Senior QA Engineer salary in Raleigh, NC
Based on 209 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Cary, Morrisville, Apex, Fuquay Varina, Holly Springs.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $112,216 |
| 25th | $114,421 |
| 50th (median) | $118,000 |
| 75th | $130,000 |
| 90th | $140,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $91,850 | $89,606 | $92,310 | 10 |
| FY2021 | $102,750 | $94,084 | $113,754 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $109,999 | $98,925 | $115,000 | 59 |
| FY2023 | $112,970 | $108,020 | $120,086 | 79 |
| FY2024 | $117,000 | $113,670 | $127,309 | 77 |
| FY2025 | $117,670 | $114,421 | $129,204 | 127 |
| FY2026 | $120,395 | $112,216 | $130,000 | 82 |
Cost of living
Raleigh's median senior QA Engineer salary of $118,000 is worth about $120,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Raleigh = 98.2).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Raleigh, NC area earned a median of $110,800 in May 2025 (1,760 employed). The H-1B median here is $118,000, 6% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| DB Global Technology | $130,000 | 57 |
| Cognizant | $114,421 | 43 |
| Relx | $121,766 | 10 |
| UBS | too few | 7 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | too few | 6 |
| Charles Schwab & Company | too few | 5 |
| Cisco Systems | too few | 4 |
| DB USA Core | too few | 4 |
| Align Technology | too few | 3 |
| Tavant Technologies | too few | 3 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $85,000 | 54 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $94,203 | 282 |
| Senior · Level III | $118,000 | 209 |
| Expert · Level IV | $135,000 | 69 |
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 | $74,006 | $85,000 | 54 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $92,310 | $94,203 | 282 |
| Senior · Level III | $114,421 | $118,000 | 209 |
| Expert · Level IV | $132,142 | $135,000 | 69 |
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.