Senior QA Engineer salary in Charlotte, NC
Based on 263 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $98,384 |
| 25th | $98,384 |
| 50th (median) | $102,669 |
| 75th | $114,677 |
| 90th | $126,783 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $94,000 | $91,206 | $101,002 | 43 |
| FY2021 | $93,413 | $93,413 | $99,400 | 27 |
| FY2022 | $100,000 | $95,139 | $115,750 | 88 |
| FY2023 | $99,504 | $98,821 | $114,504 | 106 |
| FY2024 | $98,332 | $94,682 | $112,519 | 134 |
| FY2025 | $102,669 | $98,384 | $110,000 | 153 |
| FY2026 | $105,823 | $102,669 | $118,000 | 110 |
Cost of living
Charlotte's median senior QA Engineer salary of $102,669 is worth about $105,500 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 $102,669, 25% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | $102,669 | 102 |
| Synechron | $114,228 | 20 |
| Capgemini America | $114,703 | 16 |
| NTT DATA | $102,669 | 14 |
| Accenture | $98,384 | 13 |
| Randstad | too few | 8 |
| IBM | too few | 4 |
| Infostretch | too few | 4 |
| CGI | too few | 3 |
| Intellyk | too few | 3 |
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.