Sort by any column. Employment is the number of software quality assurance analysts and testers OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
QA Analyst Salary by State (2026)
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers earn the most in California at $128,740 a year and the least in Puerto Rico at $61,690 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $104,300. All 47 states and territories with reported data are ranked below, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $128,740
- National median
- $104,300
- Lowest median
- $61,690
- States reporting
- 47
California
BLS OEWS, May 2025
Puerto Rico
of 54 OEWS areas
Top 5 states for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- 1. California$128,740 median · $116,275 adjusted · 27,710 employed
- 2. Washington$128,480 median · $120,060 adjusted · 7,970 employed
- 3. Colorado$123,690 median · $120,027 adjusted · 5,110 employed
- 4. Massachusetts$122,210 median · $115,557 adjusted · 6,640 employed
- 5. Virginia$121,590 median · $120,262 adjusted · 10,160 employed
Lowest-paying states for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
- 47. Puerto Rico$61,690 median · no price parity · 270 employed
- 46. West Virginia$62,300 median · $69,611 adjusted · 390 employed
- 45. Louisiana$66,810 median · $75,742 adjusted · 450 employed
- 44. South Dakota$68,120 median · $76,897 adjusted · 220 employed
- 43. Vermont$76,580 median · $78,176 adjusted · 170 employed
QA Analyst salary in every state
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $128,740 | $93,530 | $165,530 | 27,710 | $116,275 |
| 2 | Washington | $128,480 | $96,740 | $164,470 | 7,970 | $120,060 |
| 3 | Colorado | $123,690 | $96,310 | $143,780 | 5,110 | $120,027 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $122,210 | $80,160 | $141,500 | 6,640 | $115,557 |
| 5 | Virginia | $121,590 | $98,120 | $136,870 | 10,160 | $120,262 |
| 6 | New York | $121,240 | $86,260 | $153,680 | 10,460 | $112,341 |
| 7 | New Jersey | $119,470 | $91,370 | $138,690 | 6,550 | $109,802 |
| 8 | New Mexico | $116,580 | $91,780 | $132,050 | 450 | $126,426 |
| 9 | Maryland | $111,100 | $100,600 | $140,880 | 5,880 | $105,851 |
| 10 | Oregon | $108,440 | $79,400 | $146,120 | 1,840 | $104,914 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $107,100 | $78,960 | $138,350 | 770 | $102,818 |
| 12 | Delaware | $106,060 | $88,410 | $131,770 | 520 | $106,264 |
| 13 | Illinois | $104,910 | $83,020 | $130,290 | 6,530 | $104,954 |
| 14 | Montana | $103,930 | $84,050 | $134,650 | 150 | $109,810 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $103,340 | $80,710 | $130,920 | 760 | $94,030 |
| 16 | Georgia | $103,040 | $82,620 | $125,610 | 7,110 | $107,007 |
| 17 | Hawaii | $102,930 | $78,180 | $130,860 | N/A | $93,614 |
| 18 | Texas | $101,850 | $79,670 | $127,760 | 19,590 | $104,938 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $101,790 | $89,220 | $131,050 | 400 | $99,521 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $101,700 | $80,610 | $128,450 | 2,630 | $103,122 |
| 21 | Alabama | $101,500 | $78,520 | $130,320 | 1,760 | $114,272 |
| 22 | Arizona | $100,650 | $77,180 | $124,840 | 3,890 | $99,973 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $100,390 | $74,250 | $128,190 | 8,890 | $106,429 |
| 24 | Florida | $100,210 | $76,760 | $125,280 | 10,320 | $96,902 |
| 25 | Michigan | $98,720 | $74,640 | $115,500 | 3,480 | $102,601 |
| 26 | Nebraska | $98,010 | $78,900 | $119,960 | 1,240 | $108,776 |
| 27 | Ohio | $98,000 | $78,380 | $106,430 | 4,400 | $105,633 |
| 28 | Connecticut | $97,740 | $75,020 | $123,420 | 1,160 | $94,335 |
| 29 | South Carolina | $97,500 | $79,990 | $108,340 | 1,740 | $104,001 |
| 30 | Kansas | $94,490 | $72,750 | $105,090 | 1,140 | $104,910 |
| 31 | Pennsylvania | $93,030 | $69,720 | $113,190 | 4,530 | $95,345 |
| 32 | Tennessee | $91,040 | $75,570 | $105,000 | 1,530 | $99,097 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $89,400 | $65,770 | $118,670 | 3,800 | $95,010 |
| 34 | Iowa | $88,590 | $76,270 | $105,930 | 1,000 | $100,943 |
| 35 | Indiana | $87,020 | $72,290 | $105,800 | 1,610 | $93,240 |
| 36 | Maine | $86,050 | $68,050 | $100,600 | 390 | $88,666 |
| 37 | Missouri | $85,530 | $71,190 | $109,400 | 2,930 | $94,178 |
| 38 | North Dakota | $83,920 | $78,520 | $87,380 | 200 | $94,336 |
| 39 | Utah | $82,100 | $61,530 | $106,030 | 2,600 | $83,043 |
| 40 | Mississippi | $79,890 | $61,400 | $99,700 | 350 | $91,877 |
| 41 | Kentucky | $79,100 | $62,310 | $102,240 | 890 | $87,734 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | $77,700 | $60,940 | $96,090 | 1,620 | $88,453 |
| 43 | Vermont | $76,580 | $65,070 | $104,160 | 170 | $78,176 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $68,120 | $55,400 | $84,950 | 220 | $76,897 |
| 45 | Louisiana | $66,810 | $39,830 | $84,400 | 450 | $75,742 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $62,300 | $48,200 | $102,080 | 390 | $69,611 |
| 47 | Puerto Rico | $61,690 | $47,610 | $82,600 | 270 | N/A |
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, that changes the ranking: California leads on raw pay at $128,740, while New Mexico leads once prices are taken into account at $126,426.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
QA Analyst pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers the most?
California reports the highest median wage for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers at $128,740 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by Washington ($128,480) and Colorado ($123,690).
Which state pays Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers the least?
Puerto Rico reports the lowest median for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers at $61,690 a year, $67,050 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Where do Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers earn the most after cost of living?
Dividing each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity puts New Mexico first at $126,426 in national-average dollars, from a raw median of $116,580. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
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