Pay by state · 47 areas
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 West Virginia at $62,300 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $104,300. The table below covers 45 states, DC and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $128,740California
- National median
- $104,300BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $62,300West Virginia
- Areas reporting
- 47of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for software quality assurance analysts and testers
Ranked on the state median among the 45 reporting states and DC. After cost of living, New Mexico comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1California$128,740
- 2Washington$128,480
- 3Colorado$123,690
- 4Massachusetts$122,210
- 5Virginia$121,590
Lowest median pay
- 1West Virginia$62,300
- 2Louisiana$66,810
- 3South Dakota$68,120
- 4Vermont$76,580
- 5Oklahoma$77,700
All states
QA Analyst salary in every state
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.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CACalifornia | $128,740 | $93,530 | $165,530 | 27,710 | $116,275 |
| 2 | WAWashington | $128,480 | $96,740 | $164,470 | 7,970 | $120,060 |
| 3 | COColorado | $123,690 | $96,310 | $143,780 | 5,110 | $120,027 |
| 4 | MAMassachusetts | $122,210 | $80,160 | $141,500 | 6,640 | $115,557 |
| 5 | VAVirginia | $121,590 | $98,120 | $136,870 | 10,160 | $120,262 |
| 6 | NYNew York | $121,240 | $86,260 | $153,680 | 10,460 | $112,341 |
| 7 | NJNew Jersey | $119,470 | $91,370 | $138,690 | 6,550 | $109,802 |
| 8 | NMNew Mexico | $116,580 | $91,780 | $132,050 | 450 | $126,426 |
| 9 | MDMaryland | $111,100 | $100,600 | $140,880 | 5,880 | $105,851 |
| 10 | OROregon | $108,440 | $79,400 | $146,120 | 1,840 | $104,914 |
| 11 | NHNew Hampshire | $107,100 | $78,960 | $138,350 | 770 | $102,818 |
| 12 | DEDelaware | $106,060 | $88,410 | $131,770 | 520 | $106,264 |
| 13 | ILIllinois | $104,910 | $83,020 | $130,290 | 6,530 | $104,954 |
| 14 | MTMontana | $103,930 | $84,050 | $134,650 | 150 | $109,810 |
| 15 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $103,340 | $80,710 | $130,920 | 760 | $94,030 |
| 16 | GAGeorgia | $103,040 | $82,620 | $125,610 | 7,110 | $107,007 |
| 17 | HIHawaii | $102,930 | $78,180 | $130,860 | N/A | $93,614 |
| 18 | TXTexas | $101,850 | $79,670 | $127,760 | 19,590 | $104,938 |
| 19 | RIRhode Island | $101,790 | $89,220 | $131,050 | 400 | $99,521 |
| 20 | MNMinnesota | $101,700 | $80,610 | $128,450 | 2,630 | $103,122 |
| 21 | ALAlabama | $101,500 | $78,520 | $130,320 | 1,760 | $114,272 |
| 22 | AZArizona | $100,650 | $77,180 | $124,840 | 3,890 | $99,973 |
| 23 | NCNorth Carolina | $100,390 | $74,250 | $128,190 | 8,890 | $106,429 |
| 24 | FLFlorida | $100,210 | $76,760 | $125,280 | 10,320 | $96,902 |
| 25 | MIMichigan | $98,720 | $74,640 | $115,500 | 3,480 | $102,601 |
| 26 | NENebraska | $98,010 | $78,900 | $119,960 | 1,240 | $108,776 |
| 27 | OHOhio | $98,000 | $78,380 | $106,430 | 4,400 | $105,633 |
| 28 | CTConnecticut | $97,740 | $75,020 | $123,420 | 1,160 | $94,335 |
| 29 | SCSouth Carolina | $97,500 | $79,990 | $108,340 | 1,740 | $104,001 |
| 30 | KSKansas | $94,490 | $72,750 | $105,090 | 1,140 | $104,910 |
| 31 | PAPennsylvania | $93,030 | $69,720 | $113,190 | 4,530 | $95,345 |
| 32 | TNTennessee | $91,040 | $75,570 | $105,000 | 1,530 | $99,097 |
| 33 | WIWisconsin | $89,400 | $65,770 | $118,670 | 3,800 | $95,010 |
| 34 | IAIowa | $88,590 | $76,270 | $105,930 | 1,000 | $100,943 |
| 35 | INIndiana | $87,020 | $72,290 | $105,800 | 1,610 | $93,240 |
| 36 | MEMaine | $86,050 | $68,050 | $100,600 | 390 | $88,666 |
| 37 | MOMissouri | $85,530 | $71,190 | $109,400 | 2,930 | $94,178 |
| 38 | NDNorth Dakota | $83,920 | $78,520 | $87,380 | 200 | $94,336 |
| 39 | UTUtah | $82,100 | $61,530 | $106,030 | 2,600 | $83,043 |
| 40 | MSMississippi | $79,890 | $61,400 | $99,700 | 350 | $91,877 |
| 41 | KYKentucky | $79,100 | $62,310 | $102,240 | 890 | $87,734 |
| 42 | OKOklahoma | $77,700 | $60,940 | $96,090 | 1,620 | $88,453 |
| 43 | VTVermont | $76,580 | $65,070 | $104,160 | 170 | $78,176 |
| 44 | SDSouth Dakota | $68,120 | $55,400 | $84,950 | 220 | $76,897 |
| 45 | LALouisiana | $66,810 | $39,830 | $84,400 | 450 | $75,742 |
| 46 | WVWest Virginia | $62,300 | $48,200 | $102,080 | 390 | $69,611 |
| 47 | PRPuerto Rico | $61,690 | $47,610 | $82,600 | 270 | N/A |
Method
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.
Questions
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?
Among the 45 reporting states and DC, West Virginia reports the lowest median for software quality assurance analysts and testers at $62,300 a year, $66,440 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Puerto Rico reports $61,690.
In which states do software quality assurance analysts and testers earn over $100,000?
24 of the 45 reporting states and DC have a median of $100,000 or more (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The highest is California; the lowest of them is Florida at $100,210. The rest report less, down to $62,300 in West Virginia.
Is the highest-paying state the best for software quality assurance analysts and testers after cost of living?
Not on this data. California pays the most on paper ($128,740) but ranks 5th of 46 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($116,275). New Mexico leads after that adjustment at $126,426, from a raw median of $116,580. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.