Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester Salary
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers earn a median $104,300 a year nationally. Computer and Mathematical Occupations
U.S. median
$104,300
$50.14 per hour
Range
$61,440 – $167,010
10th to 90th percentile
Employed
186,740
across the U.S.
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester take-home pay calculator
Starts at the national median. Pick your state to see your real paycheck.
Your take-home pay
$82,205
per year · effective tax rate 21.2%
$6,850Monthly
$3,425Twice a month
$3,162Every 2 weeks
$39.52Hourly
- Federal income tax$14,116
- Social Security (6.2%)$6,467
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,512
- Texas income tax$0
- Take-home pay$82,205
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 0.00% state
Pay by experience
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home (no state tax) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $61,440 | $29.54 | $51,547 |
| 25th percentile | $80,310 | $38.61 | $65,328 |
| Median (50th) | $104,300 | $50.14 | $82,205 |
| 75th percentile | $133,180 | $64.03 | $102,295 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $167,010 | $80.29 | $125,417 |
Best cities for software quality assurance analysts and testers (after tax & cost of living)
| # | Metro area | Median | Take-home | Real value* | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose, CA | $166,530 | $111,667 | $101,126 | 6,480 |
| 2 | Boulder, CO | $136,410 | $99,209 | $94,303 | 500 |
| 3 | Colorado Springs, CO | $128,520 | $94,163 | $93,502 | 610 |
| 4 | Durham, NC | $122,980 | $90,925 | $93,187 | 950 |
| 5 | Baltimore, MD | $129,880 | $94,175 | $90,131 | 2,670 |
| 6 | Seattle, WA | $129,690 | $99,909 | $89,900 | 6,650 |
| 7 | Denver, CO | $123,690 | $91,074 | $86,096 | 3,620 |
| 8 | Raleigh, NC | $110,800 | $82,866 | $84,421 | 1,760 |
| 9 | Huntsville, AL | $105,610 | $78,111 | $83,925 | 850 |
| 10 | Cleveland, OH | $102,190 | $78,693 | $83,784 | 1,440 |
| 11 | New York, NY | $130,540 | $93,828 | $83,356 | 11,460 |
| 12 | Columbus, OH | $103,110 | $79,315 | $83,079 | 780 |
| 13 | Austin, TX | $103,070 | $81,340 | $82,944 | 3,340 |
| 14 | Palm Bay, FL | $105,000 | $82,698 | $82,693 | 460 |
| 15 | Washington, DC | $126,350 | $89,855 | $82,524 | 8,460 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $122,210 | $88,906 | $82,118 | 6,050 |
| 17 | Omaha, NE | $99,580 | $75,233 | $81,854 | 800 |
| 18 | Des Moines, IA | $98,190 | $74,827 | $81,599 | 440 |
| 19 | Orlando, FL | $104,250 | $82,170 | $81,021 | 1,940 |
| 20 | San Francisco, CA | $134,630 | $93,244 | $80,652 | 5,880 |
| 21 | San Antonio, TX | $95,990 | $76,359 | $80,619 | 1,010 |
| 22 | Richmond, VA | $106,300 | $78,314 | $80,028 | 720 |
| 23 | Virginia Beach, VA | $105,970 | $78,101 | $79,743 | 720 |
| 24 | Houston, TX | $98,690 | $78,258 | $79,346 | 2,420 |
| 25 | Dallas, TX | $103,210 | $81,438 | $78,997 | 8,840 |
*Take-home pay in U.S.-average dollars (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Highest-paying cities
- San Jose, CA — $166,530
- Boulder, CO — $136,410
- San Francisco, CA — $134,630
- New York, NY — $130,540
- Baltimore, MD — $129,880
- Seattle, WA — $129,690
- Colorado Springs, CO — $128,520
- Washington, DC — $126,350
- Denver, CO — $123,690
- Durham, NC — $122,980
- Boston, MA — $122,210
- Los Angeles, CA — $122,210
- San Diego, CA — $120,210
- Raleigh, NC — $110,800
- Portland, OR — $109,760
Software Quality Assurance Analyst and Tester salary by state
| State | Median | Take-home | Range | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $128,740 | $89,843 | $65,890 – $201,070 | 27,710 |
| Washington | $128,480 | $99,082 | $74,180 – $202,730 | 7,970 |
| Colorado | $123,690 | $91,074 | $79,780 – $172,930 | 5,110 |
| Massachusetts | $122,210 | $88,906 | $68,050 – $168,000 | 6,640 |
| Virginia | $121,590 | $88,191 | $78,820 – $169,200 | 10,160 |
| New York | $121,240 | $88,009 | $58,180 – $182,910 | 10,460 |
| New Jersey | $119,470 | $87,457 | $70,150 – $168,680 | 6,550 |
