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As of October 2025, the average salary for a Junior Tester is approximately $70,002 annually. This figure can vary significantly based on factors such as geographic location, industry, and years of experience. For instance, Junior Testers in states like California and New York often see higher compensation due to the demand for technology professionals in these regions.
In addition to geographic location, the industry also plays a crucial role in salary determination. Sectors such as finance and healthcare typically offer higher wages compared to other industries. Junior Testers in these fields can expect their earnings to reflect the specialized skills required.
This role not only provides a solid entry point into the tech industry but also offers pathways for growth into more advanced testing positions or related fields such as quality assurance and software development. As technology continues to evolve, the demand for skilled testers is likely to increase, making this an attractive career choice.
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The highest-paying states for junior testers are Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. The lowest average junior tester salary states are Kansas, Utah, and Vermont.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $82,444 | $39.64 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $77,771 | $37.39 |
| 3 | Arizona | $71,098 | $34.18 |
| 4 | Delaware | $73,998 | $35.58 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $79,229 | $38.09 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $73,232 | $35.21 |
| 7 | New York | $78,551 | $37.76 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $76,474 | $36.77 |
| 9 | Illinois | $71,997 | $34.61 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $69,317 | $33.33 |
| 11 | Michigan | $68,414 | $32.89 |
| 12 | Louisiana | $68,918 | $33.13 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $70,105 | $33.70 |
| 14 | South Carolina | $72,750 | $34.98 |
| 15 | Texas | $67,672 | $32.53 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $69,454 | $33.39 |
| 17 | Arkansas | $64,818 | $31.16 |
| 18 | Florida | $67,433 | $32.42 |
| 19 | Georgia | $68,407 | $32.89 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | $66,359 | $31.90 |
| 21 | California | $66,744 | $32.09 |
| 22 | Tennessee | $64,927 | $31.21 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $62,230 | $29.92 |
| 24 | Wyoming | $59,927 | $28.81 |
| 25 | Nevada | $64,838 | $31.17 |
| 26 | Maryland | $62,038 | $29.83 |
| 27 | Hawaii | $74,844 | $35.98 |
| 28 | Oklahoma | $63,175 | $30.37 |
| 29 | Mississippi | $63,018 | $30.30 |
| 30 | Indiana | $61,342 | $29.49 |
| 31 | Minnesota | $64,670 | $31.09 |
| 32 | Ohio | $61,099 | $29.37 |
| 33 | Alabama | $58,385 | $28.07 |
| 34 | Oregon | $59,135 | $28.43 |
| 35 | Maine | $61,199 | $29.42 |
| 36 | Iowa | $61,547 | $29.59 |
| 37 | Colorado | $59,301 | $28.51 |
| 38 | Nebraska | $61,267 | $29.46 |
| 39 | North Dakota | $57,406 | $27.60 |
| 40 | West Virginia | $60,103 | $28.90 |
| 41 | Utah | $55,934 | $26.89 |
| 42 | Washington | $57,137 | $27.47 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $59,740 | $28.72 |
| 44 | New Mexico | $57,838 | $27.81 |
| 45 | Vermont | $55,376 | $26.62 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $60,174 | $28.93 |
| 47 | Missouri | $61,192 | $29.42 |
| 48 | Idaho | $54,355 | $26.13 |
| 49 | Montana | $53,742 | $25.84 |
| 50 | Kansas | $56,043 | $26.94 |
| 51 | Alaska | $42,269 | $20.32 |
The highest-paying cities for junior testers are Arlington, VA, East Windsor, NJ, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arlington, VA | $82,589 | $39.71 |
| 2 | East Windsor, NJ | $79,338 | $38.14 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $78,902 | $37.93 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $76,506 | $36.78 |
| 5 | Mount Pleasant, SC | $73,202 | $35.19 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $73,040 | $35.12 |
| 7 | Arlington Heights, IL | $72,206 | $34.71 |
| 8 | Greenwich, CT | $70,639 | $33.96 |
| 9 | Cary, NC | $69,992 | $33.65 |
