Technology · 67 Cities Ranked

Highest Paying Cities for Software Quality Assurance Tester (2025)

The median Software Quality Assurance Tester salary is $166,530 in San Jose, CA, the highest-paying city for this role. After adjusting for cost of living, Colorado Springs, CO offers the best purchasing power at $122,986 adjusted.

The 67 cities below are ranked by median wage for Software Quality Assurance Tester, drawn from BLS OEWS. Top-of-list cities typically combine high local labor demand with above-baseline cost-of-living, so the gross-wage ranking partly reflects COL adjustment. Reading the ranking carefully: gross median wage is the headline number, but the cost-adjusted figure (which divides by the city's cost-of-living index) tells a different story for high-COL cities. The ranking sorts on gross wage; the per-city pages surface the adjusted figure.

For workers evaluating Software Quality Assurance Tester relocation, the top of the ranking is the obvious starting point — but the bottom of the list (low gross wage, low COL) is often where cost-adjusted real income is highest. The role-specific pages link to per-city detail.

$101,943

National Median

$166,530

Highest City

$72,400

Lowest City

Cities Ranked

Ranked by Median Salary

Rank	City	Median	Range (10th-90th)	COL Index	COL-Adjusted	Jobs
1	San Jose, CA	$166,530	$84,240, $215,130	195.8	$85,051	6,480
2	San Francisco, CA	$134,630	$75,100, $205,990	179.6	$74,961	5,880
3	New York, NY	$130,540	$75,490, $181,330	187.2	$69,733	11,460
4	Baltimore, MD	$129,880	$80,350, $169,930	114.2	$113,730	2,670
5	Seattle, WA	$129,690	$74,880, $210,190	149.4	$86,807	6,650
6	Colorado Springs, CO	$128,520	$74,610, $175,590	104.5	$122,986	610
7	Washington, DC	$126,350	$81,360, $175,240	152.8	$82,690	8,460
8	Denver, CO	$123,690	$80,590, $169,990	112.8	$109,654	3,620
9	Los Angeles, CA	$122,210	$60,660, $170,880	166	$73,620	7,200
10	Boston, MA	$122,210	$68,050, $168,030	152.1	$80,348	6,050
11	San Diego, CA	$120,210	$62,380, $169,350	160.2	$75,037	2,280
12	Raleigh, NC	$110,800	$65,970, $170,750	99.8	$111,022	1,760
13	Portland, OR	$109,760	$56,760, $195,910	130.1	$84,366	1,550
14	Albuquerque, NM	$108,230	$70,590, $160,430	94	$115,138	230
15	Richmond, VA	$106,300	$73,200, $159,050	102.1	$104,114	720
16	Atlanta, GA	$105,800	$70,400, $151,960	99.2	$106,653	5,270
17	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$105,720	$61,110, $157,260	122.4	$86,373	450
18	Chicago, IL	$105,580	$67,010, $152,900	107.3	$98,397	5,010
19	Sacramento, CA	$104,410	$58,870, $158,940	124.7	$83,729	930
20	Orlando, FL	$104,250	$59,190, $150,340	103.1	$101,115	1,940
21	Dallas, TX	$103,210	$61,090, $154,010	104.1	$99,145	8,840
22	Columbus, OH	$103,110	$64,490, $134,950	93.1	$110,752	780
23	Austin, TX	$103,070	$59,900, $162,320	103	$100,068	3,340
24	Providence, RI	$102,750	$78,870, $153,280	119.4	$86,055	440
