Software Quality Engineer Salary in the United States
How much does a Software Quality Engineer make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Quality Engineer in the United States is $72,553 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $35.
However, a Software Quality Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $81,831
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $66,928 to $77,409
Key Factors That Influence Software Quality Engineer Salaries
A Software Quality 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 Software Quality Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Software Quality 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:
How Do Software Quality 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 Software Quality Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
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: $91,511
San Francisco: $90,509
Oakland: $88,601
San Jose, CA$91,511
San Francisco, CA$90,509
Oakland, CA$88,601
New York, NY$83,536
Paramus, NJ$82,521
Queens Village, NY$82,517
Passaic, NJ$82,448
Bergenfield, NJ$82,442
Stamford, CT$82,282
Huntington, NY$82,252
Newark, NJ$81,716
Bridgeport, CT$81,563
Vallejo, CA$81,419
New Brunswick, NJ$81,390
Petaluma, CA$81,346
Middlesex, NJ$81,208
Somerset, NJ$81,157
Santa Cruz, CA$81,063
Boston, MA$80,620
Monterey, CA$80,366
Seattle, WA$80,200
Santa Rosa, CA$80,185
Los Angeles, CA$80,163
Juneau, AK$79,975
Washington, DC$79,895
Orange, CA$79,637
Santa Ana, CA$79,445
Long Beach, CA$79,373
Anaheim, CA$79,358
Anchorage, AK$79,322
Santa Maria, CA$79,104
Everett, WA$79,090
Danbury, CT$78,834
Bremerton, WA$78,734
Tacoma, WA$78,473
New Suffolk, NY$78,471
Sacramento, CA$78,451
Santa Barbara, CA$78,371
Trenton, NJ$78,292
San Diego, CA$78,292
Brockton, MA$78,212
Fairbanks, AK$78,034
Lompoc, CA$77,849
Lowell, MA$77,790
Ventura, CA$77,776
Nashua, NH$77,762
Stockton, CA$77,755
Modesto, CA$77,225
Poughkeepsie, NY$77,065
Olympia, WA$76,928
Kennewick, WA$76,928
New Haven, CT$76,899
Lawrence, MA$76,637
Hartford, CT$76,565
Riverside, CA$76,550
New Bedford, MA$76,478
Richland, WA$76,478
Bakersfield, CA$76,376
San Bernardino, CA$76,347
New Britain, CT$76,340
Atlantic City, NJ$76,340
New London, CT$76,311
Norwich, CT$76,289
Portsmouth, NH$76,275
Boulder, CO$76,121
Portland, OR$76,021
Worcester, MA$76,013
Minneapolis, MN$75,788
Philadelphia, PA$75,687
Honolulu, HI$75,447
Saint Paul, MN$75,413
Vineland, NJ$75,397
Providence, RI$75,186
Chicago, IL$74,976
Bellingham, WA$74,889
Springfield, MA$74,831
Baltimore, MD$74,809
Chico, CA$74,628
Pittsfield, MA$74,432
Manchester, NH$74,294
Spokane, WA$73,975
Denver, CO$73,967
Albany, NY$73,626
Troy, NY$73,597
Nassau, NY$73,520
Schenectady, NY$73,445
Wilmington, DE$73,387
Burlington, VT$73,285
Salem, OR$73,256
Portland, ME$73,031
Yakima, WA$72,959
Rochester, MN$72,734
Reno, NV$72,698
Fresno, CA$72,698
Milwaukee, WI$72,632
Detroit, MI$72,560
Ann Arbor, MI$72,548
Allentown, PA$72,538
Colorado Springs, CO$72,415
Syracuse, NY$72,378
Carson City, NV$72,378
Houston, TX$72,277
Eugene, OR$72,241
Gary, IN$72,154
Springfield, OR$72,096
Bismarck, ND$72,081
Galveston, TX$72,030
Medford, OR$71,921
Fort Collins, CO$71,892
Concord, NH$71,856
Austin, TX$71,834
Mesa, AZ$71,682
Reading, PA$71,675
Phoenix, AZ$71,667
Dallas, TX$71,646
Saint Cloud, MN$71,576
Madison, WI$71,479
Utica, NY$71,283
Rochester, NY$71,167
Des Moines, IA$71,160
Raleigh, NC$71,152
Atlanta, GA$71,044
Battle Creek, MI$71,022
Salt Lake City, UT$71,000
Lancaster, PA$70,891
Harrisburg, PA$70,790
Kansas City, MO$70,717
Champaign, IL$70,703