| New Mexico | $116,580 | $86,463 | $77,760 – $160,430 | 450 |
| Maryland | $111,100 | $82,064 | $77,270 – $171,810 | 5,880 |
| Oregon | $108,440 | $76,459 | $57,640 – $184,060 | 1,840 |
| New Hampshire | $107,100 | $84,175 | $56,190 – $160,190 | 770 |
| Delaware | $106,060 | $77,784 | $76,750 – $143,880 | 520 |
| Illinois | $104,910 | $77,586 | $65,480 – $150,620 | 6,530 |
| Montana | $103,930 | $77,434 | $50,380 – $170,620 | 150 |
| District of Columbia | $103,340 | $75,714 | $65,210 – $144,820 | 760 |
| Georgia | $103,040 | $76,594 | $68,130 – $141,760 | 7,110 |
| Hawaii | $102,930 | $74,949 | $76,370 – $130,860 | — |
| Texas | $101,850 | $80,481 | $59,010 – $153,380 | 19,590 |
| Rhode Island | $101,790 | $77,206 | $80,220 – $136,590 | 400 |
| Minnesota | $101,700 | $74,984 | $66,090 – $137,310 | 2,630 |
| Alabama | $101,500 | $75,425 | $62,670 – $162,600 | 1,760 |
| Arizona | $100,650 | $77,330 | $63,920 – $143,000 | 3,890 |
| North Carolina | $100,390 | $75,958 | $61,190 – $148,710 | 8,890 |
| Florida | $100,210 | $79,328 | $57,970 – $150,620 | 10,320 |
| Michigan | $98,720 | $74,335 | $52,460 – $135,830 | 3,480 |
| Nebraska | $98,010 | $74,200 | $64,750 – $131,490 | 1,240 |
| Ohio | $98,000 | $75,860 | $60,340 – $130,100 | 4,400 |
| Connecticut | $97,740 | $73,789 | $46,080 – $153,990 | 1,160 |
| South Carolina | $97,500 | $72,728 | $50,070 – $135,390 | 1,740 |
| Kansas | $94,490 | $70,831 | $57,050 – $133,590 | 1,140 |
| Pennsylvania | $93,030 | $71,421 | $58,970 – $133,120 | 4,530 |
| Tennessee | $91,040 | $72,877 | $61,580 – $125,760 | 1,530 |
| Wisconsin | $89,400 | $68,365 | $62,460 – $161,500 | 3,800 |
| Iowa | $88,590 | $68,438 | $55,640 – $126,290 | 1,000 |
| Indiana | $87,020 | $67,511 | $56,900 – $130,970 | 1,610 |
| Maine | $86,050 | $64,709 | $45,730 – $123,360 | 390 |
| Missouri | $85,530 | $65,918 | $55,030 – $141,350 | 2,930 |
| North Dakota | $83,920 | $67,490 | $63,060 – $106,000 | 200 |
| Utah | $82,100 | $63,859 | $45,960 – $134,940 | 2,600 |
| Mississippi | $79,890 | $62,569 | $45,770 – $126,740 | 350 |
| Kentucky | $79,100 | $61,826 | $44,290 – $128,340 | 890 |
| Oklahoma | $77,700 | $60,541 | $46,950 – $121,970 | 1,620 |
| Vermont | $76,580 | $60,110 | $60,480 – $144,890 | 170 |
| South Dakota | $68,120 | $56,752 | $47,670 – $104,840 | 220 |
| Louisiana | $66,810 | $54,213 | $36,890 – $115,330 | 450 |
| West Virginia | $62,300 | $50,170 | $37,050 – $127,210 | 390 |
Frequently asked questions
How much does a software quality assurance analyst and tester make?
The national median salary for software quality assurance analysts and testers is $104,300 a year ($50.14 an hour). The lowest-paid 10% earn under $61,440 and the top 10% earn over $167,010. Source: BLS, May 2025.
Which state pays software quality assurance analysts and testers the most?
California has the highest median pay at $128,740. After taxes and local prices, San Jose, CA offers the best real take-home pay of any metro area.
How many software quality assurance analysts and testers are there in the U.S.?
About 186,740 people work as software quality assurance analysts and testers nationwide.
All 54 cities
- Atlanta, GA
- Austin, TX
- Baltimore, MD
- Boston, MA
- Boulder, CO
- Charlotte, NC
- Chicago, IL
- Cincinnati, OH
- Cleveland, OH
- Colorado Springs, CO
- Columbus, OH
- Dallas, TX
- Denver, CO
- Des Moines, IA
- Detroit, MI
- Durham, NC
- Hartford, CT
- Houston, TX
- Huntsville, AL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Kansas City, MO
- Los Angeles, CA
- Madison, WI
- Miami, FL
- Milwaukee, WI
- Minneapolis, MN
- New York, NY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Omaha, NE
- Orlando, FL
- Palm Bay, FL
- Philadelphia, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Portland, OR
- Providence, RI
- Provo, UT
- Raleigh, NC
- Richmond, VA
- Riverside, CA
- Rochester, NY
- Sacramento, CA
- Salt Lake City, UT
- San Antonio, TX
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
- St. Louis, MO
- Tampa, FL
- Trenton, NJ
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Washington, DC