What are the main factors that influence a System Tester's salary?

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

How does experience change A System Tester's salary?

A System Tester's salary grows with experience: a Software Quality Assurance Tester I (0-1 years)earns $48,522, a System Tester (1-3 years)earns $55,038, a Software Quality Assurance Tester III (3-5 years)earns $65,671, a Software Quality Assurance Tester IV (5-7 years)earns $73,815, a Software Quality Assurance Supervisor (7+ years)earns $122,459,

What are the highest paying states for a System Tester?

System Tester salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for System Tester roles are District of Columbia $61,610, California $61,376, Massachusetts $60,558. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of System Tester roles make?

Salaries for System Tester level roles vary by specialization: Bed Tester: $93,609; Penetration Tester: $88,589; Application Tester: $73,890; Automation Tester: $69,264; Drug Tester: $64,948.

How do different companies affect a System Tester's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for System Tester 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.

System Tester Salary in the United States

How much does a System Tester make in the United States?

As of April 01, 2026, the average salary for a System Tester in the United States is $55,645 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $27.

However, a System Tester's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,402
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $48,886 to $63,893
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $42,732

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System Tester Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$63,893	$5,324	$1,229	$31
Average	$55,645	$4,637	$1,070	$27
25th Percentile	$48,886	$4,074	$940	$24

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Key Factors That Influence System Tester Salaries

A System 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 System Tester Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a System 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:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $48,522
Early Career (1-2 years): $55,038
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $65,671
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $73,815
Expert (over 8 years): $122,459

Levels	Salary
Software ... Level System Tester	$48,522
System Te... Level System Tester	$55,038
Software ... Level System Tester	$65,671
Software ... Level System Tester	$73,815
Software ... Level System Tester	$122,459

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What Am I Worth?

How Do System 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 System Testers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $61,610.
California: $61,376.
Massachusetts: $60,558.

District of Columbia $61,610

California $61,376

Massachusetts $60,558

Washington $60,336

New Jersey $60,313

Alaska $60,235

Connecticut $59,468

New York $59,156

Hawaii $58,160

Rhode Island $57,693

Maryland $57,375

Minnesota $56,941

Colorado $56,774

Illinois $56,719

Oregon $56,507

Delaware $56,351

New Hampshire $56,254

Virginia $56,034

Pennsylvania $55,394

Nevada $55,072

North Dakota $54,966

Michigan $54,799

Wisconsin $54,738

Vermont $54,615

Texas $54,276

Maine $54,254

Arizona $54,220

Ohio $54,181

Georgia $53,669

Indiana $53,413

Wyoming $53,363

Utah $53,285

Iowa $53,252

Kansas $52,985

Louisiana $52,907

North Carolina $52,879

Missouri $52,868

Florida $52,651

Montana $52,534

Nebraska $52,423

Kentucky $52,362

South Carolina $52,139

Tennessee $52,000

Idaho $51,944

New Mexico $51,538

Oklahoma $51,449

Alabama $51,121

South Dakota $50,570

Arkansas $50,270

West Virginia $50,108

Mississippi $49,624

Top Paying Cities for System 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: $70,185
San Francisco: $69,495
Oakland: $67,953

