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

A QA Lead Engineer's salary grows with experience: a Quality Assurance Engineer II (2-4 years)earns $86,889, a Quality Assurance Engineer III (4-7 years)earns $98,275, a QA Lead Engineer (7+ years)earns $122,204, a Quality Assurance Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $146,633, a Quality Assurance Engineering Supervisor (10+ years)earns $109,844,

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

QA Lead Engineer salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for QA Lead Engineer roles are District of Columbia $134,521, California $134,011, Massachusetts $132,225. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

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

Salaries for QA Lead Engineer level roles vary by specialization: Qa Automation Lead: $140,397; Software QA Engineer IV: $131,500; Lead QA Analyst: $127,545; Software Qa Lead: $126,403; QA/Validation Engineer IV: $125,300.

How do different companies affect a QA Lead Engineer's salary?

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

QA Lead Engineer Salary in the United States

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

As of May 01, 2026, the average salary for a QA Lead Engineer in the United States is $121,497 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $58.

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

Top Earners (90th percentile): $134,563
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $111,313 to $128,336
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $102,041

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QA Lead Engineer Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$128,336	$10,695	$2,468	$62
Average	$121,497	$10,125	$2,336	$58
25th Percentile	$111,313	$9,276	$2,141	$54

You may get higher pay by adjusting the following factors:

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Key Factors That Influence QA Lead Engineer Salaries

A QA Lead 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, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects QA Lead Engineer Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a QA Lead 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): $86,889
Early Career (1-2 years): $98,275
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $122,204
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $146,633
Expert (over 8 years): $109,844

Levels	Salary
Quality A... Level QA Lead Engineer	$86,889
Quality A... Level QA Lead Engineer	$98,275
QA Lead E... Level QA Lead Engineer	$122,204
Quality A... Level QA Lead Engineer	$146,633
Quality A... Level QA Lead Engineer	$109,844

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

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

District of Columbia: $134,521.
California: $134,011.
Massachusetts: $132,225.

District of Columbia $134,521

California $134,011

Massachusetts $132,225

Washington $131,739

New Jersey $131,691

Alaska $131,521

Connecticut $129,844

New York $129,163

Hawaii $126,989

Rhode Island $125,968

Maryland $125,276

Minnesota $124,328

Colorado $123,963

Illinois $123,842

Oregon $123,380

Delaware $123,040

New Hampshire $122,826

Virginia $122,347

Pennsylvania $120,950

Nevada $120,246

North Dakota $120,015

Michigan $119,650

Wisconsin $119,517

Vermont $119,249

Texas $118,508

Maine $118,460

Arizona $118,387

Ohio $118,302

Georgia $117,184

Indiana $116,625

Wyoming $116,516

Utah $116,346

Iowa $116,273

Kansas $115,689

Louisiana $115,519

North Carolina $115,459

Missouri $115,434

Florida $114,960

Montana $114,705

Nebraska $114,462

Kentucky $114,329

South Carolina $113,843

Tennessee $113,539

Idaho $113,417

New Mexico $112,531

Oklahoma $112,336

Alabama $111,619

South Dakota $110,416

Arkansas $109,760

West Virginia $109,408

Mississippi $108,351

Top Paying Cities for QA Lead 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: $153,244
San Francisco: $151,566
Oakland: $148,372