25	Philadelphia, PA	$102,740	$63,240, $144,470	118.4	$86,774	2,650
26	Detroit, MI	$102,390	$64,880, $137,600	95.1	$107,666	2,140
27	Minneapolis, MN	$102,130	$66,370, $138,570	106.2	$96,168	2,190
28	Boise, ID	$102,110	$47,960, $277,120	102.1	$100,010	360
29	Bridgeport, CT	$102,090	$52,070, $157,540	137.5	$74,247	220
30	Buffalo, NY	$101,880	$54,990, $160,980	92.5	$110,141	340
31	Phoenix, AZ	$100,740	$63,630, $143,000	100.7	$100,040	3,160
32	Albany, NY	$100,690	$64,140, $136,490	100.7	$99,990	430
33	Tucson, AZ	$100,650	$71,240, $144,390	95.4	$105,503	430
34	Reno, NV	$100,130	$59,530, $130,410	106.5	$94,019	160
35	Miami, FL	$100,050	$54,410, $150,390	123.1	$81,275	1,960
36	Omaha, NE	$99,580	$65,200, $131,490	91.8	$108,475	800
37	Greensboro, NC	$99,340	$56,720, $132,880	91.3	$108,806	270
38	Tampa, FL	$98,870	$60,010, $153,150	99.6	$99,267	1,930
39	Houston, TX	$98,690	$51,800, $147,360	96.5	$102,269	2,420
40	Des Moines, IA	$98,190	$62,650, $128,790	93.3	$105,241	440
41	Rochester, NY	$97,840	$64,200, $132,460	92.9	$105,318	490
42	Madison, WI	$97,840	$64,080, $165,290	103.8	$94,258	1,470
43	Milwaukee, WI	$97,390	$61,430, $149,730	97.4	$99,990	790
44	Jacksonville, FL	$97,030	$62,250, $135,080	95.1	$102,029	1,060
45	Greenville, SC	$96,960	$48,820, $133,680	90.1	$107,614	210
46	Hartford, CT	$96,160	$45,950, $159,210	112.6	$85,400	510
47	San Antonio, TX	$95,990	$55,800, $133,870	91.5	$104,907	1,010
48	Spokane, WA	$95,680	$62,400, $141,590	97.4	$98,234	140
49	Nashville, TN	$95,280	$65,450, $126,790	100.3	$94,995	0
50	Kansas City, MO	$94,970	$52,650, $134,290	95.4	$99,549	1,430
51	St. Louis, MO	$94,590	$59,600, $169,820	90	$105,100	1,360
52	Fresno, CA	$94,350	$48,480, $138,350	105.5	$89,431	100
53	Indianapolis, IN	$93,510	$58,840, $133,110	90.1	$103,785	990
54	Memphis, TN	$91,040	$67,670, $120,600	84	$108,381	170
55	Wichita, KS	$90,130	$61,890, $136,600	84	$107,298	130
56	Tulsa, OK	$88,680	$45,910, $121,720	86.8	$102,166	270
57	Cincinnati, OH	$87,940	$59,010, $134,490	91.2	$96,425	920
58	Knoxville, TN	$85,970	$57,820, $114,700	90.3	$95,205	220
59	Bakersfield, CA	$83,290	$48,900, $162,050	100.6	$82,793	180
60	Salt Lake City, UT	$82,940	$46,030, $133,740	101.4	$81,795	1,610
61	Pittsburgh, PA	$82,900	$56,140, $125,390	92.3	$89,816	830
62	Birmingham, AL	$82,060	$54,080, $131,030	90.4	$90,774	360
63	Charlotte, NC	$81,990	$64,990, $133,940	96.7	$84,788	3,900
64	Louisville, KY	$79,040	$47,190, $126,110	90.2	$87,627	0
65	Lexington, KY	$78,800	$47,140, $123,030	91.3	$86,309	0
66	Oklahoma City, OK	$77,700	$52,390, $124,080	86.5	$89,827	1,120
67	Little Rock, AR	$72,400	$50,410, $108,560	88.2	$82,086	280

Ranked by Purchasing Power (COL-Adjusted)

Cost-of-living adjusted salaries show where your Software Quality Assurance Tester paycheck goes furthest. A lower COL index means your dollars stretch further.

