Senior QA Engineer salary in Sacramento, CA
Based on 47 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Folsom, West Sacramento, El Dorado Hills, Rancho Cordova, Rocklin.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $113,277 |
| 25th | $113,797 |
| 50th (median) | $119,000 |
| 75th | $128,250 |
| 90th | $140,321 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $95,796 | $94,390 | $106,125 | 11 |
| FY2021 | $93,704 | $93,704 | $112,009 | 11 |
| FY2022 | – | – | – | 6 |
| FY2023 | $110,000 | $104,359 | $117,575 | 18 |
| FY2024 | $113,797 | $105,435 | $125,008 | 17 |
| FY2025 | $120,000 | $113,797 | $131,500 | 25 |
| FY2026 | $116,030 | $113,277 | $125,955 | 22 |
Cost of living
Sacramento's median senior QA Engineer salary of $119,000 is worth about $111,600 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Sacramento = 106.7).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Sacramento, CA area earned a median of $104,410 in May 2025 (930 employed). The H-1B median here is $119,000, 14% 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 | too few | 9 |
| Sagitec Solutions | too few | 3 |
| Allstate Insurance Company | too few | 2 |
| Artech | too few | 2 |
| Astute Solutions | too few | 2 |
| Atos Syntel | too few | 2 |
| GCOM Software | too few | 2 |
| Nisum Technologies | too few | 2 |
| Tanisha Systems | too few | 2 |
| Two95 International | 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 | $73,000 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $92,144 | 112 |
| Senior · Level III | $119,000 | 47 |
| Expert · Level IV | $135,554 | 35 |
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 | $70,990 | $73,000 | 19 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $92,144 | $92,144 | 112 |
| Senior · Level III | $113,277 | $119,000 | 47 |
| Expert · Level IV | $134,430 | $135,554 | 35 |
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.