Kansas City, KS$70,703
Fort Worth, TX$70,695
Columbus, OH$70,683
Boca Raton, FL$70,666
Pittsburgh, PA$70,637
Richmond, VA$70,608
Indianapolis, IN$70,594
Cleveland, OH$70,586
Las Vegas, NV$70,499
Cincinnati, OH$70,499
Petersburg, VA$70,391
Huntsville, AL$70,282
Lansing, MI$70,233
Lebanon, PA$70,224
Pueblo, CO$70,216
Appleton, WI$70,195
Buffalo, NY$70,166
Dayton, OH$70,144
Racine, WI$70,129
Charlotte, NC$70,122
Saint Louis, MO$70,100
York, PA$70,057
Elkhart, IN$70,057
Gastonia, NC$70,043
Billings, MT$70,026
Beaumont, TX$70,006
Lorain, OH$69,991
Benton Harbor, MI$69,977
Toledo, OH$69,962
Binghamton, NY$69,926
Rock Hill, SC$69,919
Rockford, IL$69,883
Springfield, IL$69,854
Elyria, OH$69,846
Fargo, ND$69,846
Flagstaff, AZ$69,796
Fort Lauderdale, FL$69,752
Duluth, MN$69,709
Miami, FL$69,709
Cheyenne, WY$69,658
Grand Forks, ND$69,658
Bangor, ME$69,498
Cedar Rapids, IA$69,418
Durham, NC$69,388
Louisville, KY$69,382
Grand Rapids, MI$69,368
Hialeah, FL$69,360
Casper, WY$69,259
Scranton, PA$69,172
New Orleans, LA$69,150
Virginia Beach, VA$69,143
Akron, OH$69,106
Peoria, IL$69,012
Sarasota, FL$68,998
Nashville, TN$68,947
Omaha, NE$68,947
Green Bay, WI$68,947
Baton Rouge, LA$68,910
Charleston, SC$68,896
Jamestown, NY$68,860
Davenport, IA$68,860
Tucson, AZ$68,823
Saint Petersburg, FL$68,780
Tampa, FL$68,765
Evansville, IN$68,722
Port Arthur, TX$68,722
Bradenton, FL$68,693
Santa Fe, NM$68,562
Orlando, FL$68,432
Clearwater, FL$68,410
Canton, OH$68,257
La Crosse, WI$68,257
Albuquerque, NM$68,214
Newport News, VA$68,207
High Point, NC$68,185
Ogden, UT$68,156
Corpus Christi, TX$68,098
Norfolk, VA$68,054
Laramie, WY$68,054
Rock Island, IL$68,011
Saginaw, MI$67,996
Jacksonville, FL$67,989
Salisbury, NC$67,975
Boise, ID$67,960
Moline, IL$67,924
Fort Myers, FL$67,902
Memphis, TN$67,887
Tulsa, OK$67,851
Waterloo, IA$67,808
Spartanburg, SC$67,735
Lincoln, NE$67,699
Fort Wayne, IN$67,684
Provo, UT$67,677
Cedar Falls, IA$67,590
San Antonio, TX$67,561
Greensboro, NC$67,532
South Bend, IN$67,525
Savannah, GA$67,445
Muskegon, MI$67,416
Birmingham, AL$67,409
Winston Salem, NC$67,373
Lake Charles, LA$67,198
Anderson, IN$67,184
Lexington, KY$67,162
Augusta, GA$67,140
Greenville, SC$67,140
Lima, OH$67,082
Wichita, KS$67,075
Tuscaloosa, AL$67,075
Columbia, SC$67,010
Springfield, OH$66,995
Asheville, NC$66,879
Bloomington, IN$66,828
Knoxville, TN$66,567
Shreveport, LA$66,560
Wilmington, NC$66,465
Roanoke, VA$66,465
Topeka, KS$66,335
Frankfort, KY$66,327
Oklahoma City, OK$66,277
Chillicothe, OH$66,248
Longview, TX$66,241
Melbourne, FL$66,233
Sioux Falls, SD$66,117
Mobile, AL$66,110
Terre Haute, IN$66,081
Altoona, PA$66,037
Amarillo, TX$65,987
Killeen, TX$65,965
Fayetteville, AR$65,907
Chattanooga, TN$65,885
Sioux City, IA$65,820
Idaho Falls, ID$65,805
Lynchburg, VA$65,747
Gainesville, FL$65,653
Portsmouth, OH$65,617
Little Rock, AR$65,602
Lafayette, LA$65,573
Youngstown, OH$65,573
Daytona Beach, FL$65,530
Clarksville, TN$65,522
Pensacola, FL$65,515
Temple, TX$65,510
Hopkinsville, KY$65,297
Erie, PA$65,283
Florence, SC$65,254
Charleston, WV$65,138
Great Falls, MT$65,101
Macon, GA$65,000
Tallahassee, FL$64,993
Fayetteville, NC$64,978
Waco, TX$64,964
Helena, MT$64,913
Pine Bluff, AR$64,885
Vincennes, IN$64,797
Lubbock, TX$64,768
Alamogordo, NM$64,724
Twin Falls, ID$64,659
Rapid City, SD$64,637
Jackson, MS$64,507
Huntington, WV$64,501
Greenville, MS$64,499
Parkersburg, WV$64,425
Montgomery, AL$64,412
Wichita Falls, TX$64,340
Springfield, MO$64,340
Biloxi, MS$64,303
Monroe, LA$64,231
Johnstown, PA$64,180
Sumter, SC$64,151
Columbus, GA$64,144
