Entry-level QA Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 142 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I 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 | $86,965 |
| 25th | $87,360 |
| 50th (median) | $89,513 |
| 75th | $109,540 |
| 90th | $134,340 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $94,633 | $79,225 | $100,771 | 42 |
| FY2021 | $90,000 | $72,800 | $103,771 | 35 |
| FY2022 | $82,037 | $72,696 | $98,779 | 47 |
| FY2023 | $84,620 | $79,269 | $100,000 | 54 |
| FY2024 | $86,965 | $84,240 | $98,598 | 78 |
| FY2025 | $88,055 | $86,965 | $102,000 | 82 |
| FY2026 | $97,500 | $88,400 | $128,947 | 60 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median entry-level QA Engineer salary of $89,513 is worth about $77,400 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 $89,513, 34% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| HCLTech | too few | 9 |
| Deloitte | too few | 4 |
| Delart Technology Services | too few | 4 |
| Astir Services | too few | 3 |
| Cigniti Technologies | too few | 3 |
| Mainspring Energy | too few | 3 |
| Miracle Solutions | too few | 3 |
| Sigma Computing | too few | 3 |
| Sony Interactive Entertainment | too few | 3 |
| Talents R | 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 | $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.