Senior Software Test Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Senior Software Test Lead make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Senior Software Test Lead in the United States is $107,889 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $52.

However, a Senior Software Test Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $122,718
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $96,444 to $115,651
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $86,023
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View as table View as graph 25% $96,444 10% $86,023 90% $122,718 75% $115,651 $107,889 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click

Senior Software Test Lead Salaries by Percentile

Annual
Salary		 Monthly
Pay		 Weekly
Pay		 Hourly
Wage
75th Percentile $115,651 $9,638 $2,224 $56
Average $107,889 $8,991 $2,075 $52
25th Percentile $96,444 $8,037 $1,855 $46
Check out Senior Software Test Lead Job Openings in the United States
Software Test Integration Engineer

Navstar Inc. - LITTLETON, CO

Automated Test Framework Software Engineer

Navstar Inc. - ANNAPOLIS, MD

Software Engineer

Associates Systems LLC - TUCSON, AZ

Advanced Embedded Software Engineer

GeoLogics Corporation - CANONSBURG, PA

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Key Factors That Influence Senior Software Test Lead Salaries

A Senior Software Test Lead'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 Senior Software Test Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Senior Software Test Lead'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): $104,710
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $105,187
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $106,299
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $109,284
  • Expert (over 8 years): $111,687
Levels Salary
Entry Level Senior Software Test Lead$104,710
Intermediate Level Senior Software Test Lead$105,187
Senior Level Senior Software Test Lead$106,299
Specialist Level Senior Software Test Lead$109,284
Expert Level Senior Software Test Lead$111,687
$104,710 0 yr
$105,187 < 2 yrs
$106,299 2-4 yrs
$109,284 5-8 yrs
$111,687 > 8 yrs
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What Am I Worth?

How Do Senior Software Test Lead 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 Senior Software Test Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

  • District of Columbia: $119,455.
  • California: $119,002.
  • Massachusetts: $117,416.

Top Paying Cities for Senior Software Test Leads

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: $136,080
  • San Francisco: $134,743
  • Oakland: $131,754

What Skills Can Increase a Senior Software Test Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 6.11% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • Test Planning (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Test planning is an essential activity of testing, regardless of the project lifecycle approach.
  • Software Testing (Mentioned in 1.87% Job Postings): Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the software product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects), and verifying that the software product is fit for use. Software testing involves the execution of a software component or system component to evaluate one or more properties of interest. In general, these properties indicate the extent to which the component or system under test: meets the requirements that guided its design and development, responds correctly to all kinds of inputs, performs its functions within an acceptable time, it is sufficiently usable, can be installed and run in its intended environments, and achieves the general result its stakeholders desire.
See More Skills
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 6.11%
Test Planning 2.37%
Software Testing 1.87%
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 Senior Software Test Lead's salary.
  • Verification and Validation: Can increase your salary by up to 10%.
  • Digital Transformation: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
  • Requirements Analysis: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Verification and Validation
 $118,678
10%
Digital Transformation
 $113,283
5%
Requirements Analysis
 $113,283
5%
Functional Testing
 $113,283
5%
Test Management
 $112,205
4%
Python
 $112,205
4%
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How Education impacts a Senior Software Test Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Senior Software Test Leads 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 Senior Software Test Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $110,073 and $114,439).

Senior Software Test Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Senior Software Test Lead
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 10.4%
High School 54.2%
Associates 10.4%
Bachelors 54.2%
Masters 35.4%
Doctorate 0.0%
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Senior Software Test Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Senior Software Test Lead'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 January 01, 2026
$96,444
Average $107,889/year
$115,651
$8,037
Average $8,991/month
$9,638
$1,855
Average $2,075/week
$2,224
$46
Average $52/hour
$56
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $115,651 $9,638 $2,224 $56
Average $107,889 $8,991 $2,075 $52
25th Percentile $96,444 $8,037 $1,855 $46

Salaries of jobs related to Senior Software Test Lead

Salary Trends for Senior Software Test Lead

Salaries for a Senior Software Test Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $102,273 in 2023 to around $102,679 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Senior Software Test Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Senior Software Test Lead Over Time

2022
$???
2023
$102,273
2024
$103,155
2025
$102,679
2026
$???
2027
$???
Year Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023 $102,273
2024 $103,155
2025 $102,679
2026
View More
2027
View More

Most common benefits for Senior Software Test Lead

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401(k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
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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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