QA Engineer salary in Madison, WI
Based on 65 certified H-1B filings in the Madison, WI metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Sun Prairie, Middleton, Stoughton, Wisconsin.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $73,299 |
| 25th | $74,485 |
| 50th (median) | $97,490 |
| 75th | $110,000 |
| 90th | $125,206 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $68,474 | $65,391 | $78,260 | 51 |
| FY2021 | $80,413 | $63,627 | $90,586 | 35 |
| FY2022 | $67,766 | $67,766 | $84,240 | 27 |
| FY2023 | $77,544 | $70,197 | $87,244 | 36 |
| FY2024 | $80,000 | $70,262 | $96,123 | 45 |
| FY2025 | $101,034 | $73,434 | $110,825 | 38 |
| FY2026 | $85,000 | $74,485 | $101,509 | 27 |
Cost of living
Madison's median QA Engineer salary of $97,490 is worth about $100,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Madison = 97.3).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Madison, WI area earned a median of $97,840 in May 2025 (1,470 employed). The H-1B median here is $97,490, 0% lower.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | $74,485 | 12 |
| Capgemini America | $103,644 | 11 |
| Ibase Operations | too few | 6 |
| Technoviz | too few | 4 |
| American Family Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. | too few | 3 |
| American Family Connect Property and Casualty Insurance Company | too few | 2 |
| Htc Global Services | too few | 2 |
| Ibase Operations Corp d/b/a Qualitest Group | too few | 2 |
| Mphasis | too few | 2 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | 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 | too few | 4 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $75,000 | 33 |
| Senior · Level III | $103,644 | 17 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 2 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-level · Level II | $73,299 | $75,000 | 33 |
| Senior · Level III | $85,987 | $103,644 | 17 |
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.