Software Quality Tester Salary in the United States
How much does a Software Quality Tester make in the United States?
As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Software Quality Tester in the United States is $46,910 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $23.
However, a Software Quality Tester's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $58,226
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $41,385 to $52,833
Key Factors That Influence Software Quality Tester Salaries
A Software Quality Tester'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 Software Quality Tester Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Software Quality Tester'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 Tester 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 Testers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $51,939.
California: $51,742.
Massachusetts: $51,052.
District of Columbia$51,939
California$51,742
Massachusetts$51,052
Washington$50,865
New Jersey$50,846
Alaska$50,780
Connecticut$50,133
New York$49,870
Hawaii$49,030
Rhode Island$48,636
Maryland$48,369
Minnesota$48,003
Colorado$47,862
Illinois$47,815
Oregon$47,637
Delaware$47,506
New Hampshire$47,423
Virginia$47,238
Pennsylvania$46,699
Nevada$46,427
North Dakota$46,338
Michigan$46,197
Wisconsin$46,145
Vermont$46,042
Texas$45,756
Maine$45,737
Arizona$45,709
Ohio$45,676
Georgia$45,245
Indiana$45,029
Wyoming$44,987
Utah$44,921
Iowa$44,893
Kansas$44,668
Louisiana$44,602
North Carolina$44,579
Missouri$44,569
Florida$44,386
Montana$44,288
Nebraska$44,194
Kentucky$44,142
South Carolina$43,955
Tennessee$43,837
Idaho$43,790
New Mexico$43,448
Oklahoma$43,373
Alabama$43,096
South Dakota$42,632
Arkansas$42,378
West Virginia$42,242
Mississippi$41,834
Top Paying Cities for Software Quality Testers
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: $59,168
San Francisco: $58,520
Oakland: $57,286
San Jose, CA$59,168
San Francisco, CA$58,520
Oakland, CA$57,286
New York, NY$54,012
Paramus, NJ$53,355
Queens Village, NY$53,353
Passaic, NJ$53,308
Bergenfield, NJ$53,304
Stamford, CT$53,201
Huntington, NY$53,181
Newark, NJ$52,835
Bridgeport, CT$52,736
Vallejo, CA$52,642
New Brunswick, NJ$52,624
Petaluma, CA$52,595
Middlesex, NJ$52,506
Somerset, NJ$52,474
Santa Cruz, CA$52,413
Boston, MA$52,126
Monterey, CA$51,962
Seattle, WA$51,854
Santa Rosa, CA$51,845
Los Angeles, CA$51,831
Juneau, AK$51,709
Washington, DC$51,657
Orange, CA$51,490
Santa Ana, CA$51,366
Long Beach, CA$51,320
Anaheim, CA$51,310
Anchorage, AK$51,287
Santa Maria, CA$51,146
Everett, WA$51,137
Danbury, CT$50,971
Bremerton, WA$50,907
Tacoma, WA$50,738
New Suffolk, NY$50,737
Sacramento, CA$50,724
Santa Barbara, CA$50,672
Trenton, NJ$50,621
San Diego, CA$50,621
Brockton, MA$50,569
Fairbanks, AK$50,454
Lompoc, CA$50,334
Lowell, MA$50,296
Ventura, CA$50,288
Nashua, NH$50,278
Stockton, CA$50,273
Modesto, CA$49,931
Poughkeepsie, NY$49,828
Olympia, WA$49,739
Kennewick, WA$49,739
New Haven, CT$49,720
Lawrence, MA$49,551
Hartford, CT$49,504
Riverside, CA$49,495
New Bedford, MA$49,448
Richland, WA$49,448
Bakersfield, CA$49,382
San Bernardino, CA$49,363
New Britain, CT$49,359
Atlantic City, NJ$49,359
New London, CT$49,340
Norwich, CT$49,326
Portsmouth, NH$49,316
Boulder, CO$49,217
Portland, OR$49,152
Worcester, MA$49,148
Minneapolis, MN$49,002
Philadelphia, PA$48,937
Honolulu, HI$48,782
Saint Paul, MN$48,759
Vineland, NJ$48,749
Providence, RI$48,613
Chicago, IL$48,477
Bellingham, WA$48,421
Springfield, MA$48,383
Baltimore, MD$48,369
Chico, CA$48,252
Pittsfield, MA$48,125
Manchester, NH$48,036
Spokane, WA$47,829
Denver, CO$47,825
Albany, NY$47,604
Troy, NY$47,586
Nassau, NY$47,535
Schenectady, NY$47,487
Wilmington, DE$47,449
Burlington, VT$47,384
Salem, OR$47,365
Portland, ME$47,220
Yakima, WA$47,173
Rochester, MN$47,027
Reno, NV$47,004
