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Manual tester salary
Average manual tester salary
$81,680
Average Manual Tester Salary
The average salary for a manual tester is approximately $81,680 annually, translating to about $39 per hour. Experience plays a significant role in determining earnings, with entry-level positions starting lower while seasoned testers command higher salaries.
Factors Influencing Salary
Several factors impact the salary of manual testers, including:
- Location: Salaries can vary widely based on geographic area, with urban centers typically offering higher pay.
- Experience: More experienced testers usually earn more, reflecting their advanced skills and expertise.
- Industry: Testers in specialized fields, such as finance or healthcare, may find higher compensation due to industry demand.
Salary by State
Manual testers in states like California and New York often report higher salaries compared to those in less populated areas. Understanding the salary trends by state can help you make strategic career decisions.
Career Opportunities
As the demand for software quality assurance grows, opportunities for manual testers continue to expand. Positions may include roles in software companies, tech startups, and various industries requiring rigorous testing processes.
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Where can a Manual Tester earn more?
Average manual tester salary by state
The average manual tester salary in Washington, Oregon, and Delaware are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average manual tester salary states are Indiana, Colorado, and Iowa.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for manual testers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $97,147 | $46.71 |
| 2 | Oregon | $96,902 | $46.59 |
| 3 | Utah | $88,092 | $42.35 |
| 4 | Delaware | $96,216 | $46.26 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | $92,924 | $44.67 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $87,469 | $42.05 |
| 7 | California | $95,052 | $45.70 |
| 8 | Virginia | $89,061 | $42.82 |
| 9 | Nevada | $90,201 | $43.37 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $81,285 | $39.08 |
| 11 | Vermont | $81,693 | $39.28 |
| 12 | Maryland | $86,258 | $41.47 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $84,885 | $40.81 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | $85,705 | $41.20 |
| 15 | New Jersey | $87,110 | $41.88 |
| 16 | North Carolina | $79,887 | $38.41 |
| 17 | Montana | $79,905 | $38.42 |
| 18 | Idaho | $81,742 | $39.30 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $80,793 | $38.84 |
| 20 | Massachusetts | $80,494 | $38.70 |
| 21 | North Dakota | $76,242 | $36.65 |
| 22 | Wisconsin | $76,894 | $36.97 |
| 23 | Arizona | $77,932 | $37.47 |
| 24 | Texas | $78,183 | $37.59 |
| 25 | Michigan | $76,928 | $36.98 |
| 26 | Ohio | $76,418 | $36.74 |
| 27 | New York | $80,726 | $38.81 |
| 28 | South Dakota | $75,812 | $36.45 |
| 29 | Alaska | $80,125 | $38.52 |
| 30 | South Carolina | $77,562 | $37.29 |
| 31 | West Virginia | $74,882 | $36.00 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $75,858 | $36.47 |
| 33 | Illinois | $75,877 | $36.48 |
| 34 | Florida | $74,641 | $35.89 |
| 35 | Alabama | $71,551 | $34.40 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $76,191 | $36.63 |
| 37 | Nebraska | $73,482 | $35.33 |
| 38 | Arkansas | $70,224 | $33.76 |
| 39 | Mississippi | $73,586 | $35.38 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $71,871 | $34.55 |
| 41 | Indiana | $70,050 | $33.68 |
| 42 | Missouri | $74,710 | $35.92 |
| 43 | Georgia | $72,262 | $34.74 |
| 44 | Colorado | $67,895 | $32.64 |
| 45 | Kansas | $71,049 | $34.16 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $67,143 | $32.28 |
| 47 | Maine | $71,420 | $34.34 |
| 48 | Iowa | $67,883 | $32.64 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $71,038 | $34.15 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $67,214 | $32.31 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $63,217 | $30.39 |
Highest paying cities for manual testers
The highest-paying cities for manual testers are San Bruno, CA, Bellevue, WA, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Bruno, CA | $104,278 | $50.13 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $97,662 | $46.95 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $86,476 | $41.58 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $85,727 | $41.21 |
| 5 | Stamford, CT | $84,807 | $40.77 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $80,988 | $38.94 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | $80,921 | $38.90 |
| 8 | Andover, MA | $80,320 | $38.62 |
| 9 | Houston, TX | $78,673 | $37.82 |
| 10 | Akron, OH | $77,243 | $37.14 |
| 11 | Minneapolis, MN | $76,231 | $36.65 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $75,992 | $36.53 |
| 13 | Tampa, FL | $75,375 | $36.24 |
| 14 | Saint Louis, MO | $75,211 | $36.16 |
| 15 | West Des Moines, IA | $67,559 | $32.48 |
| 16 | Memphis, TN | $66,461 | $31.95 |
| 17 | Tulsa, OK | $63,171 | $30.37 |
Manual tester salary details
A manual tester's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $105,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a manual tester's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $105,000 | $8,750 | $50 |
| 75th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| Average | $81,680 | $6,807 | $39 |
| 25th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
Highest paying manual tester jobs
The highest paying types of manual testers are quality assurance team leader, systems tester, and senior quality assurance tester.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Analyst | $70,997 | $5,916 | $34.13 | 91,308 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Automation Engineer | $92,597 | $7,716 | $44.52 | 133,941 |
| Quality Assurance Team Leader | $97,476 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 131,886 |
| Quality Analyst | $71,957 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 110,980 |
Top companies hiring manual testers now:
Which companies pay manual testers the most?
