Expert QA Engineer salary in St. Louis, MO
Based on 59 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level IV in the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Maryland Heights, Chesterfield, O'fallon, Saint Louis, O Fallon.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $97,573 |
| 25th | $99,362 |
| 50th (median) | $99,362 |
| 75th | $124,150 |
| 90th | $135,708 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | – | – | – | 1 |
| FY2021 | – | – | – | 4 |
| FY2022 | $93,600 | $84,386 | $110,700 | 24 |
| FY2023 | $95,742 | $84,386 | $110,000 | 38 |
| FY2024 | $113,900 | $98,330 | $123,300 | 18 |
| FY2025 | $102,303 | $97,573 | $125,575 | 32 |
| FY2026 | $99,362 | $99,362 | $107,500 | 27 |
Cost of living
St. Louis's median expert QA Engineer salary of $99,362 is worth about $104,500 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; St. Louis = 95.1).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the St. Louis, MO area earned a median of $94,590 in May 2025 (1,360 employed). The H-1B median here is $99,362, 5% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Charter Communications | $97,573 | 15 |
| Equifax | too few | 7 |
| Accenture | too few | 5 |
| Centene Management Company | too few | 3 |
| RGA Enterprise Services Company | too few | 3 |
| TELUS International (U.S.) | too few | 3 |
| Epickx | 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 | $54,621 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $70,706 | 170 |
| Senior · Level III | $87,270 | 72 |
| Expert · Level IV | $99,362 | 59 |
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 | $50,482 | $54,621 | 15 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $69,534 | $70,706 | 170 |
| Senior · Level III | $84,448 | $87,270 | 72 |
| Expert · Level IV | $99,362 | $99,362 | 59 |
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.