San Jose, CA $153,244

San Francisco, CA $151,566

Oakland, CA $148,372

New York, NY $139,890

Paramus, NJ $138,189

Queens Village, NY $138,183

Passaic, NJ $138,068

Bergenfield, NJ $138,057

Stamford, CT $137,790

Huntington, NY $137,740

Newark, NJ $136,842

Bridgeport, CT $136,586

Vallejo, CA $136,344

New Brunswick, NJ $136,295

Petaluma, CA $136,222

Middlesex, NJ $135,992

Somerset, NJ $135,907

Santa Cruz, CA $135,749

Boston, MA $135,007

Monterey, CA $134,581

Seattle, WA $134,303

Santa Rosa, CA $134,278

Los Angeles, CA $134,242

Juneau, AK $133,926

Washington, DC $133,792

Orange, CA $133,360

Santa Ana, CA $133,039

Long Beach, CA $132,918

Anaheim, CA $132,893

Anchorage, AK $132,833

Santa Maria, CA $132,468

Everett, WA $132,444

Danbury, CT $132,016

Bremerton, WA $131,849

Tacoma, WA $131,411

New Suffolk, NY $131,409

Sacramento, CA $131,375

Santa Barbara, CA $131,241

Trenton, NJ $131,107

San Diego, CA $131,107

Brockton, MA $130,974

Fairbanks, AK $130,676

Lompoc, CA $130,366

Lowell, MA $130,268

Ventura, CA $130,245

Nashua, NH $130,220

Stockton, CA $130,208

Modesto, CA $129,321

Poughkeepsie, NY $129,054

Olympia, WA $128,823

Kennewick, WA $128,823

New Haven, CT $128,775

Lawrence, MA $128,337

Hartford, CT $128,216

Riverside, CA $128,191

New Bedford, MA $128,070

Richland, WA $128,070

Bakersfield, CA $127,900

San Bernardino, CA $127,851

New Britain, CT $127,839

Atlantic City, NJ $127,839

New London, CT $127,791

Norwich, CT $127,754

Portsmouth, NH $127,730

Boulder, CO $127,472

Portland, OR $127,305

Worcester, MA $127,292

Minneapolis, MN $126,916

Philadelphia, PA $126,746

Honolulu, HI $126,345

Saint Paul, MN $126,286

Vineland, NJ $126,260

Providence, RI $125,907

Chicago, IL $125,555

Bellingham, WA $125,409

Springfield, MA $125,312

Baltimore, MD $125,276

Chico, CA $124,972

Pittsfield, MA $124,644

Manchester, NH $124,413

Spokane, WA $123,878

Denver, CO $123,866

Albany, NY $123,295

Troy, NY $123,247

Nassau, NY $123,117

Schenectady, NY $122,991

Wilmington, DE $122,894

Burlington, VT $122,724

Salem, OR $122,676

Portland, ME $122,299

Yakima, WA $122,177

Rochester, MN $121,801

Reno, NV $121,740

Fresno, CA $121,740

Milwaukee, WI $121,631

Detroit, MI $121,509

Ann Arbor, MI $121,488

Allentown, PA $121,473

Colorado Springs, CO $121,266

Syracuse, NY $121,205

Carson City, NV $121,205

Houston, TX $121,035

Eugene, OR $120,975

Gary, IN $120,829

Springfield, OR $120,732

Bismarck, ND $120,707

Galveston, TX $120,622

Medford, OR $120,440

Fort Collins, CO $120,391

Concord, NH $120,331

Austin, TX $120,294

Mesa, AZ $120,039

Reading, PA $120,027

Phoenix, AZ $120,015

Dallas, TX $119,978

Saint Cloud, MN $119,862

Madison, WI $119,699

Utica, NY $119,371

Rochester, NY $119,176

Des Moines, IA $119,164

Raleigh, NC $119,152

Atlanta, GA $118,970

Battle Creek, MI $118,933

Salt Lake City, UT $118,897

Lancaster, PA $118,715

Harrisburg, PA $118,545

Kansas City, MO $118,423

Champaign, IL $118,399

Kansas City, KS $118,399

Fort Worth, TX $118,387

Columbus, OH $118,366

Boca Raton, FL $118,338

Pittsburgh, PA $118,289

Richmond, VA $118,241

Indianapolis, IN $118,217

Cleveland, OH $118,204

Las Vegas, NV $118,059

Cincinnati, OH $118,059

Petersburg, VA $117,876

Huntsville, AL $117,694

Lansing, MI $117,613

Lebanon, PA $117,597

Pueblo, CO $117,585

Appleton, WI $117,548

Buffalo, NY $117,500

Dayton, OH $117,463

Racine, WI $117,439

Charlotte, NC $117,427

Saint Louis, MO $117,390

York, PA $117,318

Elkhart, IN $117,318

