Mid-level QA Engineer salary in Columbia, SC

Based on 18 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II in the Columbia, SC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Lexington, Blythewood.

Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer

Median salary$62,481
Middle 50%$62.5k–$67.3k
vs. all levels here−11%comparison median $70,304
Filings18FY2025–FY2026 · latest two fiscal years

Salary range

Box: middle 50% of filings. Whiskers: 10th–90th percentile. 99% of filings are between $60,419 and $96,584.
PercentileSalary
10th$62,462
25th$62,462
50th (median)$62,481
75th$67,265
90th$75,902

Salary by year

Median salary

$50k $75k $100k FY2020: median $73,008 (14 filings) FY2021: median $76,856 (11 filings) FY2022: median $75,442 (24 filings) FY2023: median $66,248 (24 filings) FY2024: median $92,200 (11 filings) FY2026: median $62,462 (10 filings) FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26

Filings per year

FY2020: 14 filings FY20 FY2021: 11 filings FY21 FY2022: 24 filings FY22 FY2023: 24 filings FY23 FY2024: 11 filings FY24 FY2025: 8 filings FY25 FY2026: 10 filings FY26 24
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$73,008$73,008$73,07714
FY2021$76,856$76,856$76,85611
FY2022$75,442$66,248$75,44224
FY2023$66,248$66,248$72,06124
FY2024$92,200$60,000$107,50011
FY2025–––8
FY2026$62,462$62,462$62,46210

Cost of living

Columbia's median mid-level QA Engineer salary of $62,481 is worth about $66,700 at national average prices.

Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Columbia = 93.7).

Compared with all workers here

All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Columbia, SC area earned a median of $86,320 in May 2025 (250 employed). The H-1B median here is $62,481, 28% 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

EmployerMedianFilings
CGItoo few4
Capgemini Americatoo few3
Virat Solutionstoo few2

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

By experience level

Wage levelMedianFilings
Entry-level · Level I – 0
Mid-level · Level II $62,481 18
Senior · Level III $87,482 10
Expert · Level IV too few 3

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$62,462$62,48118
Senior · Level III$70,304$87,48210

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.