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Quality assurance specialist lead salary
Average quality assurance specialist lead salary
$86,946
Understanding the Quality Assurance Specialist Lead Salary
The average salary for a Quality Assurance Specialist Lead is approximately $86,946 annually. This figure is influenced by various factors, including experience, industry, and geographical location. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for quality assurance professionals.
In larger cities, such as San Francisco and New York City, salaries can exceed the national average, providing significant financial incentives for relocation. Additionally, industries such as technology and healthcare are known for offering competitive pay and career growth opportunities.
To maximize earning potential, aspiring Quality Assurance Specialists should consider pursuing advanced certifications and gaining diverse experience in various testing methodologies. This strategic approach can lead to roles with increased responsibilities and higher salaries.
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Where can a Quality Assurance Specialist Lead earn more?
Average quality assurance specialist lead salary by state
The average quality assurance specialist lead salary in California, Washington, and New Jersey are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average quality assurance specialist lead salary states are Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for quality assurance specialist leads
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $109,215 | $52.51 |
| 2 | Alaska | $94,642 | $45.50 |
| 3 | Nevada | $89,828 | $43.19 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $99,306 | $47.74 |
| 5 | Washington | $106,324 | $51.12 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $90,358 | $43.44 |
| 7 | Maryland | $96,393 | $46.34 |
| 8 | Idaho | $84,745 | $40.74 |
| 9 | New Hampshire | $86,808 | $41.73 |
| 10 | Montana | $84,635 | $40.69 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $84,958 | $40.85 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $96,761 | $46.52 |
| 13 | Texas | $91,091 | $43.79 |
| 14 | Oregon | $89,555 | $43.06 |
| 15 | Utah | $83,513 | $40.15 |
| 16 | South Dakota | $80,457 | $38.68 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $90,004 | $43.27 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $83,402 | $40.10 |
| 19 | New York | $92,129 | $44.29 |
| 20 | Connecticut | $87,255 | $41.95 |
| 21 | Wyoming | $84,512 | $40.63 |
| 22 | Arkansas | $76,787 | $36.92 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $81,276 | $39.08 |
| 24 | Iowa | $78,857 | $37.91 |
| 25 | Kansas | $76,882 | $36.96 |
| 26 | Maine | $82,944 | $39.88 |
| 27 | Illinois | $83,524 | $40.16 |
| 28 | Hawaii | $86,758 | $41.71 |
| 29 | Arizona | $79,500 | $38.22 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $79,026 | $37.99 |
| 31 | Ohio | $77,796 | $37.40 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $74,518 | $35.83 |
| 33 | Louisiana | $81,152 | $39.02 |
| 34 | Michigan | $76,979 | $37.01 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $77,169 | $37.10 |
| 36 | Delaware | $80,014 | $38.47 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $73,196 | $35.19 |
| 38 | Colorado | $80,219 | $38.57 |
| 39 | Georgia | $78,291 | $37.64 |
| 40 | Indiana | $72,094 | $34.66 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $71,735 | $34.49 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $73,439 | $35.31 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $69,255 | $33.30 |
| 44 | Virginia | $74,329 | $35.74 |
| 45 | Mississippi | $73,582 | $35.38 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $71,998 | $34.61 |
| 47 | Vermont | $73,303 | $35.24 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $72,126 | $34.68 |
| 49 | Missouri | $72,730 | $34.97 |
| 50 | Alabama | $68,906 | $33.13 |
| 51 | Florida | $68,088 | $32.73 |
Highest paying cities for quality assurance specialist leads
The highest-paying cities for quality assurance specialist leads are San Francisco, CA, Jersey City, NJ, and Baltimore, MD.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $119,570 | $57.49 |
| 2 | Jersey City, NJ | $99,357 | $47.77 |
| 3 | Baltimore, MD | $96,608 | $46.45 |
| 4 | San Antonio, TX | $92,265 | $44.36 |
| 5 | Cambridge, MA | $89,816 | $43.18 |
| 6 | Portland, OR | $89,167 | $42.87 |
| 7 | Cary, NC | $86,187 | $41.44 |
| 8 | Denver, CO | $80,113 | $38.52 |
| 9 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $79,487 | $38.21 |
Quality assurance specialist lead salary details
A quality assurance specialist lead's salary ranges from $68,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $110,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a quality assurance specialist lead's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| Average | $86,946 | $7,246 | $42 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
Highest paying quality assurance specialist lead jobs
The highest paying types of quality assurance specialist leads are engineer lead quality assurance lead, senior quality assurance analyst/lead, and senior quality assurance engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Quality Control | $85,375 | $7,115 | $41.05 | 83,633 |
| Quality Lead | $90,301 | $7,525 | $43.41 | 62,018 |
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | $110,007 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 278,178 |
| Quality Assurance Manager | $99,894 | $8,324 | $48.03 | 62,293 |
| Quality Assurance Officer | $64,041 | $5,337 | $30.79 | 118,140 |
| Quality Assurance Consultant | $86,486 | $7,207 | $41.58 | 91,395 |
Top companies hiring quality assurance specialist leads now:
Which companies pay quality assurance specialist leads the most?
