Expert QA Engineer salary in San Diego, CA
Based on 68 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Carlsbad, Vista, San Marcos, Poway, Escondido.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $135,138 |
| 25th | $135,499 |
| 50th (median) | $146,290 |
| 75th | $163,300 |
| 90th | $166,618 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2021 | $121,624 | $113,417 | $132,500 | 10 |
| FY2022 | $135,800 | $119,590 | $148,813 | 16 |
| FY2023 | $125,000 | $120,037 | $149,992 | 32 |
| FY2024 | $139,178 | $129,522 | $160,425 | 32 |
| FY2025 | $157,000 | $136,365 | $166,600 | 30 |
| FY2026 | $143,317 | $135,138 | $163,300 | 38 |
Cost of living
San Diego's median expert QA Engineer salary of $146,290 is worth about $130,700 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Diego = 111.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the San Diego, CA area earned a median of $120,210 in May 2025 (2,280 employed). The H-1B median here is $146,290, 22% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | $163,300 | 28 |
| Dexcom | too few | 7 |
| ServiceNow | too few | 7 |
| NTT DATA | too few | 4 |
| Cognizant | 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 | $90,000 | 43 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $100,000 | 121 |
| Senior · Level III | $120,000 | 94 |
| Expert · Level IV | $146,290 | 68 |
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 | $74,651 | $90,000 | 43 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $94,640 | $100,000 | 121 |
| Senior · Level III | $115,502 | $120,000 | 94 |
| Expert · Level IV | $135,138 | $146,290 | 68 |
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.