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The average salary for a Performance Test Lead in the United States is $96,573 per year, translating to approximately $46 per hour. This figure varies significantly based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and industry. For instance, performance test leads in tech hubs like San Francisco or New York may earn more due to higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.
States such as California, New York, and Washington offer the most competitive salaries for performance test leads. Additionally, industries like technology and finance often provide higher compensation compared to other sectors. As the demand for online services continues to grow, professionals in this field will likely see steady opportunities for advancement and salary increases.
In conclusion, pursuing a career as a performance test lead can be both rewarding and lucrative. Gaining certifications and experience in software testing can further enhance your earning potential and open doors to higher-paying positions.
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The highest-paying states for performance test leads are Washington, Delaware, and Maryland. The lowest average performance test lead salary states are Hawaii, Kentucky, and Maine.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $108,697 | $52.26 |
| 2 | Nevada | $105,736 | $50.83 |
| 3 | Washington | $116,312 | $55.92 |
| 4 | Utah | $105,662 | $50.80 |
| 5 | Delaware | $115,324 | $55.44 |
| 6 | Oregon | $109,495 | $52.64 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $103,596 | $49.81 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | $104,209 | $50.10 |
| 9 | Maryland | $113,136 | $54.39 |
| 10 | California | $110,215 | $52.99 |
| 11 | Ohio | $100,824 | $48.47 |
| 12 | Idaho | $97,496 | $46.87 |
| 13 | Wyoming | $97,109 | $46.69 |
| 14 | South Dakota | $93,046 | $44.73 |
| 15 | Vermont | $97,653 | $46.95 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $102,495 | $49.28 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $100,920 | $48.52 |
| 18 | North Carolina | $97,767 | $47.00 |
| 19 | Montana | $93,507 | $44.96 |
| 20 | North Dakota | $93,981 | $45.18 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $97,233 | $46.75 |
| 22 | New York | $102,361 | $49.21 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $95,649 | $45.99 |
| 24 | Colorado | $96,982 | $46.63 |
| 25 | Georgia | $97,489 | $46.87 |
| 26 | Virginia | $95,687 | $46.00 |
| 27 | Illinois | $98,262 | $47.24 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $90,456 | $43.49 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $92,284 | $44.37 |
| 30 | Michigan | $91,761 | $44.12 |
| 31 | Tennessee | $92,994 | $44.71 |
| 32 | Iowa | $92,645 | $44.54 |
| 33 | Alabama | $91,033 | $43.77 |
| 34 | New Jersey | $96,652 | $46.47 |
| 35 | Kansas | $89,536 | $43.05 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $87,491 | $42.06 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $92,008 | $44.23 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $93,518 | $44.96 |
| 39 | Arizona | $91,781 | $44.13 |
| 40 | Indiana | $91,437 | $43.96 |
| 41 | Pennsylvania | $91,478 | $43.98 |
| 42 | Texas | $90,135 | $43.33 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $91,342 | $43.91 |
| 44 | Mississippi | $90,498 | $43.51 |
| 45 | New Mexico | $80,516 | $38.71 |
| 46 | Oklahoma | $78,460 | $37.72 |
| 47 | Missouri | $85,571 | $41.14 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $85,202 | $40.96 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $85,236 | $40.98 |
| 50 | Florida | $82,881 | $39.85 |
| 51 | Maine | $84,308 | $40.53 |
The highest-paying cities for performance test leads are San Francisco, CA, Wilmington, DE, and Columbia, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $125,900 | $60.53 |
| 2 | Wilmington, DE | $115,359 | $55.46 |
| 3 | Columbia, MD | $113,187 | $54.42 |
| 4 | Woonsocket, RI | $103,492 | $49.76 |
| 5 | Washington, DC | $102,504 | $49.28 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $102,471 | $49.26 |
| 7 | Hartford, CT | $100,952 | $48.53 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $98,509 | $47.36 |
| 9 | Alpharetta, GA | $98,030 | $47.13 |
| 10 | Lakewood, CO | $97,081 | $46.67 |
| 11 | Newark, NJ | $96,732 | $46.51 |
| 12 | Charlotte, NC | $96,587 | $46.44 |
| 13 | McLean, VA | $96,425 | $46.36 |
