Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salary in Madison, MD

How much does a Software Quality Assurance Engineer make in Madison, MD?

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Quality Assurance Engineer in Madison, MD is $97,041 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $47.

However, a Software Quality Assurance Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $112,170
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $88,553 to $104,960
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $80,824
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View as table View as graph 25% $88,553 10% $80,824 90% $112,170 75% $104,960 $97,041 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $104,960 $8,747 $2,018 $50
Average $97,041 $8,087 $1,866 $47
25th Percentile $88,553 $7,379 $1,703 $43
Check out Software Quality Assurance Engineer Job Openings in Madison, MD
Software Quality Assurance Engineer (Remote)

The ACI Group - Towson, MD

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Engineer (NSWC IH Code 104)

EHS TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION - Indian Head, MD

Senior Quality Assurance Engineer

Precigen, Inc - Germantown, MD

Senior Software Engineer - Quality Enablement (Remote)

Webstaurant Store, Inc. - Aberdeen, MD

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Key Factors That Influence Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salaries

A Software Quality Assurance Engineer'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, skills and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software Quality Assurance Engineer'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): $75,154
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $96,459
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $116,946
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $135,046
  • Expert (over 8 years): $157,902
Levels Salary
Software ... Level Software Quality Assurance Engineer$75,154
Software ... Level Software Quality Assurance Engineer$96,459
Software ... Level Software Quality Assurance Engineer$116,946
Software ... Level Software Quality Assurance Engineer$135,046
Software ... Level Software Quality Assurance Engineer$157,902
$75,154 0 yr
$96,459 < 2 yrs
$116,946 2-4 yrs
$135,046 5-8 yrs
$157,902 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

Top Paying Cities for Software Quality Assurance Engineers

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: $119,975
  • San Francisco: $118,661
  • Oakland: $116,161

What Skills Can Increase a Software Quality Assurance Engineer's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 4.58% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Test Scripts (Mentioned in 2.95% Job Postings): A test script in software testing is a set of instructions that will be performed on the system under test to test that the system functions as expected. There are various means for executing test scripts. Manual testing. These are more commonly called test cases. Automated testing. Short program written in a programming language used to test part of the functionality of a software system. Test scripts written as a short program can either be written using a special automated functional GUI test tool (such as HP QuickTest Professional, Borland SilkTest, IBM TPNS and Rational Robot) or in a well-known programming language (such as C++, C#, Tcl, Expect, Java, PHP, Perl, Powershell, Python, or Ruby). As documented in IEEE, ISO and IEC. Extensively parameterized short programs a.k.a. Data-driven testing Reusable steps created in a table a.k.a. keyword-driven or table-driven testing.
  • Automated Testing (Mentioned in 1.83% Job Postings): Test automation is the use of software to control the execution of tests and the comparison of predicted to actual outcomes.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 4.58%
Test Scripts 2.95%
Automated Testing 1.83%
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 Quality Assurance Engineer's salary.
  • Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
  • Debugging: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Innovation
 $99,953
3%
Collaboration
 $98,982
2%
Debugging
 $98,982
2%
Programming
 $98,982
2%
Process Improvement
 $98,982
2%
Quality Management
 $98,982
2%
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Software Quality Assurance Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Quality Assurance Engineer'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.

  • Yearly
  • Monthly
  • Weekly
  • Hourly
  • Table View
Last Updated on May 01, 2026
$88,553
Average $97,041/year
$104,960
$7,379
Average $8,087/month
$8,747
$1,703
Average $1,866/week
$2,018
$43
Average $47/hour
$50
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $104,960 $8,747 $2,018 $50
Average $97,041 $8,087 $1,866 $47
25th Percentile $88,553 $7,379 $1,703 $43

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Cost of Living In Madison, MD

Cost of Living in Madison, MD is
42.7% Higher
than the National Average

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