Manual tester salaries at Populus Group and Randstad North America, Inc. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average manual tester salary at companies like Monster Products and Kelly Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Populus Group | $98,708 | $47.46 |
| 2 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $98,457 | $47.34 |
| 3 | Monster Products | $95,714 | $46.02 |
| 4 | Kelly Services | $93,615 | $45.01 |
| 5 | Motion Recruitment | $92,557 | $44.50 |
| 6 | Nolij Consulting | $91,945 | $44.20 |
| 7 | TechDigital | $91,924 | $44.19 |
| 8 | Comtech | $91,545 | $44.01 |
| 9 | Booz Allen Hamilton | $90,441 | $43.48 |
| 10 | Enterprise Solutions Inc. | $89,595 | $43.07 |
| 11 | Ivy Tech Community College | $86,575 | $41.62 |
| 12 | Tech Talent South | $85,848 | $41.27 |
| 13 | Fast Switch | $82,730 | $39.77 |
| 14 | Sunera Technologies | $82,688 | $39.75 |
| 15 | ANJANEYAP | $81,798 | $39.33 |
| 16 | Erp Analysts | $81,597 | $39.23 |
| 17 | Alliance Global Services | $80,435 | $38.67 |
| 18 | HCL Technologies | $80,378 | $38.64 |
| 19 | Capgemini | $79,965 | $38.44 |
| 20 | Hexaware Technologies | $79,456 | $38.20 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Manual Tester salary by industry
The average manual tester salary varies across industries:
- The average manual tester salary in the hospitality industry is $95,307, the highest of any industry.
- The average manual tester salary in the finance industry is $94,824.
- Manual testers in the pharmaceutical industry earn an average salary of $89,703, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for manual testers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $95,307 | $45.82 |
| 2 | Finance | $94,824 | $45.59 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $91,364 | $43.92 |
| 4 | Technology | $91,254 | $43.87 |
| 5 | Pharmaceutical | $89,703 | $43.13 |
High paying manual tester jobs
Manual tester salary trends
The average manual tester salary has risen by $13,370 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average manual tester earned $68,310 annually, but today, they earn $81,680 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for manual testers over the last decade.
Compare manual tester salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average manual tester salary over time
Compare manual tester salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Manual tester salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $81,700 | $39.27 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $79,000 | $37.98 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $77,200 | $37.12 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $75,700 | $36.39 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $74,000 | $35.57 | +1.5% |
Recently added manual tester salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Actalent | JR Manual Firmware Tester | Raleigh, NC | 06/27/2025 | $41,740 |
| Guidehouse | Manual Tester W/Millennium Software | Kansas City, MO | 06/13/2025 | $70,000 |
| Guidehouse | Manual Tester | San Antonio, TX | 05/28/2025 | $53,000 |
| Teksystems | ATM Manual Tester | Charlotte, NC | 05/21/2025 | $125,220 |
| Guidehouse | Senior Manual Tester | San Antonio, TX | 04/24/2025 | $70,000 |
| Eliassen Group | Senior Manual Tester With Accounting or Claims Systems Experience. | Carson City, NV | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
| Eliassen Group | Senior Manual Tester With Accounting or Claims Systems Experience. | Annapolis, MD | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
| Eliassen Group | Senior Manual Tester With Accounting or Claims Systems Experience. | Oklahoma City, OK | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
| Eliassen Group | Senior Manual Tester With Accounting or Claims Systems Experience. | Des Moines, IA | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
| Eliassen Group | Senior Manual Tester With Accounting or Claims Systems Experience. | Dover, DE | 04/16/2025 | $108,524 |
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