Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Salaries by State
Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for software quality assurance analysts and testerss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).
Job Outlook, 2024–2034
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Salary Map
Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.
💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States
- California$131,260
- Washington$131,090
- Maryland$123,410
- Colorado$123,340
- New York$122,950
📉 5 Lowest-Paying States
- Louisiana$68,800
- South Dakota$73,260
- West Virginia$74,460
- Oklahoma$81,720
- North Dakota$83,460
State Rankings
| # | State | Mean | Median | Hourly | vs. U.S. | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $131,260 | $128,740 | $63 | +17.7% | 27,710 |
| 2 | Washington | $131,090 | $128,480 | $63 | +17.6% | 7,970 |
| 3 | Maryland | $123,410 | $111,100 | $59 | +10.7% | 5,880 |
| 4 | Colorado | $123,340 | $123,690 | $59 | +10.6% | 5,110 |
| 5 | New York | $122,950 | $121,240 | $59 | +10.3% | 10,460 |
| 6 | New Mexico | $122,520 | $116,580 | $59 | +9.9% | 450 |
| 7 | Virginia | $121,160 | $121,590 | $58 | +8.7% | 10,160 |
| 8 | New Jersey | $120,550 | $119,470 | $58 | +8.1% | 6,550 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $117,270 | $122,210 | $56 | +5.2% | 6,640 |
| 10 | Oregon | $115,840 | $108,440 | $56 | +3.9% | 1,840 |
| 11 | Delaware | $113,340 | $106,060 | $54 | +1.7% | 520 |
| 12 | Montana | $109,480 | $103,930 | $53 | -1.8% | 150 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $108,730 | $107,100 | $52 | -2.5% | 770 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $108,720 | $101,790 | $52 | -2.5% | 400 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $107,950 | $103,340 | $52 | -3.2% | 760 |
| 16 | Illinois | $107,950 | $104,910 | $52 | -3.2% | 6,530 |
| 17 | Alabama | $105,650 | $101,500 | $51 | -5.2% | 1,760 |
| 18 | Georgia | $105,320 | $103,040 | $51 | -5.5% | 7,110 |
| 19 | Hawaii | $105,150 | $102,930 | $51 | -5.7% | — |
| 20 | Minnesota | $104,720 | $101,700 | $50 | -6.1% | 2,630 |
| 21 | Texas | $104,660 | $101,850 | $50 | -6.1% | 19,590 |
| 22 | Florida | $102,560 | $100,210 | $49 | -8% | 10,320 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $102,060 | $100,390 | $49 | -8.5% | 8,890 |
| 24 | Arizona | $101,790 | $100,650 | $49 | -8.7% | 3,890 |
| 25 | Connecticut | $98,740 | $97,740 | $47 | -11.4% | 1,160 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $98,160 | $98,010 | $47 | -12% | 1,240 |
| 27 | Wisconsin | $97,890 | $89,400 | $47 | -12.2% | 3,800 |
| 28 | South Carolina | $96,910 | $97,500 | $47 | -13.1% | 1,740 |
| 29 | Michigan | $96,880 | $98,720 | $47 | -13.1% | 3,480 |
| 30 | Ohio | $95,890 | $98,000 | $46 | -14% | 4,400 |
| 31 | Missouri | $93,990 | $85,530 | $45 | -15.7% | 2,930 |
| 32 | Kansas | $93,900 | $94,490 | $45 | -15.8% | 1,140 |
| 33 | Pennsylvania | $93,710 | $93,030 | $45 | -15.9% | 4,530 |
| 34 | Tennessee | $92,170 | $91,040 | $44 | -17.3% | 1,530 |
| 35 | Iowa | $91,640 | $88,590 | $44 | -17.8% | 1,000 |
| 36 | Indiana | $91,470 | $87,020 | $44 | -18% | 1,610 |
| 37 | Vermont | $88,530 | $76,580 | $43 | -20.6% | 170 |
| 38 | Utah | $87,700 | $82,100 | $42 | -21.3% | 2,600 |
| 39 | Maine | $85,510 | $86,050 | $41 | -23.3% | 390 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $84,590 | $79,100 | $41 | -24.1% | 890 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $83,730 | $79,890 | $40 | -24.9% | 350 |
| 42 | North Dakota | $83,460 | $83,920 | $40 | -25.1% | 200 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $81,720 | $77,700 | $39 | -26.7% | 1,620 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $74,460 | $62,300 | $36 | -33.2% | 390 |
| 45 | South Dakota | $73,260 | $68,120 | $35 | -34.3% | 220 |
| 46 | Louisiana | $68,800 | $66,810 | $33 | -38.3% | 450 |
Top-Paying Metro Areas
Highest median pay among 257 metro areas.
| # | Metro area | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $166,530 | $160,040 | 6,480 |
| 2 | Lexington Park, MD | $147,520 | $153,640 | 400 |
| 3 | Boulder, CO | $136,410 | $136,490 | 500 |
| 4 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $134,630 | $136,630 | 5,880 |
| 5 | Greeley, CO | $134,350 | $135,860 | 60 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $133,970 | $127,490 | 100 |
| 7 | Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY | $130,710 | $131,310 | 170 |
| 8 | New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $130,540 | $130,580 | 11,460 |
| 9 | Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $129,880 | $129,400 | 2,670 |
| 10 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $129,690 | $135,140 | 6,650 |
Pay by Industry
Highest-paying industries employing software quality assurance analysts and testerss (BLS OEWS, by median).
| # | Industry | Median | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media | $171,410 | $149,390 | — |
| 2 | General Merchandise Retailers | $166,750 | $165,890 | 100 |
| 3 | Hospitals, State Government Owned | $163,470 | $155,690 | 250 |
| 4 | General Medical and Surgical Hospitals, State Government Owned | $163,470 | $155,690 | 250 |
| 5 | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | $160,680 | $140,790 | 340 |
| 6 | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $157,980 | $151,910 | 2,410 |
| 7 | Offices of Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapists, and Audiologists | $157,040 | $134,990 | 40 |
| 8 | Scheduled Air Transportation | $144,010 | $149,030 | 40 |
| 9 | Remediation and Other Waste Management Services | $139,710 | $132,910 | — |
| 10 | Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | $136,530 | $139,780 | 1,500 |
| 11 | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $135,150 | $145,300 | 4,060 |
| 12 | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | $134,810 | $142,980 | 4,680 |
Workforce Deep-Dive
Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2023, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.
Annual wage distribution
Pay by age band
Education level
Full-time vs part-time
Race / ethnicity
Top fields of study
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do software quality assurance analysts and testers make in the U.S.?
The median software quality assurance analysts and testers salary in the United States is $104,300 per year (mean $111,490), and about 80% earn between $61,440 and $167,010.
How much do software quality assurance analysts and testers make per hour?
Roughly $54 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $111,490 and 2,080 work hours per year.
Which state pays software quality assurance analysts and testers the most?
California has the highest average pay for software quality assurance analysts and testers at $131,260 per year (median $128,740).
What is the job outlook for software quality assurance analysts and testers?
Employment is projected to change +10% from 2024 to 2034 (Much faster than average), with about 14,000 openings per year.
What People Search
Common U.S. search queries related to this occupation.