What are the main factors that influence an Engineer, QA's salary?

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

How does experience change an Engineer, QA's salary?

An Engineer, QA's salary grows with experience: starting around $74,892 for beginners, reaching about $76,788 at mid-level, and approach $77,201 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for an Engineer, QA?

Engineer, QA salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Engineer, QA roles are District of Columbia $83,920, California $83,602, Massachusetts $82,488. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Engineer, QA roles make?

Salaries for Engineer, QA level roles vary by specialization: QA Engineer IV: $128,789; Senior Qa Engineer: $126,949; Software QA Engineer: $102,924; QA Engineer III: $102,579; Principle QA Engineer: $101,730.

How do different companies affect an Engineer, QA's salary?

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

Engineer, QA Salary in the United States

How much does an Engineer, QA make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for an Engineer, QA in the United States is $75,795 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $86,541
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,405 to $81,420
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,587

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Engineer, QA Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,420	$6,785	$1,566	$39
Average	$75,795	$6,316	$1,458	$36
25th Percentile	$69,405	$5,784	$1,335	$33

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Check out Engineer, QA Job Openings in the United States

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Key Factors That Influence Engineer, QA Salaries

An Engineer, QA'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 Engineer, QA Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of an Engineer, QA'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): $74,892
Early Career (1-2 years): $75,547
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $76,788
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $77,036
Expert (over 8 years): $77,201

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Engineer, QA	$74,892
Intermediate Level Engineer, QA	$75,547
Senior Level Engineer, QA	$76,788
Specialist Level Engineer, QA	$77,036
Expert Level Engineer, QA	$77,201

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Engineer, QA 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 Engineer, QAs. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $83,920.
California: $83,602.
Massachusetts: $82,488.

District of Columbia $83,920

California $83,602

Massachusetts $82,488

Washington $82,185

New Jersey $82,154

Alaska $82,048

Connecticut $81,002

New York $80,578

Hawaii $79,221

Rhode Island $78,584

Maryland $78,152

Minnesota $77,561

Colorado $77,334

Illinois $77,258

Oregon $76,970

Delaware $76,758

New Hampshire $76,624

Virginia $76,326

Pennsylvania $75,454

Nevada $75,014

North Dakota $74,870

Michigan $74,643

Wisconsin $74,560

Vermont $74,393

Texas $73,930

Maine $73,900

Arizona $73,855

Ohio $73,802

Georgia $73,104

Indiana $72,756

Wyoming $72,687

Utah $72,581

Iowa $72,536

Kansas $72,172

Louisiana $72,066

North Carolina $72,028

Missouri $72,013

Florida $71,717

Montana $71,558

Nebraska $71,406

Kentucky $71,323

South Carolina $71,020

Tennessee $70,830

Idaho $70,755

New Mexico $70,201

Oklahoma $70,080

Alabama $69,633

South Dakota $68,882

Arkansas $68,473

West Virginia $68,253

Mississippi $67,594

Top Paying Cities for Engineer, QAs

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: $95,600
San Francisco: $94,660
Oakland: $92,561

