Entry-level QA Engineer salary in Los Angeles, CA
Based on 76 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Irvine, Torrance, El Segundo, Woodland Hills, Lake Forest.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $61,111 |
| 25th | $71,282 |
| 50th (median) | $71,630 |
| 75th | $85,000 |
| 90th | $115,740 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $83,200 | $76,250 | $111,000 | 19 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | $93,750 | $75,462 | $120,000 | 26 |
| FY2023 | $85,000 | $65,780 | $109,050 | 39 |
| FY2024 | $69,996 | $66,664 | $80,215 | 36 |
| FY2025 | $71,282 | $71,282 | $74,440 | 39 |
| FY2026 | $82,000 | $66,560 | $105,000 | 37 |
Cost of living
Los Angeles's median entry-level QA Engineer salary of $71,630 is worth about $63,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Los Angeles = 113.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Los Angeles, CA area earned a median of $122,210 in May 2025 (7,200 employed). The H-1B median here is $71,630, 41% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $97,291 | 10 |
| Medtronic | too few | 4 |
| EVGateway | too few | 3 |
| Rivian | too few | 2 |
| City National Bank | too few | 2 |
| DigitBridge | too few | 2 |
| Eloc | too few | 2 |
| Fast Switch-Great Lakes | too few | 2 |
| Fpt | too few | 2 |
| Opal Nexai | 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 | $71,630 | 76 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $93,018 | 288 |
| Senior · Level III | $114,754 | 141 |
| Expert · Level IV | $136,490 | 107 |
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 | $61,110 | $71,630 | 76 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $85,051 | $93,018 | 288 |
| Senior · Level III | $108,971 | $114,754 | 141 |
| Expert · Level IV | $132,912 | $136,490 | 107 |
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.