| 14 | Milwaukee, WI | $95,775 | $46.05 |
| 15 | Chattanooga, TN | $93,135 | $44.78 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $92,028 | $44.24 |
| 17 | Detroit, MI | $92,014 | $44.24 |
| 18 | Philadelphia, PA | $91,768 | $44.12 |
| 19 | Indianapolis, IN | $91,235 | $43.86 |
| 20 | Austin, TX | $90,577 | $43.55 |
A performance test lead's salary ranges from $75,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $124,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $124,000 | $10,333 | $60 |
| 75th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| Average | $96,573 | $8,048 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 10th Percentile | $75,000 | $6,250 | $36 |
The highest paying types of performance test leads are senior quality assurance engineer, performance engineer, and quality assurance team leader.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Analyst | $71,957 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 110,980 |
| Quality Assurance | $51,313 | $4,276 | $24.67 | 69,366 |
| Quality Assurance Coordinator | $57,130 | $4,761 | $27.47 | 79,427 |
| Quality Assurance Internship | $37,029 | $3,086 | $17.80 | 121,163 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
Top companies hiring performance test leads now:
Performance test lead salaries at NVIDIA and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average performance test lead salary at companies like Koch Industries and Cruise Automation are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NVIDIA | $145,413 | $69.91 |
| 2 | Apple | $138,526 | $66.60 |
| 3 | Koch Industries | $136,647 | $65.70 |
| 4 | Cruise Automation | $136,424 | $65.59 |
| 5 | Barclays | $130,035 | $62.52 |
| 6 | The Washington Post | $117,377 | $56.43 |
| 7 | Zscaler | $117,087 | $56.29 |
| 8 | Joby Aviation | $116,228 | $55.88 |
| 9 | NBCUniversal | $115,915 | $55.73 |
| 10 | Ampere | $114,856 | $55.22 |
| 11 | Amd | $112,190 | $53.94 |
| 12 | AstraZeneca | $108,190 | $52.01 |
| 13 | General Motors | $104,648 | $50.31 |
| 14 | Strategic Staffing Solutions | $104,231 | $50.11 |
| 15 | TechDigital | $103,959 | $49.98 |
| 16 | Intel | $102,212 | $49.14 |
| 17 | Accenture | $101,414 | $48.76 |
| 18 | ADM | $100,925 | $48.52 |
| 19 | TD Bank | $99,340 | $47.76 |
| 20 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $98,828 | $47.51 |
The average performance test lead salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $105,139 | $50.55 |
| 2 | Professional | $100,162 | $48.15 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $97,537 | $46.89 |
| 4 | Finance | $96,715 | $46.50 |
| 5 | Energy | $90,136 | $43.33 |
| 6 | Retail | $89,667 | $43.11 |
| 7 | Automotive | $89,534 | $43.05 |
| 8 | Technology | $87,583 | $42.11 |
The average performance test lead salary has risen by $15,809 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average performance test lead earned $80,764 annually, but today, they earn $96,573 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for performance test leads over the last decade.
Compare performance test lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare performance test lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $96,600 | $46.43 | +3.3% |
| 2025 | $93,400 | $44.90 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $91,300 | $43.88 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $89,500 | $43.03 | +2.3% |
| 2022 | $87,500 | $42.06 | +1.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intel Corp | Power and Performance Lead-Client Silicon | Hillsboro, OR | 06/26/2025 | $161,230 |
| Intel Corp | Power and Performance Lead-Client Silicon | Folsom, CA | 06/26/2025 | $161,230 |
| Infosys Ltd. | Performance Test Lead | Sunnyvale, CA | 06/26/2025 | $86,534 |
| DLR Group | Planning Leader, Cultural + Performing Arts | Austin, TX | 06/22/2025 | $120,000 |
| PSEG | Performance Measurement Lead | Newark, NJ | 06/19/2025 | $88,400 |
| Moog Inc. | Performance Leader | Torrance, CA | 06/11/2025 | $90,000 |
| Joby Aviation Inc. | Performance Lead/Der | Santa Cruz, CA | 06/03/2025 | $118,200 |
| Ustelecom | Performance Nutrition Lead-Olympic Sports Nutrition | Wyoming | 05/31/2025 | $25,044 |
| Moog Inc. | Performance Leader | Buffalo, NY | 05/29/2025 | $85,000 |
| Intel | Power and Performance Lead-Client Silicon | Folsom, CA | 05/27/2025 | $161,230 |
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