| 10 | Harrisburg, PA | $69,081 | $33.21 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $68,776 | $33.07 |
| 12 | San Leandro, CA | $67,106 | $32.26 |
| 13 | Knoxville, TN | $65,930 | $31.70 |
| 14 | Annapolis, MD | $62,183 | $29.90 |
| 15 | Cincinnati, OH | $60,019 | $28.86 |
| 16 | Redmond, WA | $57,160 | $27.48 |
A junior tester's salary ranges from $52,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $93,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $93,000 | $7,750 | $45 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $70,002 | $5,834 | $34 |
| 25th Percentile | $60,000 | $5,000 | $29 |
| 10th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
The highest paying types of junior testers are senior quality assurance engineer, systems tester, and quality assurance lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance | $51,313 | $4,276 | $24.67 | 69,366 |
| Quality Assurance Lead | $94,758 | $7,897 | $45.56 | 82,242 |
| Quality Assurance Consultant | $86,486 | $7,207 | $41.58 | 91,395 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Quality Analyst | $71,957 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 110,980 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
Top companies hiring junior testers now:
Junior tester salaries at QSSI and Western & Southern Financial Group are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average junior tester salary at companies like Nexient and Spectraforce Technologies are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | QSSI | $85,828 | $41.26 |
| 2 | Western & Southern Financial Group | $83,795 | $40.29 |
| 3 | Nexient | $83,255 | $40.03 |
| 4 | Spectraforce Technologies | $82,868 | $39.84 |
| 5 | Numerix | $81,854 | $39.35 |
| 6 | ProMed | $79,018 | $37.99 |
| 7 | Aurobindo Pharma USA | $77,319 | $37.17 |
| 8 | Experis US Inc | $75,403 | $36.25 |
| 9 | Accenture | $75,201 | $36.15 |
| 10 | Motion Recruitment | $74,909 | $36.01 |
| 11 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $73,448 | $35.31 |
| 12 | ArcBest | $73,075 | $35.13 |
| 13 | Blue Sky Studios | $71,345 | $34.30 |
| 14 | icon Mechanical | $69,671 | $33.50 |
| 15 | Precision Castparts | $66,654 | $32.05 |
| 16 | Vectrus | $64,043 | $30.79 |
| 17 | Sony Electronics | $61,539 | $29.59 |
| 18 | P&G | $58,735 | $28.24 |
| 19 | Raytheon Technologies | $57,882 | $27.83 |
| 20 | Paylocity | $49,101 | $23.61 |
The average junior tester salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $76,854 | $36.95 |
| 2 | Finance | $76,830 | $36.94 |
| 3 | Transportation | $76,283 | $36.67 |
| 4 | Technology | $74,002 | $35.58 |
The average junior tester salary has risen by $11,459 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average junior tester earned $58,543 annually, but today, they earn $70,002 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for junior testers over the last decade.
Compare junior tester salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare junior tester salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $70,000 | $33.65 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $67,700 | $32.55 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $66,200 | $31.81 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $64,900 | $31.19 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $63,400 | $30.48 | +1.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leidos Holdings Inc. | Junior Penetration Tester | Ashburn, VA | 06/26/2025 | $85,150 |
| Marcus & Millichap | Junior Originator | Ione, WA | 06/11/2025 | $36,000 |
| Microhealth | Junior Tester | Vienna, VA | 06/10/2025 | $80,000 |
| S R International | Junior Tester | Harrisburg, PA | 05/02/2025 | $62,610 |
| Marcus & Millichap | Junior Originator | Ione, WA | 04/28/2025 | $36,000 |
| Marcus & Millichap | Junior Originator | San Diego, CA | 04/28/2025 | $68,640 |
| Perspecta | JR Cyber Penetration Tester | Arlington, VA | 04/28/2025 | $86,000 |
| Peraton | JR Cyber Penetration Tester | Arlington, VA | 04/27/2025 | $86,000 |
| Teksystems | JR. Tester | Atlanta, GA | 04/25/2025 | $45,914 |
| Teksystems | JR. Tester | Tempe, AZ | 04/25/2025 | $45,914 |
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