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Test automation lead salary
Average test automation lead salary
$89,324
Average Test Automation Lead Salary
The average salary for a Test Automation Lead in the United States is $89,324 annually, equating to about $43 per hour. This figure reflects industry standards and varies by geographic location, experience, and the specific field of employment.
Salary Variations by State
In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed the national average due to a higher cost of living and demand for skilled professionals. For example, in California, the average salary for this role is significantly higher, reflecting the competitive job market.
Highest Paying Cities
Cities such as San Francisco and New York City offer some of the highest salaries for Test Automation Leads, often exceeding $100,000 annually. These metropolitan areas provide numerous opportunities in tech-focused companies that prioritize automation in their development processes.
Opportunities for Advancement
With experience, Test Automation Leads can advance to managerial roles or specialized positions in larger organizations, further enhancing their earning potential. Continuous learning and staying updated with the latest automation tools can also contribute to salary growth.
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Where can a Test Automation Lead earn more?
Average test automation lead salary by state
The highest-paying states for test automation leads are Washington, California, and Alaska. The lowest average test automation lead salary states are New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for test automation leads
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $100,207 | $48.18 |
| 2 | Washington | $110,872 | $53.30 |
| 3 | California | $107,545 | $51.70 |
| 4 | Oregon | $99,626 | $47.90 |
| 5 | Nevada | $88,566 | $42.58 |
| 6 | Colorado | $94,325 | $45.35 |
| 7 | Michigan | $91,276 | $43.88 |
| 8 | Rhode Island | $90,701 | $43.61 |
| 9 | Idaho | $85,700 | $41.20 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $88,541 | $42.57 |
| 11 | Montana | $85,645 | $41.18 |
| 12 | New Jersey | $95,257 | $45.80 |
| 13 | District of Columbia | $95,586 | $45.95 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $89,376 | $42.97 |
| 15 | South Dakota | $82,721 | $39.77 |
| 16 | Texas | $86,710 | $41.69 |
| 17 | Virginia | $88,813 | $42.70 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $87,530 | $42.08 |
| 19 | Kentucky | $89,091 | $42.83 |
| 20 | Delaware | $90,240 | $43.38 |
| 21 | Maryland | $89,646 | $43.10 |
| 22 | New York | $92,733 | $44.58 |
| 23 | Utah | $82,900 | $39.86 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $85,779 | $41.24 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $87,025 | $41.84 |
| 26 | Maine | $85,412 | $41.06 |
| 27 | Arkansas | $78,159 | $37.58 |
| 28 | Nebraska | $78,922 | $37.94 |
| 29 | North Dakota | $81,141 | $39.01 |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $81,107 | $38.99 |
| 31 | Arizona | $80,979 | $38.93 |
| 32 | Georgia | $84,508 | $40.63 |
| 33 | Kansas | $76,320 | $36.69 |
| 34 | Iowa | $79,952 | $38.44 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $88,042 | $42.33 |
| 36 | Illinois | $83,073 | $39.94 |
| 37 | Ohio | $77,964 | $37.48 |
| 38 | Florida | $80,457 | $38.68 |
| 39 | Louisiana | $80,581 | $38.74 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $73,605 | $35.39 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $77,606 | $37.31 |
| 42 | Missouri | $79,628 | $38.28 |
| 43 | Indiana | $77,708 | $37.36 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $76,153 | $36.61 |
| 45 | Oklahoma | $70,542 | $33.91 |
| 46 | Vermont | $75,158 | $36.13 |
| 47 | Alabama | $69,902 | $33.61 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $74,942 | $36.03 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $70,996 | $34.13 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $71,170 | $34.22 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $72,546 | $34.88 |
Highest paying cities for test automation leads
The highest-paying cities for test automation leads are San Francisco, CA, Bellevue, WA, and Washington, DC.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $119,791 | $57.59 |
| 2 | Bellevue, WA | $111,718 | $53.71 |
| 3 | Washington, DC | $95,662 | $45.99 |
| 4 | Middletown, NJ | $95,426 | $45.88 |
| 5 | Englewood, CO | $94,355 | $45.36 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $92,926 | $44.68 |
| 7 | McLean, VA | $89,334 | $42.95 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $87,923 | $42.27 |
| 9 | Quincy, MA | $85,882 | $41.29 |
| 10 | Atlanta, GA | $84,432 | $40.59 |
| 11 | Chicago, IL | $83,267 | $40.03 |
| 12 | Draper, UT | $82,523 | $39.67 |
| 13 | Tampa, FL | $82,418 | $39.62 |
| 14 | Philadelphia, PA | $81,646 | $39.25 |
| 15 | Saint Louis, MO | $79,725 | $38.33 |
| 16 | Des Moines, IA | $79,695 | $38.31 |
| 17 | Omaha, NE | $78,892 | $37.93 |
| 18 | Indianapolis, IN | $77,537 | $37.28 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $77,440 | $37.23 |
| 20 | Cary, NC | $76,987 | $37.01 |
Test automation lead salary details
A test automation lead's salary ranges from $69,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $115,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a test automation lead's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $115,000 | $9,583 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $102,000 | $8,500 | $49 |
| Average | $89,324 | $7,444 | $43 |
| 25th Percentile | $78,000 | $6,500 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $69,000 | $5,750 | $33 |
Highest paying test automation lead jobs
The highest paying types of test automation 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | $110,007 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 278,178 |
| Software Tester | $78,580 | $6,548 | $37.78 | 208,853 |
| Quality Assurance Team Leader | $97,476 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 131,886 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
| Lead Test Technician | $81,566 | $6,797 | $39.21 | 51,060 |
Top companies hiring test automation leads now:
Which companies pay test automation leads the most?