Fresno, CA$47,004
Milwaukee, WI$46,962
Detroit, MI$46,915
Ann Arbor, MI$46,907
Allentown, PA$46,901
Colorado Springs, CO$46,821
Syracuse, NY$46,797
Carson City, NV$46,797
Houston, TX$46,732
Eugene, OR$46,708
Gary, IN$46,652
Springfield, OR$46,614
Bismarck, ND$46,605
Galveston, TX$46,572
Medford, OR$46,502
Fort Collins, CO$46,483
Concord, NH$46,460
Austin, TX$46,446
Mesa, AZ$46,347
Reading, PA$46,342
Phoenix, AZ$46,338
Dallas, TX$46,324
Saint Cloud, MN$46,279
Madison, WI$46,216
Utica, NY$46,089
Rochester, NY$46,014
Des Moines, IA$46,009
Raleigh, NC$46,005
Atlanta, GA$45,934
Battle Creek, MI$45,920
Salt Lake City, UT$45,906
Lancaster, PA$45,836
Harrisburg, PA$45,770
Kansas City, MO$45,723
Champaign, IL$45,714
Kansas City, KS$45,714
Fort Worth, TX$45,709
Columbus, OH$45,701
Boca Raton, FL$45,690
Pittsburgh, PA$45,672
Richmond, VA$45,653
Indianapolis, IN$45,643
Cleveland, OH$45,639
Las Vegas, NV$45,582
Cincinnati, OH$45,582
Petersburg, VA$45,512
Huntsville, AL$45,442
Lansing, MI$45,410
Lebanon, PA$45,404
Pueblo, CO$45,399
Appleton, WI$45,385
Buffalo, NY$45,367
Dayton, OH$45,353
Racine, WI$45,343
Charlotte, NC$45,339
Saint Louis, MO$45,324
York, PA$45,296
Elkhart, IN$45,296
Gastonia, NC$45,287
Billings, MT$45,276
Beaumont, TX$45,263
Lorain, OH$45,254
Benton Harbor, MI$45,245
Toledo, OH$45,235
Binghamton, NY$45,212
Rock Hill, SC$45,207
Rockford, IL$45,184
Springfield, IL$45,165
Elyria, OH$45,160
Fargo, ND$45,160
Flagstaff, AZ$45,127
Fort Lauderdale, FL$45,099
Duluth, MN$45,071
Miami, FL$45,071
Cheyenne, WY$45,038
Grand Forks, ND$45,038
Bangor, ME$44,935
Cedar Rapids, IA$44,883
Durham, NC$44,864
Louisville, KY$44,860
Grand Rapids, MI$44,851
Hialeah, FL$44,846
Casper, WY$44,780
Scranton, PA$44,724
New Orleans, LA$44,710
Virginia Beach, VA$44,705
Akron, OH$44,682
Peoria, IL$44,621
Sarasota, FL$44,611
Nashville, TN$44,579
Omaha, NE$44,579
Green Bay, WI$44,579
Baton Rouge, LA$44,555
Charleston, SC$44,546
Jamestown, NY$44,522
Davenport, IA$44,522
Tucson, AZ$44,499
Saint Petersburg, FL$44,471
Tampa, FL$44,461
Evansville, IN$44,433
Port Arthur, TX$44,433
Bradenton, FL$44,414
Santa Fe, NM$44,330
Orlando, FL$44,246
Clearwater, FL$44,231
Canton, OH$44,133
La Crosse, WI$44,133
Albuquerque, NM$44,105
Newport News, VA$44,100
High Point, NC$44,086
Ogden, UT$44,067
Corpus Christi, TX$44,030
Norfolk, VA$44,002
Laramie, WY$44,002
Rock Island, IL$43,973
Saginaw, MI$43,964
Jacksonville, FL$43,959
Salisbury, NC$43,950
Boise, ID$43,941
Moline, IL$43,917
Fort Myers, FL$43,903
Memphis, TN$43,894
Tulsa, OK$43,870
Waterloo, IA$43,842
Spartanburg, SC$43,795
Lincoln, NE$43,772
Fort Wayne, IN$43,762
Provo, UT$43,758
Cedar Falls, IA$43,701
San Antonio, TX$43,683
Greensboro, NC$43,664
South Bend, IN$43,659
Savannah, GA$43,608
Muskegon, MI$43,589
Birmingham, AL$43,584
Winston Salem, NC$43,561
Lake Charles, LA$43,448
Anderson, IN$43,439
Lexington, KY$43,425
Augusta, GA$43,411
Greenville, SC$43,411
Lima, OH$43,373
Wichita, KS$43,368
Tuscaloosa, AL$43,368
Columbia, SC$43,326
Springfield, OH$43,317
Asheville, NC$43,242
Bloomington, IN$43,209
Knoxville, TN$43,040
Shreveport, LA$43,035
Wilmington, NC$42,974
Roanoke, VA$42,974
Topeka, KS$42,890
Frankfort, KY$42,885
Oklahoma City, OK$42,852
Chillicothe, OH$42,834
Longview, TX$42,829
Melbourne, FL$42,824
Sioux Falls, SD$42,749
Mobile, AL$42,744
Terre Haute, IN$42,726
Altoona, PA$42,697
Amarillo, TX$42,665
Killeen, TX$42,651
Fayetteville, AR$42,613
Chattanooga, TN$42,599
Sioux City, IA$42,557
Idaho Falls, ID$42,547
Lynchburg, VA$42,510
Gainesville, FL$42,449
Portsmouth, OH$42,425
Little Rock, AR$42,416
Lafayette, LA$42,397
Youngstown, OH$42,397
Daytona Beach, FL$42,369
Clarksville, TN$42,364
Pensacola, FL$42,360
Temple, TX$42,356
Hopkinsville, KY$42,219
Erie, PA$42,210
Florence, SC$42,191
Charleston, WV$42,116
Great Falls, MT$42,092
Macon, GA$42,027
