QA Engineer salary in Santa Maria, CA
Based on 11 certified H-1B filings in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Goleta, Santa Barbara, Mission Hills.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $107,453 |
| 25th | $111,884 |
| 50th (median) | $133,000 |
| 75th | $138,972 |
| 90th | $139,000 |
Cost of living
Santa Maria's median QA Engineer salary of $133,000 is worth about $122,200 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Santa Maria = 108.8).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Santa Maria, CA area earned a median of $110,640 in May 2025 (230 employed). The H-1B median here is $133,000, 20% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Yardi Systems | too few | 3 |
| Green Hills Software | 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 | too few | 2 |
| Mid-level · Level II | too few | 2 |
| Senior · Level III | – | 0 |
| Expert · Level IV | – | 0 |
Median shown when a level has at least 10 filings.