Expert QA Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 355 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV 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 | $160,139 |
| 25th | $163,613 |
| 50th (median) | $171,093 |
| 75th | $201,053 |
| 90th | $225,342 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $135,013 | $135,013 | $146,417 | 28 |
| FY2021 | $150,000 | $145,205 | $161,810 | 35 |
| FY2022 | $165,000 | $151,882 | $174,656 | 79 |
| FY2023 | $165,000 | $149,989 | $180,000 | 143 |
| FY2024 | $168,459 | $168,418 | $196,030 | 104 |
| FY2025 | $173,168 | $160,139 | $204,534 | 212 |
| FY2026 | $168,006 | $163,613 | $197,831 | 143 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median expert QA Engineer salary of $171,093 is worth about $148,000 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 $171,093, 27% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Meta | $218,400 | 41 |
| Lucid Motors | $163,613 | 22 |
| Salesforce | $236,478 | 22 |
| Visa | $163,613 | 21 |
| Oracle | $160,139 | 12 |
| Zoox | $163,613 | 12 |
| Accenture | $167,707 | 10 |
| Tesla | too few | 9 |
| Safeway | too few | 8 |
| NTT DATA | too few | 6 |
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.