Entry-level QA Engineer salary in Houston, TX
Based on 44 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Katy, Spring, Cypress, Fulshear, Richmond.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $62,754 |
| 25th | $64,870 |
| 50th (median) | $66,811 |
| 75th | $72,688 |
| 90th | $82,885 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 7 |
| FY2021 | $63,527 | $60,500 | $64,583 | 18 |
| FY2022 | $64,479 | $60,000 | $75,795 | 27 |
| FY2023 | $65,000 | $64,334 | $65,000 | 14 |
| FY2024 | $65,000 | $64,334 | $70,000 | 33 |
| FY2025 | $65,832 | $62,754 | $72,000 | 29 |
| FY2026 | $67,000 | $66,810 | $72,775 | 15 |
Cost of living
Houston's median entry-level QA Engineer salary of $66,811 is worth about $67,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Houston = 98.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Houston, TX area earned a median of $98,690 in May 2025 (2,420 employed). The H-1B median here is $66,811, 32% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Foxconn Assembly | too few | 8 |
| Mphasis | too few | 4 |
| Sai Business Solutions | too few | 4 |
| Hiecept | too few | 3 |
| Jins Tech | too few | 3 |
| Ashbe Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Bruegmann | too few | 2 |
| PCE Paragon Solutions | 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 | $66,811 | 44 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $84,906 | 261 |
| Senior · Level III | $110,000 | 92 |
| Expert · Level IV | $124,952 | 68 |
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 | $62,754 | $66,811 | 44 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $83,470 | $84,906 | 261 |
| Senior · Level III | $103,002 | $110,000 | 92 |
| Expert · Level IV | $121,098 | $124,952 | 68 |
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.