Test automation lead salaries at Citi and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average test automation lead salary at companies like MUFG EMEA and Proofpoint are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Citi | $119,301 | $57.36 |
| 2 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $119,132 | $57.27 |
| 3 | MUFG EMEA | $115,720 | $55.63 |
| 4 | Proofpoint | $115,715 | $55.63 |
| 5 | Nebraska Furniture Mart | $110,528 | $53.14 |
| 6 | Bluefly.com | $106,552 | $51.23 |
| 7 | Amd | $106,010 | $50.97 |
| 8 | Yoh | $105,072 | $50.52 |
| 9 | TEKsystems | $103,929 | $49.97 |
| 10 | Bio-Rad Laboratories | $103,220 | $49.63 |
| 11 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $103,027 | $49.53 |
| 12 | FIS | $102,353 | $49.21 |
| 13 | Independent Mortgage Corp | $99,658 | $47.91 |
| 14 | ABBTECH | $97,940 | $47.09 |
| 15 | Vanguard Services | $97,863 | $47.05 |
| 16 | Populus Group | $97,656 | $46.95 |
| 17 | Pinnacle Technical Resources | $97,413 | $46.83 |
| 18 | Siemens | $96,996 | $46.63 |
| 19 | Tektree Systems | $96,788 | $46.53 |
| 20 | Robert Half | $96,548 | $46.42 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Test Automation Lead salary by industry
The average test automation lead salary varies across industries:
- The average test automation lead salary in the utilities industry is $112,440, the highest of any industry.
- The average test automation lead salary in the finance industry is $100,280.
- Test automation leads in the finance industry earn an average salary of $80,982, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for test automation leads
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utilities | $112,440 | $54.06 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $100,280 | $48.21 |
| 3 | Health Care | $99,888 | $48.02 |
| 4 | Internet | $89,327 | $42.95 |
| 5 | Technology | $83,919 | $40.35 |
| 6 | Finance | $80,982 | $38.93 |
High paying test automation lead jobs
Test automation lead salary trends
The average test automation lead salary has risen by $14,622 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average test automation lead earned $74,702 annually, but today, they earn $89,324 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for test automation leads over the last decade.
Compare test automation lead salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average test automation lead salary over time
Compare test automation lead salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Test automation lead salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $89,300 | $42.94 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $86,400 | $41.53 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $84,400 | $40.59 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $82,800 | $39.80 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $80,900 | $38.90 | +1.5% |
Recently added test automation lead salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | Automation Test Lead | Blaine, MN | 06/27/2025 | $96,000 |
| Capgemini | Automation Test Lead | Berkeley Heights, NJ | 06/27/2025 | $70,000 |
| Infosys Ltd. | Selenium Automation Test Lead | Hartford, CT | 06/23/2025 | $66,730 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Indianapolis, IN | 06/18/2025 | $77,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Denver, CO | 06/18/2025 | $77,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Jacksonville, FL | 06/18/2025 | $77,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Sacramento, CA | 06/18/2025 | $77,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Charlotte, NC | 06/17/2025 | $58,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Little Rock, AR | 06/17/2025 | $58,000 |
| PwC | Managed Services-Automation Test Lead-Senior Associate | Des Moines, IA | 06/17/2025 | $58,000 |
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