QA Engineer salary in Boulder, CO

Based on 36 certified H-1B filings in the Boulder, CO metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Erie.

Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer

Median salary$118,407
Middle 50%$104.4k–$131.8k
vs. national median+12%comparison median $105,602
Filings36FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $84,198 and $165,064.
PercentileSalary
10th$91,836
25th$104,355
50th (median)$118,407
75th$131,764
90th$151,223

Salary by year

Median salary

$90k $110k $130k FY2022: median $117,000 (23 filings) FY2023: median $109,500 (13 filings) FY2024: median $110,302 (19 filings) FY2025: median $118,943 (26 filings) FY2026: median $118,407 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 5 filings FY20 FY2021: 8 filings FY21 FY2022: 23 filings FY22 FY2023: 13 filings FY23 FY2024: 19 filings FY24 FY2025: 26 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 26
Shaded: FY2025–FY2026, the years behind the figures above. Median shown for years with at least 10 filings. FY2026 covers Q1–Q3 only.
Show as table
Fiscal yearMedianP25P75Filings
FY2020–––5
FY2021–––8
FY2022$117,000$112,675$130,00023
FY2023$109,500$97,000$116,56313
FY2024$110,302$101,210$125,77819
FY2025$118,943$102,419$131,92126
FY2026$118,407$105,622$124,88810

Cost of living

Boulder's median QA Engineer salary of $118,407 is worth about $112,600 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Boulder = 105.2).

Compared with all workers here

All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Boulder, CO area earned a median of $136,410 in May 2025 (500 employed). The H-1B median here is $118,407, 13% lower.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.

Top employers filing

EmployerMedianFilings
Workdaytoo few4
Seagatetoo few3
Medtronictoo few2
Microntoo few2
Siemenstoo few2
Mach 2000 Technologiestoo few2
SK Hynix NAND Product Solutionstoo few2
Spectralinktoo few2
Valitoo few2

Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I too few 2
Mid-level · Level II $105,622 14
Senior · Level III – 0
Expert · Level IV too few 2

Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.

Minimum H-1B salary by level

Wage levelPrevailing wage (most common)Median offered salaryFilings
Mid-level · Level II$102,419$105,62214

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.