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Tester salary
Average tester salary
$65,202
Average Tester Salary
The average salary for a tester in the United States is $65,202 per year. Hourly, this breaks down to about $31. However, salaries can significantly differ based on experience, education, and location. For instance, testers in metropolitan areas often earn higher wages due to increased demand.
Factors Influencing Salary
Experience plays a crucial role in salary determination. Entry-level testers typically earn less, while those with several years in the field can fetch salaries exceeding $80,000. Additionally, the industry can impact earnings; testers in software development or finance often receive higher compensation than those in other sectors.
Regional Variations
Geography is another influential factor. States like California and New York offer some of the highest salaries for testers, often due to the concentration of tech companies. The table below summarizes average salaries by state:
- California: $75,000
- New York: $70,000
- Texas: $65,000
- Florida: $60,000
Understanding these dynamics can guide your career decisions as a tester, helping you target opportunities that align with your financial goals.
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Where can a Tester earn more?
Tester salary estimates from across the web
Average tester salary by state
The highest-paying states for testers are Maryland, Washington, and California. The lowest average tester salary states are Mississippi, Kansas, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for testers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $75,332 | $36.22 |
| 2 | Maryland | $75,604 | $36.35 |
| 3 | California | $75,280 | $36.19 |
| 4 | Virginia | $69,498 | $33.41 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $70,905 | $34.09 |
| 6 | District of Columbia | $70,333 | $33.81 |
| 7 | New York | $66,927 | $32.18 |
| 8 | Michigan | $63,774 | $30.66 |
| 9 | Ohio | $65,629 | $31.55 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $61,404 | $29.52 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $61,652 | $29.64 |
| 12 | Texas | $59,961 | $28.83 |
| 13 | Illinois | $64,410 | $30.97 |
| 14 | Minnesota | $61,921 | $29.77 |
| 15 | Colorado | $60,126 | $28.91 |
| 16 | Nevada | $61,125 | $29.39 |
| 17 | Delaware | $58,572 | $28.16 |
| 18 | Utah | $54,691 | $26.29 |
| 19 | Oregon | $58,638 | $28.19 |
| 20 | Georgia | $60,663 | $29.16 |
| 21 | Arizona | $56,698 | $27.26 |
| 22 | Massachusetts | $58,822 | $28.28 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $59,496 | $28.60 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $54,758 | $26.33 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $59,216 | $28.47 |
| 26 | Idaho | $56,279 | $27.06 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $53,627 | $25.78 |
| 28 | Florida | $57,676 | $27.73 |
| 29 | West Virginia | $54,506 | $26.20 |
| 30 | Maine | $55,705 | $26.78 |
| 31 | Wyoming | $51,354 | $24.69 |
| 32 | Missouri | $55,368 | $26.62 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $52,773 | $25.37 |
| 34 | Montana | $53,266 | $25.61 |
| 35 | Indiana | $52,497 | $25.24 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $52,993 | $25.48 |
| 37 | New Hampshire | $52,187 | $25.09 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $51,960 | $24.98 |
| 39 | Vermont | $51,022 | $24.53 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $51,235 | $24.63 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $53,771 | $25.85 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $50,633 | $24.34 |
| 43 | Iowa | $51,730 | $24.87 |
| 44 | Alabama | $50,155 | $24.11 |
| 45 | Alaska | $47,286 | $22.73 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $51,651 | $24.83 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $49,938 | $24.01 |
| 48 | Hawaii | $40,834 | $19.63 |
| 49 | Kansas | $50,018 | $24.05 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $50,035 | $24.06 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $49,431 | $23.76 |
Highest paying cities for testers
The highest-paying cities for testers are San Francisco, CA, Baltimore, MD, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $78,481 | $37.73 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $75,728 | $36.41 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $75,618 | $36.35 |
| 4 | Jersey City, NJ | $70,825 | $34.05 |
| 5 | Arlington, VA | $70,468 | $33.88 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $70,336 | $33.82 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $67,292 | $32.35 |
| 8 | Dublin, OH | $65,319 | $31.40 |
| 9 | Schaumburg, IL | $64,778 | $31.14 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $62,373 | $29.99 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $62,164 | $29.89 |
| 12 | Minneapolis, MN | $61,996 | $29.81 |
| 13 | Houston, TX | $61,070 | $29.36 |
| 14 | Alpharetta, GA | $60,604 | $29.14 |
| 15 | Denver, CO | $60,151 | $28.92 |
| 16 | Boston, MA | $58,656 | $28.20 |
| 17 | Portland, OR | $58,505 | $28.13 |
| 18 | Phoenix, AZ | $57,109 | $27.46 |
| 19 | Portland, ME | $56,155 | $27.00 |
| 20 | Salt Lake City, UT | $54,458 | $26.18 |
Tester salary details
A tester's salary ranges from $42,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $99,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a tester's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $99,000 | $8,250 | $48 |
| 75th Percentile | $81,000 | $6,750 | $39 |
| Average | $65,202 | $5,434 | $31 |
| 25th Percentile | $52,000 | $4,333 | $25 |
| 10th Percentile | $42,000 | $3,500 | $20 |
Highest paying tester jobs
The highest paying types of testers are system test engineer, quality assurance team leader, and systems tester.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
| Quality Analyst | $71,957 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 110,980 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Quality Assurance Team Leader | $97,476 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 131,886 |
| Automation Engineer | $92,597 | $7,716 | $44.52 | 133,941 |
| Quality Assurance Tester | $74,140 | $6,178 | $35.64 | 82,396 |
Top companies hiring testers now:
Which companies pay testers the most?
