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Software quality engineer salary
Average software quality engineer salary
$99,902
Average Software Quality Engineer Salary
The average salary for a Software Quality Engineer is around $99,902 annually. This figure reflects the value placed on professionals who ensure software quality through rigorous testing and analysis. Factors influencing this salary include geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment. For instance, positions in technology hubs often offer higher salaries due to competition for skilled engineers.
Where Can Software Quality Engineers Earn More?
The highest salaries for Software Quality Engineers are typically found in states like California, Washington, and New York. These states not only have a higher cost of living but also a greater demand for tech talent. Job seekers should consider relocating or targeting companies in these areas to maximize their earning potential.
Salary Estimates Across the Web
According to various sources, salaries for Software Quality Engineers can vary. Some reports suggest that salaries can exceed $120,000 in senior roles or specialized industries. Therefore, it’s crucial for professionals to stay informed about market trends and salary benchmarks to negotiate effectively during job offers.
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Where can a Software Quality Engineer earn more?
Software quality engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average software quality engineer salary by state
The average software quality engineer salary in California, Washington, and Oregon are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average software quality engineer salary states are Kansas, Alabama, and Tennessee.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for software quality engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $121,584 | $58.45 |
| 2 | Washington | $111,389 | $53.55 |
| 3 | Oregon | $98,923 | $47.56 |
| 4 | Maryland | $96,642 | $46.46 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $88,349 | $42.48 |
| 6 | Vermont | $87,511 | $42.07 |
| 7 | Idaho | $92,518 | $44.48 |
| 8 | Arizona | $89,850 | $43.20 |
| 9 | Montana | $88,555 | $42.57 |
| 10 | Utah | $83,165 | $39.98 |
| 11 | Nevada | $93,465 | $44.94 |
| 12 | North Dakota | $85,664 | $41.18 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $83,338 | $40.07 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $85,858 | $41.28 |
| 15 | New York | $86,774 | $41.72 |
| 16 | District of Columbia | $86,599 | $41.63 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $85,200 | $40.96 |
| 18 | Massachusetts | $83,664 | $40.22 |
| 19 | Delaware | $81,618 | $39.24 |
| 20 | Alaska | $88,960 | $42.77 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $78,451 | $37.72 |
| 22 | Kentucky | $80,471 | $38.69 |
| 23 | South Dakota | $82,747 | $39.78 |
| 24 | Rhode Island | $77,442 | $37.23 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $81,245 | $39.06 |
| 26 | Ohio | $79,466 | $38.20 |
| 27 | Virginia | $79,069 | $38.01 |
| 28 | Texas | $77,758 | $37.38 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $79,264 | $38.11 |
| 30 | Minnesota | $77,134 | $37.08 |
| 31 | Michigan | $76,573 | $36.81 |
| 32 | Mississippi | $79,178 | $38.07 |
| 33 | Indiana | $74,016 | $35.58 |
| 34 | Colorado | $76,160 | $36.62 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $77,828 | $37.42 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $75,986 | $36.53 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $74,263 | $35.70 |
| 38 | Illinois | $76,318 | $36.69 |
| 39 | Maine | $75,861 | $36.47 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $73,699 | $35.43 |
| 41 | Georgia | $75,061 | $36.09 |
| 42 | Kansas | $69,236 | $33.29 |
| 43 | Alabama | $69,130 | $33.24 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $68,180 | $32.78 |
| 45 | Iowa | $70,775 | $34.03 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $68,904 | $33.13 |
| 47 | Missouri | $68,332 | $32.85 |
| 48 | Louisiana | $70,318 | $33.81 |
| 49 | Hawaii | $70,549 | $33.92 |
| 50 | Florida | $69,845 | $33.58 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $68,062 | $32.72 |
Highest paying cities for software quality engineers
The highest-paying cities for software quality engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Hillsboro, OR.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $134,265 | $64.55 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $112,234 | $53.96 |
| 3 | Hillsboro, OR | $99,204 | $47.69 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $90,269 | $43.40 |
| 5 | New York, NY | $86,955 | $41.81 |
| 6 | Boston, MA | $83,693 | $40.24 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh, PA | $83,585 | $40.19 |
| 8 | McLean, VA | $79,859 | $38.39 |
