Expert QA Engineer salary in Austin, TX
Based on 274 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Leander, Round Rock, Georgetown, Liberty Hill, Pflugerville.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $124,904 |
| 25th | $125,632 |
| 50th (median) | $135,100 |
| 75th | $152,200 |
| 90th | $165,070 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $116,000 | $102,606 | $124,134 | 39 |
| FY2021 | $109,928 | $102,606 | $120,000 | 47 |
| FY2022 | $112,841 | $109,928 | $127,504 | 83 |
| FY2023 | $122,802 | $111,784 | $137,375 | 122 |
| FY2024 | $129,696 | $119,025 | $144,400 | 152 |
| FY2025 | $132,525 | $125,632 | $151,484 | 169 |
| FY2026 | $138,376 | $125,632 | $154,600 | 105 |
Cost of living
Austin's median expert QA Engineer salary of $135,100 is worth about $137,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Austin = 98.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Austin, TX area earned a median of $103,070 in May 2025 (3,340 employed). The H-1B median here is $135,100, 31% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Employers filing at this level
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Dell USA L.P. | $145,379 | 40 |
| Visa | $125,632 | 35 |
| Charles Schwab & Company | $150,000 | 23 |
| Apple | $152,950 | 22 |
| CyberSource | too few | 9 |
| NTT DATA | too few | 6 |
| Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor | too few | 5 |
| Dell Products L.P. | too few | 5 |
| Cognizant | too few | 4 |
| Deloitte | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $70,000 | 86 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $87,672 | 519 |
| Senior · Level III | $115,000 | 273 |
| Expert · Level IV | $135,100 | 274 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.
Minimum H-1B salary by level
| Wage level | Prevailing wage (most common) | Median offered salary | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $67,018 | $70,000 | 86 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $86,320 | $87,672 | 519 |
| Senior · Level III | $106,662 | $115,000 | 273 |
| Expert · Level IV | $125,632 | $135,100 | 274 |
The prevailing wage is the minimum an employer must pay for this job and area. Amounts vary by county within a metro and by wage source.