Entry-level QA Engineer salary in Philadelphia, PA
Based on 66 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Wilmington, Newark, Malvern, Oaks, Mount Laurel.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $68,300 |
| 25th | $69,098 |
| 50th (median) | $70,720 |
| 75th | $79,843 |
| 90th | $90,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 9 |
| FY2021 | $69,358 | $56,166 | $96,509 | 16 |
| FY2022 | $74,090 | $63,850 | $75,768 | 20 |
| FY2023 | $63,170 | $60,000 | $75,000 | 18 |
| FY2024 | $69,112 | $63,170 | $80,000 | 24 |
| FY2025 | $73,324 | $68,300 | $83,050 | 28 |
| FY2026 | $70,360 | $69,098 | $78,906 | 38 |
Cost of living
Philadelphia's median entry-level QA Engineer salary of $70,720 is worth about $69,000 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Philadelphia = 102.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Philadelphia, PA area earned a median of $102,740 in May 2025 (2,650 employed). The H-1B median here is $70,720, 31% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Comcast | too few | 6 |
| Amazon | too few | 2 |
| Deloitte | too few | 2 |
| Allied Electronics | too few | 2 |
| Astir Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Federal Soft Systems | too few | 2 |
| Mphasis | too few | 2 |
| Pacer Staffing | too few | 2 |
| Radian Group | too few | 2 |
| Texperts | 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 | $70,720 | 66 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $87,360 | 396 |
| Senior · Level III | $105,602 | 156 |
| Expert · Level IV | $126,316 | 124 |
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 | $69,098 | $70,720 | 66 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $87,360 | $87,360 | 396 |
| Senior · Level III | $105,602 | $105,602 | 156 |
| Expert · Level IV | $123,864 | $126,316 | 124 |
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.