| 9 | Raleigh, NC | $79,293 | $38.12 |
| 10 | Austin, TX | $79,149 | $38.05 |
| 11 | Cincinnati, OH | $77,759 | $37.38 |
| 12 | Detroit, MI | $76,757 | $36.90 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $76,592 | $36.82 |
| 14 | Portland, ME | $76,247 | $36.66 |
| 15 | Centennial, CO | $76,115 | $36.59 |
| 16 | Alpharetta, GA | $75,028 | $36.07 |
Software quality engineer salary details
A software quality engineer's salary ranges from $73,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $136,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a software quality engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $136,000 | $11,333 | $65 |
| 75th Percentile | $117,000 | $9,750 | $56 |
| Average | $99,902 | $8,325 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $84,000 | $7,000 | $40 |
| 10th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
Highest paying software quality engineer jobs
The highest paying types of software quality engineers are staff software engineer, principal software engineer, and software engineer lead.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | $110,007 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 278,178 |
| Test Engineer | $79,832 | $6,653 | $38.38 | 228,974 |
| Software Tester | $78,580 | $6,548 | $37.78 | 208,853 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
| Software Engineer-Consultant | $113,987 | $9,499 | $54.80 | 317,033 |
| Principal Software Engineer | $134,230 | $11,186 | $64.53 | 345,893 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for software quality engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring software quality engineers now:
Which companies pay software quality engineers the most?
Software quality engineer salaries at Apple and Twitter are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average software quality engineer salary at companies like StubHub and Google are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $140,985 | $67.78 |
| 2 | $133,065 | $63.97 | |
| 3 | StubHub | $130,882 | $62.92 |
| 4 | $129,054 | $62.05 | |
| 5 | PayPal | $128,607 | $61.83 |
| 6 | Amazon | $128,179 | $61.62 |
| 7 | Infinera | $127,015 | $61.06 |
| 8 | Walmart | $126,715 | $60.92 |
| 9 | NVIDIA | $126,609 | $60.87 |
| 10 | Xoom | $124,631 | $59.92 |
| 11 | eBay | $124,398 | $59.81 |
| 12 | Apptio | $124,197 | $59.71 |
| 13 | AppDynamics | $124,168 | $59.70 |
| 14 | Brocade Services Corporation | $122,573 | $58.93 |
| 15 | Expedia Group | $121,273 | $58.30 |
| 16 | Square | $120,748 | $58.05 |
| 17 | Western Digital | $120,488 | $57.93 |
| 18 | Zscaler | $119,816 | $57.60 |
| 19 | Microsoft | $119,134 | $57.28 |
| 20 | Salesforce | $119,015 | $57.22 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Software quality engineer salary trends
The average software quality engineer salary has risen by $16,354 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average software quality engineer earned $83,548 annually, but today, they earn $99,902 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for software quality engineers over the last decade.
Compare software quality engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average software quality engineer salary over time
Compare software quality engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Software quality engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $99,900 | $48.03 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $96,600 | $46.45 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $94,400 | $45.40 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $92,600 | $44.51 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $90,500 | $43.50 | +1.5% |
Recently added software quality engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat | Software Quality Engineer, AI Engineering | Boston, MA | 06/30/2025 | $108,760 |
| Blackrock | Software Engineer-Data Quality Engineering-Associate | Wilmington, DE | 06/30/2025 | $110,000 |
| Red Hat | Principal Software Quality Engineer-AI Model Serving | Raleigh, NC | 06/27/2025 | $116,270 |
| Sbservicenow | Assoc Software Quality Engineer | Pleasanton, CA | 06/26/2025 | $88,200 |
| Philip Morris International | Software Quality Engineer | Owensboro, KY | 06/25/2025 | $82,500 |
| Canopy | Software Quality Engineer | Detroit, MI | 06/25/2025 | $79,400 |
| The Aspen Group | Software Quality Test Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/25/2025 | $80,000 |
| Tag-The Aspen Group | Software Quality Test Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/24/2025 | $80,000 |
| Silvus Technologies | Software Engineer I, SQA | Los Angeles, CA | 06/22/2025 | $80,266 |
| Nevro | Principal Software Quality Engineer, Redwood City, CA (Onsite Role) | Redwood City, CA | 06/21/2025 | $144,205 |
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