QA Engineer III Salary in the United States

How much does a QA Engineer III make in the United States?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a QA Engineer III in the United States is $102,566 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $49.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $119,546
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $94,933 to $111,454
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $87,983
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View as table View as graph 25% $94,933 10% $87,983 90% $119,546 75% $111,454 $102,566 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

QA Engineer III Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $111,454 $9,288 $2,143 $54
Average $102,566 $8,547 $1,972 $49
25th Percentile $94,933 $7,911 $1,826 $46
Check out QA Engineer III Job Openings in the United States
Automation Engineer III (Relocation Assistance)

Resilience - Pisgah, OH

DataStage Engineer III(no third party, only W2)

CBTS - Cincinnati, OH

Data Engineer III(only w2, onsite)

CBTS - Cincinnati, OH

Mainframe Developer/Senior Software Engineer III(no third party, only W2)

CBTS - Cincinnati, OH

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Key Factors That Influence QA Engineer III Salaries

A QA Engineer III'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 QA Engineer III Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a QA Engineer III'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): $76,559
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $90,105
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $101,913
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $126,727
  • Expert (over 8 years): $152,061
Levels Salary
Quality A... Level QA Engineer III$76,559
Quality A... Level QA Engineer III$90,105
QA Engine... Level QA Engineer III$101,913
Quality A... Level QA Engineer III$126,727
Quality A... Level QA Engineer III$152,061
$76,559 0 yr
$90,105 < 2 yrs
$101,913 2-4 yrs
$126,727 5-8 yrs
$152,061 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

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

  • District of Columbia: $113,561.
  • California: $113,130.
  • Massachusetts: $111,623.

Top Paying Cities for QA Engineer IIIs

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: $129,366
  • San Francisco: $127,950
  • Oakland: $125,254

What Skills Can Increase a QA Engineer III's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Team Development (Mentioned in 3.93% Job Postings): Building and developing effective teams to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
  • Software Development (Mentioned in 2.98% 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.
  • JavaScript (Mentioned in 1.84% Job Postings): Using JavaScript in the development and maintenance of Web-based application systems.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Team Development 3.93%
Software Development 2.98%
JavaScript 1.84%
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 QA Engineer III's salary.
  • Python: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.
  • Android: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Linux: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Python
 $108,720
6%
Android
 $107,694
5%
Linux
 $107,694
5%
Debugging
 $107,694
5%
Networking
 $106,669
4%
Computer Science
 $106,669
4%
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How Education impacts a QA Engineer III's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many QA Engineer IIIs 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 QA Engineer III with a Bachelor's Degree is between $102,178 and $106,839).

QA Engineer III Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for QA Engineer III
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.6%
High School 2.8%
Associates 6.1%
Bachelors 52.6%
Masters 36.4%
Doctorate 1.4%
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QA Engineer III Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a QA Engineer III'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.

  • Hourly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Yearly
  • Table View
Last Updated on May 01, 2026
$94,933
Average $102,566/year
$111,454
$7,911
Average $8,547/month
$9,288
$1,826
Average $1,972/week
$2,143
$46
Average $49/hour
$54
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $111,454 $9,288 $2,143 $54
Average $102,566 $8,547 $1,972 $49
25th Percentile $94,933 $7,911 $1,826 $46

Salaries of jobs related to QA Engineer III

Salary Trends for QA Engineer III

Salaries for a QA Engineer III can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $103,627 in 2023 to around $104,097 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of QA Engineer III salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of QA Engineer III Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$103,627
2024
$104,284
2025
$104,097
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $103,627
2024 $104,284
2025 $104,097
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for QA Engineer III

Social Security
401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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Common company salaries for QA Engineer III

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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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