San Jose, CA $70,185

San Francisco, CA $69,495

Oakland, CA $67,953

New York, NY $64,487

Queens Village, NY $64,069

Paramus, NJ $63,624

Passaic, NJ $63,569

Bergenfield, NJ $63,513

Stamford, CT $63,430

Huntington, NY $63,374

Newark, NJ $63,012

Bridgeport, CT $62,901

New Brunswick, NJ $62,717

Vallejo, CA $62,600

Middlesex, NJ $62,567

Somerset, NJ $62,517

Petaluma, CA $62,389

Santa Cruz, CA $62,172

Boston, MA $62,061

Monterey, CA $61,782

Fairbanks, AK $61,743

Los Angeles, CA $61,638

Washington, DC $61,610

Seattle, WA $61,510

Santa Rosa, CA $61,499

Juneau, AK $61,337

Orange, CA $61,154

Anchorage, AK $61,053

Anaheim, CA $61,015

Santa Ana, CA $60,931

Nassau, NY $60,898

Long Beach, CA $60,875

Danbury, CT $60,859

Santa Maria, CA $60,670

Everett, WA $60,658

Bremerton, WA $60,386

Trenton, NJ $60,280

Sacramento, CA $60,258

San Diego, CA $60,230

Brockton, MA $60,208

Tacoma, WA $60,185

Santa Barbara, CA $60,108

Lowell, MA $59,885

New Suffolk, NY $59,863

Nashua, NH $59,796

Lompoc, CA $59,707

Ventura, CA $59,651

Stockton, CA $59,635

New Haven, CT $59,523

Atlantic City, NJ $59,379

Hartford, CT $59,256

Modesto, CA $59,228

Poughkeepsie, NY $59,106

New Britain, CT $59,078

Olympia, WA $59,000

Kennewick, WA $59,000

New London, CT $58,989

Norwich, CT $58,972

Lawrence, MA $58,945

Bakersfield, CA $58,789

Riverside, CA $58,711

New Bedford, MA $58,711

Richland, WA $58,655

Portsmouth, NH $58,611

Vineland, NJ $58,600

San Bernardino, CA $58,555

Boulder, CO $58,399

Worcester, MA $58,355

Portland, OR $58,305

Saint Paul, MN $58,238

Minneapolis, MN $58,238

Philadelphia, PA $58,160

Honolulu, HI $57,865

Springfield, MA $57,670

Providence, RI $57,665

Chicago, IL $57,503

Bellingham, WA $57,437

Baltimore, MD $57,375

Chico, CA $57,236

Wilmington, DE $57,142

Pittsfield, MA $57,086

Manchester, NH $56,980

Spokane, WA $56,735

Denver, CO $56,730

Albany, NY $56,468

Troy, NY $56,446

Schenectady, NY $56,329

Burlington, VT $56,207

Portland, ME $56,012

Salem, OR $55,968

Yakima, WA $55,956

Ann Arbor, MI $55,940

Rochester, MN $55,784

Fresno, CA $55,756

Reno, NV $55,756

Milwaukee, WI $55,706

Detroit, MI $55,650

Allentown, PA $55,634

Carson City, NV $55,628

Houston, TX $55,545

Colorado Springs, CO $55,539

Syracuse, NY $55,511

Eugene, OR $55,406

Bismarck, ND $55,339

Gary, IN $55,339

Galveston, TX $55,339

Springfield, OR $55,294

Medford, OR $55,161

Fort Collins, CO $55,138

Austin, TX $55,094

Mesa, AZ $54,977

Phoenix, AZ $54,966

Dallas, TX $54,949

Reading, PA $54,916

Saint Cloud, MN $54,894

Concord, NH $54,844

Madison, WI $54,821

Utica, NY $54,671

Raleigh, NC $54,627

Las Vegas, NV $54,621

Rochester, NY $54,582

Des Moines, IA $54,576

Atlanta, GA $54,487

Battle Creek, MI $54,471

Salt Lake City, UT $54,454

Lancaster, PA $54,371

Champaign, IL $54,359

Harrisburg, PA $54,293

Durham, NC $54,243

Kansas City, MO $54,237

Kansas City, KS $54,226

Fort Worth, TX $54,220

Boca Raton, FL $54,198

Cleveland, OH $54,192

Columbus, OH $54,181

Pittsburgh, PA $54,176

Richmond, VA $54,154

Indianapolis, IN $54,142

Cincinnati, OH $54,070

Petersburg, VA $53,987

Billings, MT $53,864

Lansing, MI $53,864

Huntsville, AL $53,864

Lebanon, PA $53,859

Dayton, OH $53,853

Pueblo, CO $53,853

Appleton, WI $53,836

Buffalo, NY $53,814

Racine, WI $53,786

Charlotte, NC $53,781

Saint Louis, MO $53,764

Springfield, IL $53,742

Elkhart, IN $53,731

York, PA $53,731

Gastonia, NC $53,725

Benton Harbor, MI $53,725

Beaumont, TX $53,692

Lorain, OH $53,681

