Senior QA Engineer salary in Baltimore, MD
Based on 51 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Columbia, Owings Mills, Ellicott City, Woodlawn, Linthicum Heights.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $124,904 |
| 25th | $124,904 |
| 50th (median) | $126,568 |
| 75th | $130,075 |
| 90th | $143,750 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2022 | $117,916 | $115,416 | $123,390 | 14 |
| FY2023 | $127,894 | $124,550 | $133,538 | 18 |
| FY2024 | $125,000 | $124,800 | $128,750 | 29 |
| FY2025 | $127,920 | $126,568 | $130,000 | 18 |
| FY2026 | $124,904 | $124,904 | $130,151 | 33 |
Cost of living
Baltimore's median senior QA Engineer salary of $126,568 is worth about $121,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Baltimore = 104.5).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Baltimore, MD area earned a median of $129,880 in May 2025 (2,670 employed). The H-1B median here is $126,568, 3% lower.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | $124,904 | 18 |
| Sparksoft | too few | 3 |
| Accenture | too few | 2 |
| Advithri Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Allegis Group | too few | 2 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 2 |
| NexSolv | too few | 2 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $82,089 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,312 | 93 |
| Senior · Level III | $126,568 | 51 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,990 | 19 |
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 | $77,542 | $82,089 | 48 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $104,312 | $104,312 | 93 |
| Senior · Level III | $124,904 | $126,568 | 51 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,574 | $148,990 | 19 |
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.