Senior QA Engineer salary in Boston, MA
Based on 194 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Natick, Waltham, Quincy, Burlington, Framingham.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $119,912 |
| 25th | $119,912 |
| 50th (median) | $121,000 |
| 75th | $134,967 |
| 90th | $145,994 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $98,138 | $92,498 | $107,625 | 57 |
| FY2021 | $104,042 | $90,314 | $115,939 | 51 |
| FY2022 | $112,300 | $95,000 | $125,000 | 53 |
| FY2023 | $115,566 | $110,094 | $125,430 | 63 |
| FY2024 | $121,500 | $113,443 | $130,000 | 79 |
| FY2025 | $123,985 | $120,994 | $137,885 | 76 |
| FY2026 | $120,000 | $119,912 | $130,156 | 118 |
Cost of living
Boston's median senior QA Engineer salary of $121,000 is worth about $111,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boston = 108.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Boston, MA area earned a median of $122,210 in May 2025 (6,050 employed). The H-1B median here is $121,000, 1% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| The MathWorks | $119,912 | 41 |
| Cognizant | $119,912 | 19 |
| Hexaware Technologies | too few | 6 |
| Red Hat | too few | 4 |
| Staples | too few | 4 |
| Randstad | too few | 3 |
| Salesforce | too few | 3 |
| Advisor360 | too few | 3 |
| Emc | too few | 3 |
| IBM | 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 | $93,600 | 91 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $102,565 | 351 |
| Senior · Level III | $121,000 | 194 |
| Expert · Level IV | $145,000 | 152 |
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 | $78,686 | $93,600 | 91 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $99,299 | $102,565 | 351 |
| Senior · Level III | $119,912 | $121,000 | 194 |
| Expert · Level IV | $140,525 | $145,000 | 152 |
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.