QA Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 1,392 certified H-1B filings in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Fremont, Pleasanton, Menlo Park, Foster City, Newark.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $111,363 |
| 25th | $113,500 |
| 50th (median) | $141,115 |
| 75th | $165,000 |
| 90th | $193,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $107,000 | $92,560 | $126,600 | 469 |
| FY2021 | $120,370 | $95,556 | $139,650 | 492 |
| FY2022 | $125,212 | $99,100 | $150,000 | 540 |
| FY2023 | $126,570 | $104,000 | $149,989 | 720 |
| FY2024 | $135,741 | $112,299 | $160,070 | 727 |
| FY2025 | $139,550 | $113,277 | $165,000 | 836 |
| FY2026 | $146,671 | $117,750 | $165,422 | 556 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median QA Engineer salary of $141,115 is worth about $122,100 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; San Francisco = 115.6).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the San Francisco, CA area earned a median of $134,630 in May 2025 (5,880 employed). The H-1B median here is $141,115, 5% higher.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS metropolitan area estimates. BLS wages include some incentive pay; H-1B figures are base salary.
Top employers filing
| Employer | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | $165,393 | 108 |
| Meta | $200,000 | 75 |
| Cognizant | $135,741 | 59 |
| Lucid Motors | $160,139 | 51 |
| Tesla | $171,500 | 39 |
| Visa | $160,139 | 32 |
| Accenture | $150,000 | 27 |
| Zoox | $160,139 | 26 |
| Amazon | $181,850 | 24 |
| HCLTech | $111,363 | 24 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $89,513 | 142 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $115,000 | 514 |
| Senior · Level III | $146,249 | 327 |
| Expert · Level IV | $171,093 | 355 |
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 | $88,109 | $89,513 | 142 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $111,363 | $115,000 | 514 |
| Senior · Level III | $138,445 | $146,249 | 327 |
| Expert · Level IV | $163,613 | $171,093 | 355 |
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.