Expert QA Engineer salary in New York, NY
Based on 277 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Jersey City, Edison, Whippany, Newark, Parsippany.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $148,990 |
| 25th | $150,280 |
| 50th (median) | $157,363 |
| 75th | $180,000 |
| 90th | $198,680 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $137,426 | $123,552 | $151,860 | 31 |
| FY2021 | $123,600 | $115,000 | $150,000 | 49 |
| FY2022 | $140,000 | $120,000 | $146,410 | 84 |
| FY2023 | $150,000 | $140,100 | $165,700 | 107 |
| FY2024 | $150,280 | $143,100 | $170,000 | 111 |
| FY2025 | $158,300 | $150,280 | $179,000 | 145 |
| FY2026 | $156,750 | $148,990 | $180,000 | 132 |
Cost of living
New York's median expert QA Engineer salary of $157,363 is worth about $139,800 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; New York = 112.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the New York, NY area earned a median of $130,540 in May 2025 (11,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $157,363, 21% 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 | $149,635 | 14 |
| JPMorgan Chase | $184,550 | 14 |
| Accenture | $182,600 | 13 |
| IBM | $155,274 | 10 |
| Zebra Technologies | too few | 9 |
| Citi | too few | 8 |
| Meta | too few | 8 |
| The Bank of New York Mellon | too few | 7 |
| Tradeweb Markets | too few | 7 |
| Deloitte | too few | 6 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $80,000 | 237 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $103,418 | 991 |
| Senior · Level III | $126,838 | 481 |
| Expert · Level IV | $157,363 | 277 |
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 | $79,976 | $80,000 | 237 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $103,418 | $103,418 | 991 |
| Senior · Level III | $125,528 | $126,838 | 481 |
| Expert · Level IV | $148,990 | $157,363 | 277 |
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.