Software Quality Assurance Analysts Salary: $133,790 Median Pay (2026 stats)
TL;DR
About 199,800 software quality assurance analysts nationally earn a mean of $133,790. Employment in the series shown fell about 4% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 2.9% annual decline.
Key Statistics
Software Quality Assurance Analysts: what the data shows
Common questions about software quality assurance analysts careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a software quality assurance analysts?
Software Quality Assurance Analysts is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 15-1253.
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 199,800 workers.
What does a software quality assurance analysts do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Analyzing Data or Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a software quality assurance analysts make?
BLS national median annual wage: $102,610 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $133,790 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $65,185 |
| 25th percentile | $88,841 |
| Median (50th) | $130,462 |
| 75th percentile | $168,991 |
| 90th percentile | $202,765 |
What education do you need?
For Software Quality Assurance Analysts, O*NET incumbent surveys in our extract most often report: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
These are education levels of current workers, not minimum legal requirements.
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing, Monitoring, and knowledge areas including Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is software quality assurance analysts in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 2.9% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: -13.9%.
Ten-year projected employment change: -25.8%.
Current U.S. headcount: 199,800.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do software quality assurance analystss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 199,800 | 19.4% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 197,220 | 19.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 83,530 | 8.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 83,530 | 8.1% |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 62,410 | 6.0% |
| Information | 38,580 | 3.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Software Quality Assurance Analysts in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Systems Analysts | 497,800 | $103,790 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Computer Programmers | 109,870 | $98,670 |
| Computer Network Architects | 177,010 | $130,390 |
| Web Developers | 200,000 | — |
| Software Developers | 1,654,440 | $133,080 |
| Computer User Support Specialists | 146,450 | $73,340 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Software Quality Assurance Analysts workforce.
Employment Over Time
199,800 Workforce in 2023
The Software Quality Assurance Analysts workforce has been growing over time.
Historical employment trends for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$133,790 Average Wage
In 2023, Software Quality Assurance Analysts earned an average of $133,790.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Salary distribution for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Employment Growth Projections
-2.9% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
102,492 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: -13.9%
88,289 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: -25.8%
This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Software Quality Assurance Analysts and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Software Quality Assurance Analysts employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Wage Trends by Industry
0.5% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Metropolitan employment on this page is from the California OEWS extract. Area names omit state codes; all listed metros are in California, so the state chart shows California totals (not a multi-state ranking).
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- CA: 27,930 employees, $137,226 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA: 7,590 employees, $170,285 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 4,790 employees, $112,051 avg wage
- San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD: 4,540 employees, $137,279 avg wage
- Oakland-Fremont-Berkeley MD: 3,270 employees, $150,185 avg wage
- Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD: 2,780 employees, $112,405 avg wage
- San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA: 2,260 employees, $118,310 avg wage
- Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA: 870 employees, $116,574 avg wage
- Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario MSA: 560 employees, $108,953 avg wage
- Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura MSA: 280 employees, $121,525 avg wage
- Santa Maria-Santa Barbara MSA: 210 employees, $119,697 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Diversity
Demographic information on Software Quality Assurance Analysts in the US.
Gender and Age
The workforce of Software Quality Assurance Analysts in 2023 was 199,800 people, with 62.0% women and 38.0% men.
Gender and age distribution for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Software Quality Assurance Analysts in 2023 were Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Systems.
Common majors for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Software Quality Assurance Analysts workers.
Education level distribution for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Skills
Software Quality Assurance Analysts need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Writing.
Required skills for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Software Quality Assurance Analysts include Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, Design.
Knowledge areas required for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Software Quality Assurance Analysts include Problem Sensitivity, Oral Expression, Inductive Reasoning, Written Comprehension, Deductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
Daily Activities
Software Quality Assurance Analysts spend their time on activities such as Working with Computers, Getting Information, Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates, Processing Information, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.
Most important work activities for Software Quality Assurance Analysts.
About
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
The average yearly wage for Software Quality Assurance Analysts was $133,790 in 2023.
SOC Code
15-1253 - Software Quality Assurance Analysts
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Software Quality Assurance Analysts reports an average salary of $133,790, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 199,800 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -2.9%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.