San Jose, CA $95,600

San Francisco, CA $94,660

Oakland, CA $92,561

New York, NY $87,839

Queens Village, NY $87,270

Paramus, NJ $86,664

Passaic, NJ $86,588

Bergenfield, NJ $86,512

Stamford, CT $86,399

Huntington, NY $86,323

Newark, NJ $85,830

Bridgeport, CT $85,679

New Brunswick, NJ $85,429

Vallejo, CA $85,269

Middlesex, NJ $85,224

Somerset, NJ $85,156

Petaluma, CA $84,981

Santa Cruz, CA $84,686

Boston, MA $84,534

Monterey, CA $84,155

Fairbanks, AK $84,102

Los Angeles, CA $83,958

Washington, DC $83,920

Seattle, WA $83,784

Santa Rosa, CA $83,769

Juneau, AK $83,549

Orange, CA $83,299

Anchorage, AK $83,162

Anaheim, CA $83,109

Santa Ana, CA $82,996

Nassau, NY $82,950

Long Beach, CA $82,920

Danbury, CT $82,897

Santa Maria, CA $82,639

Everett, WA $82,624

Bremerton, WA $82,253

Trenton, NJ $82,109

Sacramento, CA $82,078

San Diego, CA $82,041

Brockton, MA $82,010

Tacoma, WA $81,980

Santa Barbara, CA $81,874

Lowell, MA $81,571

New Suffolk, NY $81,540

Nashua, NH $81,449

Lompoc, CA $81,328

Ventura, CA $81,252

Stockton, CA $81,230

New Haven, CT $81,078

Atlantic City, NJ $80,881

Hartford, CT $80,714

Modesto, CA $80,676

Poughkeepsie, NY $80,509

New Britain, CT $80,472

Olympia, WA $80,365

Kennewick, WA $80,365

New London, CT $80,350

Norwich, CT $80,328

Lawrence, MA $80,290

Bakersfield, CA $80,077

Riverside, CA $79,971

New Bedford, MA $79,971

Richland, WA $79,896

Portsmouth, NH $79,835

Vineland, NJ $79,820

San Bernardino, CA $79,759

Boulder, CO $79,547

Worcester, MA $79,486

Portland, OR $79,418

Saint Paul, MN $79,327

Minneapolis, MN $79,327

Philadelphia, PA $79,221

Honolulu, HI $78,819

Springfield, MA $78,554

Providence, RI $78,546

Chicago, IL $78,327

Bellingham, WA $78,236

Baltimore, MD $78,152

Chico, CA $77,963

Wilmington, DE $77,834

Pittsfield, MA $77,758

Manchester, NH $77,614

Spokane, WA $77,281

Denver, CO $77,273

Albany, NY $76,917

Troy, NY $76,886

Schenectady, NY $76,727

Burlington, VT $76,561

Portland, ME $76,295

Salem, OR $76,235

Yakima, WA $76,219

Ann Arbor, MI $76,197

Rochester, MN $75,984

Fresno, CA $75,947

Reno, NV $75,947

Milwaukee, WI $75,878

Detroit, MI $75,803

Allentown, PA $75,780

Carson City, NV $75,772

Houston, TX $75,659

Colorado Springs, CO $75,651

Syracuse, NY $75,613

Eugene, OR $75,469

Bismarck, ND $75,378

Gary, IN $75,378

Galveston, TX $75,378

Springfield, OR $75,317

Medford, OR $75,136

Fort Collins, CO $75,105

Austin, TX $75,045

Mesa, AZ $74,885

Phoenix, AZ $74,870

Dallas, TX $74,848

Reading, PA $74,802

Saint Cloud, MN $74,772

Concord, NH $74,704

Madison, WI $74,673

Utica, NY $74,469

Raleigh, NC $74,408

Las Vegas, NV $74,400

Rochester, NY $74,347

Des Moines, IA $74,340

Atlanta, GA $74,218

Battle Creek, MI $74,196

Salt Lake City, UT $74,173

Lancaster, PA $74,059

Champaign, IL $74,044

Harrisburg, PA $73,953

Durham, NC $73,885

Kansas City, MO $73,877

Kansas City, KS $73,862

Fort Worth, TX $73,855

Boca Raton, FL $73,824

Cleveland, OH $73,817

Columbus, OH $73,802

Pittsburgh, PA $73,794

Richmond, VA $73,764

Indianapolis, IN $73,749

Cincinnati, OH $73,650

Petersburg, VA $73,536

Billings, MT $73,370

Lansing, MI $73,370

Huntsville, AL $73,370

Lebanon, PA $73,362

Dayton, OH $73,354

Pueblo, CO $73,354

Appleton, WI $73,332

Buffalo, NY $73,301

Racine, WI $73,263

Charlotte, NC $73,256

Saint Louis, MO $73,233

Springfield, IL $73,203

Elkhart, IN $73,188

York, PA $73,188

Gastonia, NC $73,180

Benton Harbor, MI $73,180

Beaumont, TX $73,135

Lorain, OH $73,119

Toledo, OH $73,089

Binghamton, NY $73,051

Rock Hill, SC $73,044

Rockford, IL $73,006

Fargo, ND $72,968

Elyria, OH $72,968

Flagstaff, AZ $72,915

Fort Lauderdale, FL $72,869

Miami, FL $72,824

Duluth, MN $72,703

Bangor, ME $72,604

Cedar Rapids, IA $72,521

Louisville, KY $72,483

Grand Rapids, MI $72,468

Hialeah, FL $72,460

Casper, WY $72,354

Scranton, PA $72,263

New Orleans, LA $72,240

Virginia Beach, VA $72,233

Akron, OH $72,195

Peoria, IL $72,096

Sarasota, FL $72,081

Green Bay, WI $72,028

Baton Rouge, LA $71,990

Charleston, SC $71,975

Nashville, TN $71,952

Jamestown, NY $71,937

Davenport, IA $71,937

Tucson, AZ $71,899

Cheyenne, WY $71,876

Saint Petersburg, FL $71,854

Tampa, FL $71,839

Omaha, NE $71,823

Port Arthur, TX $71,793

Evansville, IN $71,793

Bradenton, FL $71,763

Santa Fe, NM $71,626

Orlando, FL $71,550

Clearwater, FL $71,467

Canton, OH $71,308

La Crosse, WI $71,308

Grand Forks, ND $71,285

Albuquerque, NM $71,262

Tulsa, OK $71,262

Newport News, VA $71,255

High Point, NC $71,232

Ogden, UT $71,202

Corpus Christi, TX $71,141

Laramie, WY $71,096

Norfolk, VA $71,096

Rock Island, IL $71,050

Saginaw, MI $71,035

Jacksonville, FL $71,027

Salisbury, NC $71,012

Memphis, TN $70,997

Moline, IL $70,959

Fort Myers, FL $70,937

Waterloo, IA $70,838

Spartanburg, SC $70,762

Lincoln, NE $70,724

Fort Wayne, IN $70,709