Toledo, OH $53,658

Binghamton, NY $53,630

Rock Hill, SC $53,625

Rockford, IL $53,597

Fargo, ND $53,569

Elyria, OH $53,569

Flagstaff, AZ $53,530

Fort Lauderdale, FL $53,497

Miami, FL $53,464

Duluth, MN $53,374

Bangor, ME $53,302

Cedar Rapids, IA $53,241

Louisville, KY $53,213

Grand Rapids, MI $53,202

Hialeah, FL $53,196

Casper, WY $53,119

Scranton, PA $53,052

New Orleans, LA $53,035

Virginia Beach, VA $53,029

Akron, OH $53,002

Peoria, IL $52,929

Sarasota, FL $52,918

Green Bay, WI $52,879

Baton Rouge, LA $52,851

Charleston, SC $52,840

Nashville, TN $52,824

Jamestown, NY $52,812

Davenport, IA $52,812

Tucson, AZ $52,785

Cheyenne, WY $52,768

Saint Petersburg, FL $52,751

Tampa, FL $52,740

Omaha, NE $52,729

Port Arthur, TX $52,707

Evansville, IN $52,707

Bradenton, FL $52,684

Santa Fe, NM $52,584

Orlando, FL $52,529

Clearwater, FL $52,467

Canton, OH $52,351

La Crosse, WI $52,351

Grand Forks, ND $52,334

Albuquerque, NM $52,317

Tulsa, OK $52,317

Newport News, VA $52,312

High Point, NC $52,295

Ogden, UT $52,273

Corpus Christi, TX $52,228

Laramie, WY $52,195

Norfolk, VA $52,195

Rock Island, IL $52,161

Saginaw, MI $52,150

Jacksonville, FL $52,145

Salisbury, NC $52,134

Memphis, TN $52,122

Moline, IL $52,095

Fort Myers, FL $52,078

Waterloo, IA $52,006

Spartanburg, SC $51,950

Lincoln, NE $51,922

Fort Wayne, IN $51,911

Birmingham, AL $51,850

Cedar Falls, IA $51,839

Provo, UT $51,833

Springfield, OH $51,828

San Antonio, TX $51,816

Greensboro, NC $51,794

South Bend, IN $51,789

Winston Salem, NC $51,783

Boise, ID $51,766

Savannah, GA $51,727

Muskegon, MI $51,627

Lima, OH $51,560

Lake Charles, LA $51,538

Anderson, IN $51,527

Lexington, KY $51,510

Augusta, GA $51,494

Greenville, SC $51,494

Wichita, KS $51,444

Tuscaloosa, AL $51,444

Columbia, SC $51,394

Bloomington, IN $51,254

Roanoke, VA $51,221

Asheville, NC $51,149

Knoxville, TN $51,054

Shreveport, LA $51,049

Wilmington, NC $50,976

Frankfort, KY $50,870

Oklahoma City, OK $50,832

Chillicothe, OH $50,809

Longview, TX $50,804

Topeka, KS $50,787

Mobile, AL $50,704

Terre Haute, IN $50,681

Erie, PA $50,676

Altoona, PA $50,648

Melbourne, FL $50,631

Amarillo, TX $50,609

Killeen, TX $50,592

Fayetteville, AR $50,548

Sioux Falls, SD $50,509

Chattanooga, TN $50,475

Idaho Falls, ID $50,470

Gainesville, FL $50,353

Portsmouth, OH $50,325

Little Rock, AR $50,314

Lynchburg, VA $50,314

Lafayette, LA $50,292

Youngstown, OH $50,292

Temple, TX $50,270

Daytona Beach, FL $50,258

Clarksville, TN $50,253

Pensacola, FL $50,247

Hopkinsville, KY $50,080

Charleston, WV $50,075

Florence, SC $50,047

Sioux City, IA $50,014

Macon, GA $49,852

Tallahassee, FL $49,847

Fayetteville, NC $49,835

Waco, TX $49,824

Wichita Falls, TX $49,824

Pine Bluff, AR $49,802

Vincennes, IN $49,696

Lubbock, TX $49,674

Great Falls, MT $49,641

Alamogordo, NM $49,635

Abilene, TX $49,591

Rapid City, SD $49,518

Monroe, LA $49,518

Albany, GA $49,485

Huntington, WV $49,479

Jackson, MS $49,474

Greenville, MS $49,468

Parkersburg, WV $49,413

Montgomery, AL $49,401

Johnstown, PA $49,390

Springfield, MO $49,346

Biloxi, MS $49,318

Sumter, SC $49,201

Columbus, GA $49,196

Twin Falls, ID $49,162

Pascagoula, MS $49,090

Kingsport, TN $48,945

Gulfport, MS $48,928

Alexandria, LA $48,745

Fort Smith, AR $48,606

El Paso, TX $48,455

Helena, MT $48,383

Las Cruces, NM $48,205

Harlingen, TX $48,049

Pocatello, ID $47,999

Florence, AL $47,983

Brownsville, TX $47,971

Dothan, AL $47,882

