Engineer, QA Salary in the United States

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

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for an Engineer, QA in the United States is $75,775 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): $86,511
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $69,408 to $81,395
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $63,612
Compensation Planning
Develop a Job Description
Pay Equity
2026 Compensation Trend
AI-Powered Talent
Recruit with AI
View as table View as graph 25% $69,408 10% $63,612 90% $86,511 75% $81,395 $75,775 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Engineer, QA Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary
Monthly
Pay
Weekly
Pay
Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $81,395 $6,783 $1,565 $39
Average $75,775 $6,315 $1,457 $36
25th Percentile $69,408 $5,784 $1,335 $33
Check out Engineer, QA Job Openings in the United States
Local CDL-A Truck Driver - Home Daily

C.R. England - Columbus, OH

Search More Engineer, QA Jobs in the United States

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): $75,362
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $88,699
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $100,324
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $124,776
  • Expert (over 8 years): $149,705
Levels Salary
Engineer,... Level Engineer, QA$75,362
Quality A... Level Engineer, QA$88,699
Quality A... Level Engineer, QA$100,324
Quality A... Level Engineer, QA$124,776
Quality A... Level Engineer, QA$149,705
$75,362 0 yr
$88,699 < 2 yrs
$100,324 2-4 yrs
$124,776 5-8 yrs
$149,705 > 8 yrs
View as Table
View as Graph

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: $83,898.
  • California: $83,580.
  • Massachusetts: $82,466.

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: $95,575
  • San Francisco: $94,528
  • Oakland: $92,536

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
$99,265
31%
Software Testing
$92,445
22%
Jenkins
$89,414
18%
Agile
$86,383
14%
Linux
$85,626
13%
QA Automation
$84,868
12%
Get Latest Data

Engineer, QA Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Engineer, QA roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 35% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Financial Services and Pharmaceuticals sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Engineer, QA positions in Telecom or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Engineer, QA as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for an Engineer, QA

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Financial Services$90,930$44.020%
Pharmaceuticals$90,930$44.020%
Biotechnology$87,141$42.015%
Energy & Utilities$83,352$40.010%
Aerospace & Defense$79,564$38.05%

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
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 August 01, 2026

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

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 Engineer, QA

Here are companies hiring for Engineer, QA and their salaries, click below for more details.

Find Your Next Engineer, QA Job

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

United States
  • 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

  • XPO

    Columbus, OH

    CDL

    XPO | Columbus, OH

    XPO is Hiring Driver Teams. XPO Teams. As an XPO Team, you’ll run dedicated routes between XPO facilities in. new sleeper. trucks equipped with microwaves ... 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

  • Summit Recruiting Group

    Columbus, OH

    Summit Recruiting Group | Columbus, OH

    NP/PA Dermatology job opening in Columbus, OHPosition Details. Full-time, permanent opening. Experience required. Well-Established Practice. Seeking a NP/P... more

    16 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

  • GO Staffing

    Columbus, OH

    GO Staffing | Columbus, OH

    Locums - A well respected group has a Trauma Surgery APP opportunity available in Columbus, Ohio. Certified Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. 1/1/... 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 Engineer, QA

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Engineer, QA?

The Financial Services industry offers the highest average compensation for Engineer, QA 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