QA Engineer salary in Santa Cruz, CA
Based on 14 certified H-1B filings in the Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Scotts Valley, Watsonville.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $124,142 |
| 25th | $135,900 |
| 50th (median) | $158,175 |
| 75th | $180,000 |
| 90th | $186,820 |
Cost of living
Santa Cruz's median QA Engineer salary of $158,175 is worth about $143,900 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Santa Cruz = 109.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Santa Cruz, CA area earned a median of $133,970 in May 2025 (100 employed). The H-1B median here is $158,175, 18% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Joby Aero | too few | 9 |
| Enquero | 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 | – | 0 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | too few | 5 |
| Expert · Level IV | too few | 4 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.