Senior QA Engineer salary in St. Louis, MO
Based on 72 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level III 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 | $81,869 |
| 25th | $84,448 |
| 50th (median) | $87,270 |
| 75th | $105,604 |
| 90th | $118,280 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $86,800 | $83,525 | $90,000 | 18 |
| FY2021 | $97,500 | $90,250 | $100,332 | 18 |
| FY2022 | $95,375 | $86,078 | $100,750 | 22 |
| FY2023 | $85,280 | $70,450 | $95,000 | 43 |
| FY2024 | $80,000 | $79,726 | $95,000 | 45 |
| FY2025 | $90,000 | $81,869 | $110,458 | 39 |
| FY2026 | $87,000 | $84,448 | $101,154 | 33 |
Cost of living
St. Louis's median senior QA Engineer salary of $87,270 is worth about $91,800 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 $87,270, 8% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cognizant | $84,448 | 14 |
| Accenture | too few | 7 |
| Capgemini America | too few | 4 |
| Infinite Computer Solutions | too few | 4 |
| Centene Management Company | too few | 2 |
| Elsevier | too few | 2 |
| Keefe Group | too few | 2 |
| Rawkey Technologies | too few | 2 |
| TELUS International (U.S.) | too few | 2 |
| TELUS International Digital Solutions | 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.