Makes websites, apps and documents usable for people with disabilities by testing against WCAG standards and guiding teams on fixes. BLS does not publish separate figures for software quality assurance analysts and testers; it counts them within qa analyst (SOC 15-1253), whose median pay is $104,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-1253
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Digital Accessibility Specialist in four numbers
- Median pay
- $104,300a year, or $50.14/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $61KTop 10% $167K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.7%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.7%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.7% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 10,700187,600 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025187.6K
- Projected 2035198.2K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 187.6K Projected 2035 198.2K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- High school2.9%
- Certificate8.8%
- Some college8.8%
- Associate's26.5%
- Bachelor's50%
- Master's2.9%
Highest education held by software quality assurance analysts and testers Segment Value High school 2.9% Certificate 8.8% Some college 8.8% Associate's 26.5% Bachelor's 50% Master's 2.9%
Also advertised as: Accessibility Specialist, Accessibility Analyst, Accessibility Engineer, Section 508 Specialist, Accessibility Tester.
Pay
How much do Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers make?
Every digital accessibility specialist in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$104,300
Middle half earn $80,310 to $133,180
- 10th
- $61,440
- 25th
- $80,310
- 75th
- $133,180
- 90th
- $167,010
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $61,440 |
| 25th | $80,310 |
| Median | $104,300 |
| 75th | $133,180 |
| 90th | $167,010 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $104,300
- Median hourly wage
- $50.14/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $111,490
- People employed
- 186,740
Versus all US occupations
At $104,300, Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers earn 105% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $53,320 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
Inside the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580, this is 11% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $167,010 or more while the bottom 10% earn $61,440, a gap of 2.7×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 78% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($128,740), but once local prices are taken into account New Mexico leads at $126,426 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $128,740 | $116,275 | 27,710 |
| 2Washington | $128,480 | $120,060 | 7,970 |
| 3Colorado | $123,690 | $120,027 | 5,110 |
| 4Massachusetts | $122,210 | $115,557 | 6,640 |
| 5Virginia | $121,590 | $120,262 | 10,160 |
| 6New York | $121,240 | $112,341 | 10,460 |
| 7New Jersey | $119,470 | $109,802 | 6,550 |
| 8New Mexico | $116,580 | $126,426 | 450 |
| 9Maryland | $111,100 | $105,851 | 5,880 |
| 10Oregon | $108,440 | $104,914 | 1,840 |
Job outlook
Is Digital Accessibility Specialist a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.7% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | +5.7% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers to change 5.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 10,600 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 10,700 openings are projected each year, 5.7% of the 187,600 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Digital Accessibility Specialist
Specialists come from web development, QA testing, design, disability services and assistive technology backgrounds. A bachelor's degree is common but hands-on skill matters most: HTML and ARIA, screen reader use, and a working knowledge of WCAG success criteria.
The International Association of Accessibility Professionals offers the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) and the Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) credentials, which are widely listed in job postings. Section508.gov publishes free federal testing guidance and training. People with lived experience of disability bring valuable insight, and many enter by becoming the accessibility champion on their current team.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as software quality assurance analysts and testers.
- Bachelor's Degree50%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree26.5%
- Post-Secondary Certificate8.8%
- Some College Courses8.8%
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)2.9%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 50% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 26.5% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 8.8% |
| Some College Courses | 8.8% |
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 2.9% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Digital Accessibility Specialist do?
Digital accessibility specialists make sure people who are blind, deaf, have limited mobility or have cognitive disabilities can use digital products. They test websites and apps with screen readers such as JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver, navigate with only a keyboard, check color contrast, and review code for proper labels and structure. Their reference is the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and for federal work, Section 508.
After testing, they write clear reports explaining each barrier and how to fix it, then help designers and developers build accessibility into their process so problems do not keep coming back. Many also train staff, review documents and PDFs, and advise legal and procurement teams on whether purchased software meets requirements.
Day-to-day tasks
- Test websites and apps with screen readers and keyboard navigation
- Audit products against WCAG success criteria
- Write accessibility reports with clear remediation steps
- Review designs and code for accessibility before release
- Train designers, developers and content authors
- Check documents and PDFs for accessible structure
- Evaluate vendor software for Section 508 conformance
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Accessibility specialists work at technology companies, universities, government agencies, banks, retailers and consultancies that audit clients' sites. The work is desk-based and very often remote. Hours are regular. The job involves a lot of teaching and persuasion, since specialists usually depend on other teams to make the fixes they recommend.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.8
- Monitoring3.6
- Active Learning3.1
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Active Learning | 3.1 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Programming3.6
- Complex Problem Solving3.4
- Quality Control Analysis3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.3
- Operations Analysis3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Coordination3.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Programming | 3.6 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.4 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.3 |
| Operations Analysis | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 |
| Coordination | 3.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis software · in demand
- Cloud-based data access and sharing software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Computer aided design CAD software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Customer relationship management CRM software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits a Digital Accessibility Specialist?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code ISC) built on O*NET's QA Analyst profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Digital Accessibility Specialist |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 2 |
| Social | 3 |
| Enterprising | 2 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
- Investigative5.8
- Conventional5.7
- Realistic3.8
- Social2.7
- Artistic1.7
- Enterprising1.6
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Digital Accessibility Specialist
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Architecture and Engineering
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with software quality assurance analysts and testers highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Digital Accessibility Specialist$104,300
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Digital Accessibility Specialist | $104,300 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Digital Accessibility Specialist appears on
Questions
Digital Accessibility Specialist: frequently asked questions
How much do Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for software quality assurance analysts and testers. It counts them within qa analyst, whose median pay is $104,300 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $80,310 and $133,180, and the top 10% earn $167,010 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Digital Accessibility Specialist?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 50.0% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Digital Accessibility Specialist a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.7% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 10,700 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Digital Accessibility Specialist do?
Digital accessibility specialists make sure people who are blind, deaf, have limited mobility or have cognitive disabilities can use digital products. A typical task: test websites and apps with screen readers and keyboard navigation. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers the most?
The highest state medians for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers are California ($128,740), Washington ($128,480), Colorado ($123,690) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, New Mexico moves to the top at $126,426.
What personality type suits a Digital Accessibility Specialist?
O*NET scores Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers highest on the Investigative, Conventional and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.