Gastonia, NC $117,294

Billings, MT $117,265

Beaumont, TX $117,232

Lorain, OH $117,208

Benton Harbor, MI $117,184

Toledo, OH $117,160

Binghamton, NY $117,099

Rock Hill, SC $117,087

Rockford, IL $117,026

Springfield, IL $116,977

Elyria, OH $116,965

Fargo, ND $116,965

Flagstaff, AZ $116,880

Fort Lauderdale, FL $116,807

Duluth, MN $116,734

Miami, FL $116,734

Cheyenne, WY $116,649

Grand Forks, ND $116,649

Bangor, ME $116,382

Cedar Rapids, IA $116,248

Durham, NC $116,197

Louisville, KY $116,188

Grand Rapids, MI $116,163

Hialeah, FL $116,151

Casper, WY $115,981

Scranton, PA $115,835

New Orleans, LA $115,799

Virginia Beach, VA $115,787

Akron, OH $115,726

Peoria, IL $115,568

Sarasota, FL $115,544

Nashville, TN $115,459

Omaha, NE $115,459

Green Bay, WI $115,459

Baton Rouge, LA $115,398

Charleston, SC $115,374

Jamestown, NY $115,313

Davenport, IA $115,313

Tucson, AZ $115,252

Saint Petersburg, FL $115,179

Tampa, FL $115,155

Evansville, IN $115,082

Port Arthur, TX $115,082

Bradenton, FL $115,033

Santa Fe, NM $114,815

Orlando, FL $114,596

Clearwater, FL $114,560

Canton, OH $114,304

La Crosse, WI $114,304

Albuquerque, NM $114,231

Newport News, VA $114,219

High Point, NC $114,183

Ogden, UT $114,134

Corpus Christi, TX $114,037

Norfolk, VA $113,964

Laramie, WY $113,964

Rock Island, IL $113,891

Saginaw, MI $113,867

Jacksonville, FL $113,855

Salisbury, NC $113,831

Boise, ID $113,806

Moline, IL $113,745

Fort Myers, FL $113,709

Memphis, TN $113,685

Tulsa, OK $113,624

Waterloo, IA $113,551

Spartanburg, SC $113,430

Lincoln, NE $113,369

Fort Wayne, IN $113,345

Provo, UT $113,332

Cedar Falls, IA $113,187

San Antonio, TX $113,138

Greensboro, NC $113,089

South Bend, IN $113,077

Savannah, GA $112,944

Muskegon, MI $112,895

Birmingham, AL $112,883

Winston Salem, NC $112,823

Lake Charles, LA $112,531

Anderson, IN $112,506

Lexington, KY $112,470

Augusta, GA $112,433

Greenville, SC $112,433

Lima, OH $112,336

Wichita, KS $112,324

Tuscaloosa, AL $112,324

Columbia, SC $112,215

Springfield, OH $112,190

Asheville, NC $111,996

Bloomington, IN $111,911

Knoxville, TN $111,473

Shreveport, LA $111,461

Wilmington, NC $111,303

Roanoke, VA $111,303

Topeka, KS $111,085

Frankfort, KY $111,071

Oklahoma City, OK $110,988

Chillicothe, OH $110,939

Longview, TX $110,927

Melbourne, FL $110,915

Sioux Falls, SD $110,720

Mobile, AL $110,708

Terre Haute, IN $110,659

Altoona, PA $110,587

Amarillo, TX $110,502

Killeen, TX $110,465

Fayetteville, AR $110,368

Chattanooga, TN $110,331

Sioux City, IA $110,222

Idaho Falls, ID $110,198

Lynchburg, VA $110,101

Gainesville, FL $109,943

Portsmouth, OH $109,882

Little Rock, AR $109,858

Lafayette, LA $109,809

Youngstown, OH $109,809

Daytona Beach, FL $109,736

Clarksville, TN $109,724

Pensacola, FL $109,712

Temple, TX $109,703

Hopkinsville, KY $109,347

Erie, PA $109,323

Florence, SC $109,274

Charleston, WV $109,080

Great Falls, MT $109,019

Macon, GA $108,849

Tallahassee, FL $108,837

Fayetteville, NC $108,813

Waco, TX $108,788

Helena, MT $108,703

Pine Bluff, AR $108,657

Vincennes, IN $108,509

Lubbock, TX $108,460

Alamogordo, NM $108,387

Twin Falls, ID $108,278

Rapid City, SD $108,242

Jackson, MS $108,023

Huntington, WV $108,014

Greenville, MS $108,011

Parkersburg, WV $107,887

Montgomery, AL $107,865

Wichita Falls, TX $107,744

Springfield, MO $107,744

Biloxi, MS $107,683

Monroe, LA $107,561

Johnstown, PA $107,476

Sumter, SC $107,428

Columbus, GA $107,415

Pascagoula, MS $107,185

