Senior QA Engineer salary in Seattle, WA
Based on 236 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Bellevue, Redmond, Bothell, Issaquah, Kirkland.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $126,090 |
| 25th | $133,702 |
| 50th (median) | $139,330 |
| 75th | $164,610 |
| 90th | $179,250 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $110,000 | $95,400 | $132,866 | 69 |
| FY2021 | $119,350 | $99,008 | $137,800 | 57 |
| FY2022 | $132,720 | $107,037 | $143,526 | 70 |
| FY2023 | $120,510 | $110,000 | $153,087 | 116 |
| FY2024 | $136,600 | $122,000 | $154,500 | 97 |
| FY2025 | $136,600 | $127,009 | $162,280 | 147 |
| FY2026 | $140,700 | $133,702 | $164,640 | 89 |
Cost of living
Seattle's median senior QA Engineer salary of $139,330 is worth about $125,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Seattle = 111.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Seattle, WA area earned a median of $129,690 in May 2025 (6,650 employed). The H-1B median here is $139,330, 7% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | $158,900 | 84 |
| Cognizant | $133,702 | 16 |
| Salesforce | $136,323 | 15 |
| Apple | too few | 9 |
| Accenture | too few | 6 |
| Meta | too few | 6 |
| Costco Wholesale | too few | 6 |
| Starbucks Coffee Company | too few | 6 |
| TikTok | too few | 4 |
| Capgemini America | too few | 4 |
Employers with at least 2 filings here. Median shown at 10+ filings.
By experience level
| Wage level | Median | Filings |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level · Level I | $85,140 | 152 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $109,000 | 615 |
| Senior · Level III | $139,330 | 236 |
| Expert · Level IV | $164,640 | 129 |
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 | $83,678 | $85,140 | 152 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $108,680 | $109,000 | 615 |
| Senior · Level III | $133,702 | $139,330 | 236 |
| Expert · Level IV | $158,704 | $164,640 | 129 |
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.