QA Engineer Salary Guide (2026)

QA and test engineer salary ranges including SDET and automation roles. Compensation by experience level and tools. Based on 1,209 active job listings.

Salary Range (USD/year)

$95k$123k$157k

Based on 174 jobs with disclosed salaries

Top Skills

Python 380 Postman 377 Playwright 342 Selenium 320 Jira 312 Java 283 SQL 271 JavaScript 255 TypeScript 234 Cypress 222 Jenkins 203 Git 197 TestRail 155 GitHub Actions 153 AWS 145 Appium 140 Docker 128 Confluence 126 CI/CD 112 JMeter 108

Salary by Experience Level

Entry Level$85k
$68k16 jobs$104k
Mid-Level$109k
$90k61 jobs$133k
Senior$146k
$117k74 jobs$179k
Lead / Staff+$175k
$140k12 jobs$209k

Salary by Work Mode

Hybrid$143k
$100k40 jobs$178k
On-site$126k
$104k51 jobs$155k
Remote$106k
$84k56 jobs$130k

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average QA Engineer salary?

The median QA Engineer salary is $123,247 per year (USD). Salaries range from $94,595 (25th percentile) to $157,355 (75th percentile), based on 174 job listings with disclosed compensation.

How much do senior qa engineers earn compared to entry level?

Senior qa engineers earn a median of $145,938/year, while entry-level roles start around $85,000/year — a 72% increase with experience.

Do remote qa engineers earn more or less?

Remote qa engineer roles have a median salary of $105,639/year, which is 14% lower than the overall median. Based on 56 remote positions with disclosed pay.

What skills do qa engineers need to earn top salaries?

The most in-demand skills for QA Engineer roles are Python, Postman, Playwright, Selenium, Jira. Mastering these technologies can help you qualify for higher-paying positions in the $157,355+ range.

How do I negotiate a higher qa engineer salary?

Research market rates using salary data like this page. Quantify your impact with specific metrics and achievements. Highlight in-demand skills like Python, Postman, Playwright on your resume. Use CareerPair's AI resume builder to create a compelling resume that showcases your value.