What are the main factors that influence a Staff QA Engineer's salary?

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

How does experience change A Staff QA Engineer's salary?

A Staff QA Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Staff QA Engineer (0-2 years)earns $79,576, a Quality Assurance Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $93,653, a Quality Assurance Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $105,927, a Quality Assurance Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $131,709, a Quality Assurance Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $158,045,

What are the highest paying states for a Staff QA Engineer?

Staff QA Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Staff QA Engineer roles are District of Columbia $85,442, California $85,118, Massachusetts $83,984. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

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

Salaries for Staff QA Engineer level roles vary by specialization: QA Engineer IV: $128,814; QA Engineer III: $102,569; QA Automation Engineer: $87,754; QA Regression Engineer: $80,653; QA Product Engineer: $79,378.

Staff QA Engineer Salary in Rhode Island

How much does a Staff QA Engineer make in Rhode Island?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a Staff QA Engineer in Rhode Island is $80,009 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $38.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $91,281
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $73,254 to $85,909
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $67,104

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Staff QA Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$85,909	$7,159	$1,652	$41
Average	$80,009	$6,667	$1,539	$38
25th Percentile	$73,254	$6,105	$1,409	$35

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Check out Staff QA Engineer Job Openings in Rhode Island

Agile QA Engineer | UFT/Selenium Automation

Sonsoft Inc - Cranston, RI

Remote QA Engineer: End-to-End Testing & Data Validation

Educational Testing Service - Providence, RI

Remote Software QA Test Engineer (Manual & Automated)

Rhode Island Bar Assn. - Providence, RI

Staff Engineer III

Verdantas LLC - Pawtucket, RI

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Key Factors That Influence Staff QA Engineer Salaries

A Staff QA 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 and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Staff QA Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Staff QA 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): $79,576
Early Career (1-2 years): $93,653
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $105,927
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $131,709
Expert (over 8 years): $158,045

Levels	Salary
Staff QA ... Level Staff QA Engineer	$79,576
Quality A... Level Staff QA Engineer	$93,653
Quality A... Level Staff QA Engineer	$105,927
Quality A... Level Staff QA Engineer	$131,709
Quality A... Level Staff QA Engineer	$158,045

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What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $85,442.
California: $85,118.
Massachusetts: $83,984.

District of Columbia $85,442 California $85,118 Massachusetts $83,984 Washington $83,675 New Jersey $83,644 Alaska $83,536 Connecticut $82,471 New York $82,039

Hawaii $80,658 Rhode Island $80,009 Maryland $79,570 Minnesota $78,968 Colorado $78,736 Illinois $78,659 Oregon $78,366 Delaware $78,150

New Hampshire $78,014 Virginia $77,710 Pennsylvania $76,822 Nevada $76,375 North Dakota $76,228 Michigan $75,997 Wisconsin $75,912 Vermont $75,742

Texas $75,271 Maine $75,240 Arizona $75,194 Ohio $75,140 Georgia $74,430 Indiana $74,075 Wyoming $74,006 Utah $73,898

Iowa $73,851 Kansas $73,481 Louisiana $73,373 North Carolina $73,334 Missouri $73,319 Florida $73,018 Montana $72,856 Nebraska $72,701

Kentucky $72,617 South Carolina $72,308 Tennessee $72,115 Idaho $72,038 New Mexico $71,474 Oklahoma $71,351 Alabama $70,896 South Dakota $70,132

Arkansas $69,715 West Virginia $69,491 Mississippi $68,820

Top Paying Cities for Staff QA 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:

Adamsville: $81,321
Albion: $79,971
Ashaway: $81,630

Adamsville, RI $81,321 Albion, RI $79,971 Ashaway, RI $81,630 Barrington, RI $79,971 Block Island, RI $81,206 Bradford, RI $81,576 Bristol, RI $79,894 Carolina, RI $80,912

Charlestown, RI $80,997 Chepachet, RI $79,817 Clayville, RI $79,894 Coventry, RI $79,817 West Greenwich, RI $79,762 East Greenwich, RI $79,871 Exeter, RI $81,576 Fiskeville, RI $79,971

Forestdale, RI $79,894 Foster, RI $79,762 Glendale, RI $79,762 Greene, RI $80,658 Greenville, RI $79,971 Harmony, RI $79,948 Harrisville, RI $79,817 Hope, RI $79,971

Hope Valley, RI $81,630 Hopkinton, RI $81,653 Jamestown, RI $80,835 Kenyon, RI $81,553 Little Compton, RI $81,290 Manville, RI $79,971 Mapleville, RI $79,762 Newport, RI $80,851

Middletown, RI $81,190 North Kingstown, RI $79,739 North Scituate, RI $79,948 Oakland, RI $79,840 Pascoag, RI $79,793 Pawtucket, RI $79,971 Central Falls, RI $79,971 Cumberland, RI $79,971

Lincoln, RI $79,971 Portsmouth, RI $80,526 Prudence Island, RI $79,817 Rockville, RI $81,653 Saunderstown, RI $80,881 Shannock, RI $81,530 Slatersville, RI $79,894 Slocum, RI $80,881

Tiverton, RI $81,344 Wakefield, RI $80,797 Kingston, RI $80,812 Narragansett, RI $80,827 Peace Dale, RI $80,797 Warren, RI $79,948 Warwick, RI $79,971 Westerly, RI $81,676

West Kingston, RI $80,858 West Warwick, RI $79,971 Wood River Junction, RI $81,576 Woonsocket, RI $79,894 North Smithfield, RI $79,948 Wyoming, RI $81,553 Providence, RI $79,971 Cranston, RI $79,971

North Providence, RI $79,971 East Providence, RI $79,971 Riverside, RI $79,971 Rumford, RI $79,971 Smithfield, RI $79,971 Johnston, RI $79,971

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

Understanding how a Staff QA 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.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$73,254

Average $80,009/year

$85,909

$6,105

Average $6,667/month

$7,159

$1,409

Average $1,539/week

$1,652

$35

Average $38/hour

$41

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$85,909	$7,159	$1,652	$41
Average	$80,009	$6,667	$1,539	$38
25th Percentile	$73,254	$6,105	$1,409	$35

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