Quality assurance specialist lead salaries at Baptist Child & Family Service and Kronos Incorporated are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average quality assurance specialist lead salary at companies like Insurance Incorporated and Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baptist Child & Family Service | $101,695 | $48.89 |
| 2 | Kronos Incorporated | $101,083 | $48.60 |
| 3 | Insurance Incorporated | $99,029 | $47.61 |
| 4 | Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc. | $98,054 | $47.14 |
| 5 | Portland General Electric | $98,052 | $47.14 |
| 6 | Baker Hughes | $97,620 | $46.93 |
| 7 | Cass Information Systems | $96,838 | $46.56 |
| 8 | Catalent Pharma Solutions | $96,123 | $46.21 |
| 9 | Verizon Data Services Inc | $95,876 | $46.09 |
| 10 | Crystal Stairs | $92,317 | $44.38 |
| 11 | Performant Financial | $91,499 | $43.99 |
| 12 | Third Rock Ventures | $89,821 | $43.18 |
| 13 | Mohawk Industries | $89,800 | $43.17 |
| 14 | Alstom | $80,134 | $38.53 |
| 15 | Colorado Department of Transportation | $46,286 | $22.25 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Quality Assurance Specialist Lead salary by industry
The average quality assurance specialist lead salary varies across industries:
- The average quality assurance specialist lead salary in the hospitality industry is $101,644, the highest of any industry.
- The average quality assurance specialist lead salary in the finance industry is $93,768.
- Quality assurance specialist leads in the transportation industry earn an average salary of $82,929, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for quality assurance specialist leads
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hospitality | $101,644 | $48.87 |
| 2 | Health Care | $93,768 | $45.08 |
| 3 | Professional | $93,568 | $44.98 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $93,395 | $44.90 |
| 5 | Technology | $91,520 | $44.00 |
| 6 | Finance | $84,181 | $40.47 |
| 7 | Transportation | $82,929 | $39.87 |
High paying quality assurance specialist lead jobs
Quality assurance specialist lead salary trends
The average quality assurance specialist lead salary has risen by $14,232 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average quality assurance specialist lead earned $72,714 annually, but today, they earn $86,946 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for quality assurance specialist leads over the last decade.
Compare quality assurance specialist lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average quality assurance specialist lead salary over time
Compare quality assurance specialist lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Quality assurance specialist lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $86,900 | $41.80 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $84,100 | $40.42 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $82,200 | $39.51 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $80,600 | $38.74 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $78,800 | $37.86 | +1.5% |
Recently added quality assurance specialist lead salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalent | Lead Specialist, QA Batch Disposition | Maryland | 05/12/2025 | $118,720 |
| NES Associates | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 04/26/2025 | $158,846 |
| GDIT | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 03/30/2025 | $158,846 |
| Legislative Branch | Lead Quality Assurance Specialist | Washington, DC | 03/26/2025 | $93,060 |
| DSM | Lead Specialist, Quality Assurance or Expert, QA or SR. Expert QA | Schenectady, NY | 03/19/2025 | $95,000 |
| General Dynamics | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 03/12/2025 | $158,846 |
| NES Associates | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 03/11/2025 | $158,846 |
| GDIT | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 02/27/2025 | $152,729 |
| NES Associates | Quality Assurance Specialist Lead | Annapolis, MD | 02/23/2025 | $152,729 |
| Catalent Pharma Solutions | Lead Specialist, QA Batch Disposition | San Diego, CA | 02/16/2025 | $118,720 |
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