Pascagoula, MS$64,006
Abilene, TX$64,006
Kingsport, TN$63,817
Albany, GA$63,817
Gulfport, MS$63,796
Alexandria, LA$63,556
Fort Smith, AR$63,375
El Paso, TX$63,179
Las Cruces, NM$62,852
Harlingen, TX$62,668
Pocatello, ID$62,656
Florence, AL$62,562
Brownsville, TX$62,548
Mcallen, TX$62,395
Dothan, AL$62,294
Columbus, MS$61,863
Altus, OK$61,525
Lawton, OK$61,387
Pierre, SD$61,126
What Skills Can Increase a Software Quality Engineer's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 4.71% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Test Automation (Mentioned in 3.05% Job Postings): Leveraging automation tools to maintain test data, execute tests, and analyze test results to improve software quality.
Automated Testing (Mentioned in 1.76% Job Postings): Test automation is the use of software to control the execution of tests and the comparison of predicted to actual outcomes.
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 Engineer's salary.
Java: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Innovation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Software Development: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Software Quality Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Software Quality Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 110% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Pharmaceuticals
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average.
In contrast, Software Quality Engineer positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Software Quality Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Software Quality Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$108,829
$52.0
50%
Pharmaceuticals
$90,691
$44.0
25%
Financial Services
$87,063
$42.0
20%
Energy & Utilities
$83,435
$40.0
15%
Biotechnology
$79,808
$38.0
10%
How Education impacts a Software Quality Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Software Quality Engineers enter the field with a No Diploma 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 Software Quality Engineer with a No Diploma is between
$62,150
and $66,214).
Software Quality Engineer Salaries by Degree Level
Understanding how a Software Quality 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.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$66,928
Average$72,553/year
$77,409
$5,577
Average$6,046/month
$6,451
$1,287
Average$1,395/week
$1,489
$32
Average$35/hour
$37
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$77,409
$6,451
$1,489
$37
Average
$72,553
$6,046
$1,395
$35
25th Percentile
$66,928
$5,577
$1,287
$32
Salaries of Jobs related to Software Quality Engineer
Salaries for a Software Quality Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $70,256 in 2023
to around $69,342 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Software Quality Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Software Quality Engineer Over Time
$???
$70,256
$69,929
$69,342
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$70,256
2024
$69,929
2025
$69,342
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Software Quality Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Software Quality Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Software Quality Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Software Quality Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Software Quality Engineer?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Software Quality Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.
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.