Mcallen, TX $47,855

Columbus, MS $47,443

Altus, OK $47,187

Lawton, OK $47,081

Pierre, SD $46,881

What Skills Can Increase a System Tester's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 6.51% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Software Testing (Mentioned in 2.91% 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.
Software Development (Mentioned in 2.27% Job Postings): Software development is the process of conceiving, specifying, designing, programming, documenting, testing, and bug fixing involved in creating and maintaining applications, frameworks, or other software components. Software development is a process of writing and maintaining the source code, but in a broader sense, it includes all that is involved between the conception of the desired software through to the final manifestation of the software, sometimes in a planned and structured process. Therefore, software development may include research, new development, prototyping, modification, reuse, re-engineering, maintenance, or any other activities that result in software products. Software can be developed for a variety of purposes, the three most common being to meet specific needs of a specific client/business (the case with custom software), to meet a perceived need of some set of potential users (the case with commercial and open source software), or for personal use (e.g. a scientist may write software to automate a mundane task). Embedded software development, that is, the development of embedded software, such as used for controlling consumer products, requires the development process to be integrated with the development of the controlled physical product. System software underlies applications and the programming process itself, and is often developed separately.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	6.51%
Software Testing	2.91%
Software Development	2.27%

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 System Tester's salary.

IDEA: Can increase your salary by up to 11%.
Social Engineering: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Penetration Testing: Can increase your salary by up to 8%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
IDEA	$61,766	11%
Social Engineering	$60,653	9%
Penetration Testing	$60,096	8%
Cybersecurity	$60,096	8%
Python	$59,540	7%
Software Development	$59,540	7%

Get Latest Data

System Tester Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a System 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.

Last Updated on April 01, 2026

$48,886

Average $55,645/year

$63,893

$4,074

Average $4,637/month

$5,324

$940

Average $1,070/week

$1,229

$24

Average $27/hour

$31

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$63,893	$5,324	$1,229	$31
Average	$55,645	$4,637	$1,070	$27
25th Percentile	$48,886	$4,074	$940	$24

Salaries of jobs related to System Tester

Salary Trends for System Tester

Salaries for a System Tester can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $56,978 in 2023 to around $58,026 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of System Tester salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of System Tester Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$56,978

2024

$58,359

2025

$58,026

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$56,978
2024	$58,359
2025	$58,026
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for System Tester

Social Security

401(k)

Disability

Healthcare

Pension

Time Off (days)

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