Birmingham, AL $70,626

Cedar Falls, IA $70,611

Provo, UT $70,603

Springfield, OH $70,595

San Antonio, TX $70,580

Greensboro, NC $70,550

South Bend, IN $70,542

Winston Salem, NC $70,535

Boise, ID $70,512

Savannah, GA $70,459

Muskegon, MI $70,323

Lima, OH $70,232

Lake Charles, LA $70,201

Anderson, IN $70,186

Lexington, KY $70,163

Augusta, GA $70,141

Greenville, SC $70,141

Wichita, KS $70,072

Tuscaloosa, AL $70,072

Columbia, SC $70,004

Bloomington, IN $69,815

Roanoke, VA $69,769

Asheville, NC $69,671

Knoxville, TN $69,542

Shreveport, LA $69,534

Wilmington, NC $69,436

Frankfort, KY $69,292

Oklahoma City, OK $69,239

Chillicothe, OH $69,208

Longview, TX $69,201

Topeka, KS $69,178

Mobile, AL $69,064

Terre Haute, IN $69,034

Erie, PA $69,027

Altoona, PA $68,989

Melbourne, FL $68,966

Amarillo, TX $68,936

Killeen, TX $68,913

Fayetteville, AR $68,852

Sioux Falls, SD $68,799

Chattanooga, TN $68,754

Idaho Falls, ID $68,746

Gainesville, FL $68,587

Portsmouth, OH $68,549

Little Rock, AR $68,534

Lynchburg, VA $68,534

Lafayette, LA $68,504

Youngstown, OH $68,504

Temple, TX $68,473

Daytona Beach, FL $68,458

Clarksville, TN $68,450

Pensacola, FL $68,443

Hopkinsville, KY $68,216

Charleston, WV $68,208

Florence, SC $68,170

Sioux City, IA $68,125

Macon, GA $67,905

Tallahassee, FL $67,897

Fayetteville, NC $67,882

Waco, TX $67,867

Wichita Falls, TX $67,867

Pine Bluff, AR $67,837

Vincennes, IN $67,693

Lubbock, TX $67,662

Great Falls, MT $67,617

Alamogordo, NM $67,609

Abilene, TX $67,549

Rapid City, SD $67,450

Monroe, LA $67,450

Albany, GA $67,404

Huntington, WV $67,397

Jackson, MS $67,389

Greenville, MS $67,382

Parkersburg, WV $67,306

Montgomery, AL $67,291

Johnstown, PA $67,276

Springfield, MO $67,215

Biloxi, MS $67,177

Sumter, SC $67,018

Columbus, GA $67,010

Twin Falls, ID $66,965

Pascagoula, MS $66,866

Kingsport, TN $66,669

Gulfport, MS $66,647

Alexandria, LA $66,396

Fort Smith, AR $66,207

El Paso, TX $66,002

Helena, MT $65,904

Las Cruces, NM $65,661

Harlingen, TX $65,449

Pocatello, ID $65,381

Florence, AL $65,358

Brownsville, TX $65,343

Dothan, AL $65,222

Mcallen, TX $65,184

Columbus, MS $64,623

Altus, OK $64,274

Lawton, OK $64,130

Pierre, SD $63,857

What Skills Can Increase an Engineer, QA's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 4.09% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Software Development (Mentioned in 2.91% 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.
Scrum (Mentioned in 2.02% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	4.09%
Software Development	2.91%
Scrum	2.02%

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 an Engineer, QA's salary.

Scrum: Can increase your salary by up to 31%.
Software Testing: Can increase your salary by up to 22%.
Jenkins: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Scrum	$99,291	31%
Software Testing	$92,470	22%
Jenkins	$89,438	18%
Agile	$86,406	14%
Linux	$85,648	13%
QA Automation	$84,890	12%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts an Engineer, QA's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Engineer, QAs 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 an Engineer, QA with a Bachelor's Degree is between $71,485 and $75,711).

Engineer, QA Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Engineer, QA

No Diploma 0.3%

High School 8.8%

Associates 8.8%

Bachelors 59.6%

Masters 21.7%

Doctorate 0.8%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.3%
High School	8.8%
Associates	8.8%
Bachelors	59.6%
Masters	21.7%
Doctorate	0.8%

view as graph

Engineer, QA Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how an Engineer, QA'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 January 01, 2026

$69,405

Average $75,795/year

$81,420

$5,784

Average $6,316/month

$6,785

$1,335

Average $1,458/week

$1,566

$33

Average $36/hour

$39

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$81,420	$6,785	$1,566	$39
Average	$75,795	$6,316	$1,458	$36
25th Percentile	$69,405	$5,784	$1,335	$33

Salaries of jobs related to Engineer, QA

Salary Trends for Engineer, QA

Salaries for an Engineer, QA can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $65,883 in 2023 to around $66,149 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Engineer, QA salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Engineer, QA Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$65,883

2024

$66,246

2025

$66,149

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$65,883
2024	$66,246
2025	$66,149
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Engineer, QA

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401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

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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.

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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