Abilene, TX $107,185

Kingsport, TN $106,869

Albany, GA $106,869

Gulfport, MS $106,832

Alexandria, LA $106,431

Fort Smith, AR $106,128

El Paso, TX $105,800

Las Cruces, NM $105,253

Harlingen, TX $104,944

Pocatello, ID $104,925

Florence, AL $104,767

Brownsville, TX $104,743

Mcallen, TX $104,487

Dothan, AL $104,317

Columbus, MS $103,596

Altus, OK $103,029

Lawton, OK $102,799

Pierre, SD $102,361

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

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 2.72% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Scrum (Mentioned in 2.77% Job Postings): Using an agile process for managing the lifecycle development of software products.
Virtualization (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): In computing, virtualization refers to the act of creating a virtual (rather than actual) version of something, including virtual computer hardware platforms, storage devices, and computer network resources. Virtualization began in the 1960s, as a method of logically dividing the system resources provided by mainframe computers between different applications. Since then, the meaning of the term has broadened.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	2.72%
Scrum	2.77%
Virtualization	2.13%

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 Lead Engineer's salary.

Authenticity: Can increase your salary by up to 17%.
iOS: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Consulting: Can increase your salary by up to 6%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Authenticity	$142,151	17%
iOS	$130,002	7%
Consulting	$128,787	6%
Innovation	$127,572	5%
Integrity	$126,357	4%
Virtualization	$126,357	4%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a QA Lead Engineer's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many QA Lead Engineers 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 Lead Engineer with a Bachelor's Degree is between $123,201 and $129,316).

QA Lead Engineer Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for QA Lead Engineer

No Diploma 3.3%

High School 3.3%

Associates 5.3%

Bachelors 50.0%

Masters 40.1%

Doctorate 1.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	3.3%
High School	3.3%
Associates	5.3%
Bachelors	50.0%
Masters	40.1%
Doctorate	1.3%

view as graph

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

Understanding how a QA Lead 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 May 01, 2026

$111,313

Average $121,497/year

$128,336

$9,276

Average $10,125/month

$10,695

$2,141

Average $2,336/week

$2,468

$54

Average $58/hour

$62

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$128,336	$10,695	$2,468	$62
Average	$121,497	$10,125	$2,336	$58
25th Percentile	$111,313	$9,276	$2,141	$54

Salaries of jobs related to QA Lead Engineer

Salary Trends for QA Lead Engineer

Salaries for a QA Lead Engineer can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $117,998 in 2023 to around $117,548 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of QA Lead Engineer salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of QA Lead Engineer Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$117,998

2024

$118,489

2025

$117,548

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$117,998
2024	$118,489
2025	$117,548
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for QA Lead Engineer

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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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