Expert QA Engineer salary in Charlotte, NC
Based on 148 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fort Mill, Concord, Huntersville, Mooresville, Indian Land.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $115,731 |
| 25th | $120,307 |
| 50th (median) | $124,924 |
| 75th | $135,375 |
| 90th | $160,402 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $109,311 | $109,013 | $125,000 | 10 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2022 | $123,315 | $116,272 | $132,000 | 30 |
| FY2023 | $124,900 | $113,797 | $144,140 | 44 |
| FY2024 | $120,116 | $110,261 | $137,328 | 56 |
| FY2025 | $125,363 | $115,731 | $138,975 | 90 |
| FY2026 | $120,654 | $120,307 | $134,530 | 58 |
Cost of living
Charlotte's median expert QA Engineer salary of $124,924 is worth about $128,300 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Charlotte = 97.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Charlotte, NC area earned a median of $81,990 in May 2025 (3,900 employed). The H-1B median here is $124,924, 52% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| NTT DATA | $123,219 | 16 |
| Cognizant | too few | 8 |
| Artech | too few | 8 |
| Ally Bank | too few | 5 |
| AvidXchange | too few | 5 |
| Credit Karma | too few | 5 |
| Accenture | too few | 4 |
| Deloitte | too few | 4 |
| Randstad | too few | 4 |
| LendingTree | 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 | $71,552 | 22 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,030 | 416 |
| Senior · Level III | $102,669 | 263 |
| Expert · Level IV | $124,924 | 148 |
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 | $63,690 | $71,552 | 22 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $81,037 | $85,030 | 416 |
| Senior · Level III | $102,669 | $102,669 | 263 |
| Expert · Level IV | $120,307 | $124,924 | 148 |
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.