $45,412

Lansing, MI $45,380

Lebanon, PA $45,374

Pueblo, CO $45,369

Appleton, WI $45,355

Buffalo, NY $45,337

Dayton, OH $45,323

Racine, WI $45,313

Charlotte, NC $45,309

Saint Louis, MO $45,294

York, PA $45,266

Elkhart, IN $45,266

Gastonia, NC $45,257

Billings, MT $45,246

Beaumont, TX $45,234

Lorain, OH $45,224

Benton Harbor, MI $45,215

Toledo, OH $45,205

Binghamton, NY $45,182

Rock Hill, SC $45,177

Rockford, IL $45,154

Springfield, IL $45,135

Elyria, OH $45,130

Fargo, ND $45,130

Flagstaff, AZ $45,098

Fort Lauderdale, FL $45,069

Duluth, MN $45,041

Miami, FL $45,041

Cheyenne, WY $45,009

Grand Forks, ND $45,009

Bangor, ME $44,905

Cedar Rapids, IA $44,854

Durham, NC $44,834

Louisville, KY $44,830

Grand Rapids, MI $44,821

Hialeah, FL $44,816

Casper, WY $44,751

Scranton, PA $44,694

New Orleans, LA $44,680

Virginia Beach, VA $44,676

Akron, OH $44,652

Peoria, IL $44,591

Sarasota, FL $44,582

Nashville, TN $44,549

Omaha, NE $44,549

Green Bay, WI $44,549

Baton Rouge, LA $44,526

Charleston, SC $44,516

Jamestown, NY $44,493

Davenport, IA $44,493

Tucson, AZ $44,469

Saint Petersburg, FL $44,441

Tampa, FL $44,432

Evansville, IN $44,404

Port Arthur, TX $44,404

Bradenton, FL $44,385

Santa Fe, NM $44,301

Orlando, FL $44,216

Clearwater, FL $44,202

Canton, OH $44,104

La Crosse, WI $44,104

Albuquerque, NM $44,076

Newport News, VA $44,071

High Point, NC $44,057

Ogden, UT $44,038

Corpus Christi, TX $44,001

Norfolk, VA $43,973

Laramie, WY $43,973

Rock Island, IL $43,944

Saginaw, MI $43,935

Jacksonville, FL $43,930

Salisbury, NC $43,921

Boise, ID $43,912

Moline, IL $43,888

Fort Myers, FL $43,874

Memphis, TN $43,865

Tulsa, OK $43,841

Waterloo, IA $43,813

Spartanburg, SC $43,766

Lincoln, NE $43,743

Fort Wayne, IN $43,733

Provo, UT $43,729

Cedar Falls, IA $43,672

San Antonio, TX $43,654

Greensboro, NC $43,635

South Bend, IN $43,630

Savannah, GA $43,579

Muskegon, MI $43,560

Birmingham, AL $43,555

Winston Salem, NC $43,532

Lake Charles, LA $43,419

Anderson, IN $43,410

Lexington, KY $43,396

Augusta, GA $43,382

Greenville, SC $43,382

Lima, OH $43,344

Wichita, KS $43,340

Tuscaloosa, AL $43,340

Columbia, SC $43,297

Springfield, OH $43,288

Asheville, NC $43,213

Bloomington, IN $43,180

Knoxville, TN $43,011

Shreveport, LA $43,007

Wilmington, NC $42,946

Roanoke, VA $42,946

Topeka, KS $42,861

Frankfort, KY $42,856

Oklahoma City, OK $42,824

Chillicothe, OH $42,805

Longview, TX $42,801

Melbourne, FL $42,796

Sioux Falls, SD $42,721

Mobile, AL $42,716

Terre Haute, IN $42,697

Altoona, PA $42,669

Amarillo, TX $42,636

Killeen, TX $42,622

Fayetteville, AR $42,585

Chattanooga, TN $42,571

Sioux City, IA $42,529

Idaho Falls, ID $42,519

Lynchburg, VA $42,482

Gainesville, FL $42,421

Portsmouth, OH $42,397

Little Rock, AR $42,388

Lafayette, LA $42,369

Youngstown, OH $42,369

Daytona Beach, FL $42,341

Clarksville, TN $42,336

Pensacola, FL $42,332

Temple, TX $42,328

Hopkinsville, KY $42,191

Erie, PA $42,182

Florence, SC $42,163

Charleston, WV $42,088

Great Falls, MT $42,065

Macon, GA $41,999

Tallahassee, FL $41,994

Fayetteville, NC $41,985

Waco, TX $41,975

Helena, MT $41,943

Pine Bluff, AR $41,925

Vincennes, IN $41,868

Lubbock, TX $41,849

Alamogordo, NM $41,821

Twin Falls, ID $41,779

Rapid City, SD $41,765

Jackson, MS $41,680

Huntington, WV $41,677

Greenville, MS $41,675

Parkersburg, WV $41,628

Montgomery, AL $41,619

Wichita Falls, TX $41,572

Springfield, MO $41,572

Biloxi, MS $41,549

Monroe, LA $41,502

Johnstown, PA $41,469

Sumter, SC $41,450

Columbus, GA $41,446

Pascagoula, MS $41,357

Abilene, TX $41,357

Kingsport, TN $41,235

Albany, GA $41,235

Gulfport, MS $41,221

Alexandria, LA $41,066

Fort Smith, AR $40,949

El Paso, TX $40,822

Las Cruces, NM $40,611

Harlingen, TX $40,492

Pocatello, ID $40,485

Florence, AL $40,424

Brownsville, TX $40,414

Mcallen, TX $40,316

Dothan, AL $40,250

Columbus, MS $39,972

Altus, OK $39,753

Lawton, OK $39,664

Pierre, SD $39,496

What Skills Can Increase a Tester's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 5.23% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Computer Science (Mentioned in 3.9% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
Python (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	5.23%
Computer Science	3.9%
Python	2.13%

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 Tester's salary.

Debugging: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Android: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
Time Management: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Debugging	$56,724	21%
Android	$56,255	20%
Time Management	$55,317	18%
Software Development	$54,848	17%
Test Automation	$54,380	16%
Python	$54,380	16%

Get Latest Data

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

Understanding how a Tester'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

$40,655

Average $46,879/year

$52,602

$3,388

Average $3,907/month

$4,384

$782

Average $902/week

$1,012

$20

Average $23/hour

$25

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$52,602	$4,384	$1,012	$25
Average	$46,879	$3,907	$902	$23
25th Percentile	$40,655	$3,388	$782	$20

Salaries of jobs related to Tester

Salary Trends for Tester

Salaries for a Tester can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $49,739 in 2023 to around $49,511 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Tester salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Tester Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$49,739

2024

$49,897

2025

$49,511

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$49,739
2024	$49,897
2025	$49,511
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Tester

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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.

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