Tallahassee, FL$42,022
Fayetteville, NC$42,013
Waco, TX$42,003
Helena, MT$41,970
Pine Bluff, AR$41,953
Vincennes, IN$41,895
Lubbock, TX$41,877
Alamogordo, NM$41,848
Twin Falls, ID$41,806
Rapid City, SD$41,792
Jackson, MS$41,708
Huntington, WV$41,704
Greenville, MS$41,703
Parkersburg, WV$41,655
Montgomery, AL$41,647
Wichita Falls, TX$41,600
Springfield, MO$41,600
Biloxi, MS$41,576
Monroe, LA$41,529
Johnstown, PA$41,497
Sumter, SC$41,478
Columbus, GA$41,473
Pascagoula, MS$41,384
Abilene, TX$41,384
Kingsport, TN$41,262
Albany, GA$41,262
Gulfport, MS$41,248
Alexandria, LA$41,093
Fort Smith, AR$40,976
El Paso, TX$40,849
Las Cruces, NM$40,638
Harlingen, TX$40,519
Pocatello, ID$40,511
Florence, AL$40,450
Brownsville, TX$40,441
Mcallen, TX$40,343
Dothan, AL$40,277
Columbus, MS$39,998
Altus, OK$39,780
Lawton, OK$39,691
Pierre, SD$39,522
What Skills Can Increase a Software Quality Tester's Salary?
Demanded Skills for the Role:
Analysis (Mentioned in 5.23% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Computer Science (Mentioned in 3.9% Job Postings): Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines.
Python (Mentioned in 2.13% Job Postings): Applying the concepts and algorithms of Python to design, develop and maintain software applications to comply with business requirements.
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 Tester's salary.
Debugging: Can increase your salary by up to 21%.
Android: Can increase your salary by up to 20%.
Time Management: Can increase your salary by up to 18%.
Software Quality Tester Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Software Quality Tester roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Healthcare and Biotechnology
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average.
In contrast, Software Quality Tester positions in Internet or Transportation typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Software Quality Tester as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Software Quality Tester
Understanding how a Software Quality Tester'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
$41,385
Average$46,910/year
$52,833
$3,449
Average$3,909/month
$4,403
$796
Average$902/week
$1,016
$20
Average$23/hour
$25
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$52,833
$4,403
$1,016
$25
Average
$46,910
$3,909
$902
$23
25th Percentile
$41,385
$3,449
$796
$20
Salaries of Jobs related to Software Quality Tester
Quality Tester$100,981
Software Tester$79,203
Software Quality Manual Tester IV$72,790
Software Quality Assurance Tester IV$72,707
Software Quality Manual Tester III$64,790
Software Quality Assurance Tester III$64,704
Software Quality Manual Tester II$54,290
Software Quality Assurance Tester II$54,246
Software Quality Assurance Tester$48,426
Software Quality Manual Tester I$47,890
Software Quality Assurance Tester I$47,828
Salary Trends for Software Quality Tester
Salaries for a Software Quality Tester can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $47,953 in 2023
to around $47,733 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Software Quality Tester salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Software Quality Tester Over Time
$???
$47,953
$48,105
$47,733
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$47,953
2024
$48,105
2025
$47,733
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Software Quality Tester
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Software Quality Tester
Here are companies hiring for Software Quality Tester 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 Tester
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Software Quality Tester?
The Healthcare industry offers the highest average compensation for Software Quality Tester roles,
with salaries approximately 20% 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.