Tester salaries at Apple and Microsoft are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average tester salary at companies like Bloomberg and Apollo Global Management are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $125,455 | $60.31 |
| 2 | Microsoft | $125,092 | $60.14 |
| 3 | Bloomberg | $120,133 | $57.76 |
| 4 | Apollo Global Management | $118,771 | $57.10 |
| 5 | Morgan Stanley | $117,342 | $56.41 |
| 6 | Barclays | $115,328 | $55.45 |
| 7 | Cisco | $107,140 | $51.51 |
| 8 | Lam Research | $106,403 | $51.16 |
| 9 | Avid | $104,291 | $50.14 |
| 10 | MoneyGram International | $104,286 | $50.14 |
| 11 | Data | $103,588 | $49.80 |
| 12 | ICAP | $102,723 | $49.39 |
| 13 | Mandiant | $102,716 | $49.38 |
| 14 | FireEye | $102,439 | $49.25 |
| 15 | Parsons | $101,713 | $48.90 |
| 16 | Wabtec Corporation | $100,695 | $48.41 |
| 17 | WebMD | $99,949 | $48.05 |
| 18 | SAS Institute | $96,987 | $46.63 |
| 19 | Maxim Integrated | $96,865 | $46.57 |
| 20 | Accelerated Production Systems | $94,948 | $45.65 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Tester salary by industry
The average tester salary varies across industries:
- The average tester salary in the telecommunication industry is $74,239, the highest of any industry.
- The average tester salary in the finance industry is $70,205.
- Testers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $54,758, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for testers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $74,239 | $35.69 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $70,205 | $33.75 |
| 3 | Technology | $59,048 | $28.39 |
| 4 | Professional | $54,758 | $26.33 |
High paying tester jobs
Tester salary trends
The average tester salary has risen by $10,674 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average tester earned $54,528 annually, but today, they earn $65,202 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for testers over the last decade.
Compare tester salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average tester salary over time
Compare tester salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Tester salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $65,200 | $31.35 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $63,100 | $30.31 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $61,600 | $29.63 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $60,400 | $29.05 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $59,100 | $28.39 | +1.5% |
Recently added tester salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Channel Management, Inc. | Remote UI Tester | Atlanta, GA | 06/29/2025 | $104,350 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions | Test Leadtosca | Columbus, OH | 06/27/2025 | $110,000 |
| Allied Universal Security | Testing Testing DO NOT Apply | Irvine, CA | 06/27/2025 | $31,305 |
| ZP Group | Penetration Tester | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
| Dalcom | Combat Vehicle Tester (CVT) I | Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD | 06/27/2025 | $83,877 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. | Penetration Tester | Herndon, VA | 06/26/2025 | $86,800 |
| Adecco Us, Inc. | Test Order Only | Erie, PA | 06/26/2025 | $20,870 |
| Langston University | Test (This IS NOT A Position) | Langston, OK | 06/26/2025 | $40,000 |
| Epic Games | Tester III | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $65,747 |
| Synack | Pentester | New York, NY | 06/26/2025 | $110,000 |
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