Mid-level QA Engineer salary in San Francisco, CA
Based on 514 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level II 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 | $112,320 |
| 50th (median) | $115,000 |
| 75th | $138,000 |
| 90th | $160,000 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $95,555 | $92,560 | $117,770 | 281 |
| FY2021 | $99,091 | $95,555 | $120,931 | 262 |
| FY2022 | $102,835 | $99,091 | $121,763 | 255 |
| FY2023 | $112,299 | $102,835 | $120,125 | 312 |
| FY2024 | $112,300 | $112,299 | $130,000 | 344 |
| FY2025 | $115,000 | $111,363 | $139,000 | 321 |
| FY2026 | $120,000 | $113,277 | $136,591 | 193 |
Cost of living
San Francisco's median mid-level QA Engineer salary of $115,000 is worth about $99,500 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 $115,000, 15% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | $153,272 | 48 |
| Cognizant | $111,363 | 20 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | $111,363 | 19 |
| Meta | $139,000 | 18 |
| Amazon | $185,000 | 13 |
| HCLTech | $113,277 | 13 |
| Tech Mahindra | $115,430 | 13 |
| Persistent Systems | $113,277 | 11 |
| Tesla | too few | 9 |
| Lucid Motors | too few | 8 |
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.