Rank	City	COL-Adjusted	Raw Median	COL Index
1	Colorado Springs, CO	$122,986	$128,520	104.5
2	Albuquerque, NM	$115,138	$108,230	94
3	Baltimore, MD	$113,730	$129,880	114.2
4	Raleigh, NC	$111,022	$110,800	99.8
5	Columbus, OH	$110,752	$103,110	93.1
6	Buffalo, NY	$110,141	$101,880	92.5
7	Denver, CO	$109,654	$123,690	112.8
8	Greensboro, NC	$108,806	$99,340	91.3
9	Omaha, NE	$108,475	$99,580	91.8
10	Memphis, TN	$108,381	$91,040	84
11	Detroit, MI	$107,666	$102,390	95.1
12	Greenville, SC	$107,614	$96,960	90.1
13	Wichita, KS	$107,298	$90,130	84
14	Atlanta, GA	$106,653	$105,800	99.2
15	Tucson, AZ	$105,503	$100,650	95.4
16	Rochester, NY	$105,318	$97,840	92.9
17	Des Moines, IA	$105,241	$98,190	93.3
18	St. Louis, MO	$105,100	$94,590	90
19	San Antonio, TX	$104,907	$95,990	91.5
20	Richmond, VA	$104,114	$106,300	102.1
21	Indianapolis, IN	$103,785	$93,510	90.1
22	Houston, TX	$102,269	$98,690	96.5
23	Tulsa, OK	$102,166	$88,680	86.8
24	Jacksonville, FL	$102,029	$97,030	95.1
25	Orlando, FL	$101,115	$104,250	103.1
26	Austin, TX	$100,068	$103,070	103
27	Phoenix, AZ	$100,040	$100,740	100.7
28	Boise, ID	$100,010	$102,110	102.1
29	Albany, NY	$99,990	$100,690	100.7
30	Milwaukee, WI	$99,990	$97,390	97.4
31	Kansas City, MO	$99,549	$94,970	95.4
32	Tampa, FL	$99,267	$98,870	99.6
33	Dallas, TX	$99,145	$103,210	104.1
34	Chicago, IL	$98,397	$105,580	107.3
35	Spokane, WA	$98,234	$95,680	97.4
36	Cincinnati, OH	$96,425	$87,940	91.2
37	Minneapolis, MN	$96,168	$102,130	106.2
38	Knoxville, TN	$95,205	$85,970	90.3
39	Nashville, TN	$94,995	$95,280	100.3
40	Madison, WI	$94,258	$97,840	103.8
41	Reno, NV	$94,019	$100,130	106.5
42	Birmingham, AL	$90,774	$82,060	90.4
43	Oklahoma City, OK	$89,827	$77,700	86.5
44	Pittsburgh, PA	$89,816	$82,900	92.3
45	Fresno, CA	$89,431	$94,350	105.5
46	Louisville, KY	$87,627	$79,040	90.2
47	Seattle, WA	$86,807	$129,690	149.4
48	Philadelphia, PA	$86,774	$102,740	118.4
49	Riverside-San Bernardino, CA	$86,373	$105,720	122.4
50	Lexington, KY	$86,309	$78,800	91.3
51	Providence, RI	$86,055	$102,750	119.4
52	Hartford, CT	$85,400	$96,160	112.6
53	San Jose, CA	$85,051	$166,530	195.8
54	Charlotte, NC	$84,788	$81,990	96.7
55	Portland, OR	$84,366	$109,760	130.1
56	Sacramento, CA	$83,729	$104,410	124.7
57	Bakersfield, CA	$82,793	$83,290	100.6
58	Washington, DC	$82,690	$126,350	152.8
59	Little Rock, AR	$82,086	$72,400	88.2
60	Salt Lake City, UT	$81,795	$82,940	101.4
61	Miami, FL	$81,275	$100,050	123.1
62	Boston, MA	$80,348	$122,210	152.1
63	San Diego, CA	$75,037	$120,210	160.2
64	San Francisco, CA	$74,961	$134,630	179.6
65	Bridgeport, CT	$74,247	$102,090	137.5
66	Los Angeles, CA	$73,620	$122,210	166
67	New York, NY	$69,733	$130,540	187.2

Frequently Asked Questions

San Jose, CA pays the highest median Software Quality Assurance Tester salary at $166,530. However, after cost-of-living adjustment, Colorado Springs, CO offers the most purchasing power at $122,986 adjusted.

The national median Software Quality Assurance Tester salary is $101,943 based on BLS data. Salaries range from $72,400 to $166,530 depending on city.

Not necessarily. A city with higher nominal pay may have a higher cost of living that offsets the salary difference. Compare the "COL-Adjusted" column in both tables above, cities with lower costs of living often offer better real purchasing power.