Entry-level QA Engineer salary in Washington, DC
Based on 111 certified H-1B filings at DOL wage level I in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, FY2025–FY2026. Includes Mclean, Herndon, Reston, Bethesda, Arlington.
Also listed as: Software Tester, Test Automation Engineer
Salary range
| Percentile | Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th | $81,910 |
| 25th | $81,910 |
| 50th (median) | $83,200 |
| 75th | $88,000 |
| 90th | $97,525 |
Salary by year
Median salary
Filings per year
Show as table
| Fiscal year | Median | P25 | P75 | Filings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2020 | $80,000 | $78,354 | $85,000 | 29 |
| FY2021 | $83,358 | $79,019 | $90,750 | 32 |
| FY2022 | $82,472 | $80,600 | $91,272 | 34 |
| FY2023 | $73,570 | $67,392 | $85,000 | 41 |
| FY2024 | $80,000 | $73,840 | $85,500 | 83 |
| FY2025 | $82,000 | $81,910 | $85,000 | 81 |
| FY2026 | $85,000 | $84,448 | $90,904 | 30 |
Cost of living
Washington's median entry-level QA Engineer salary of $83,200 is worth about $76,400 at national average prices.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (U.S. = 100; Washington = 108.9).
Compared with all workers here
All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in the Washington, DC area earned a median of $126,350 in May 2025 (8,460 employed). The H-1B median here is $83,200, 34% 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 |
|---|---|---|
| MashupIT | too few | 3 |
| Amazon | too few | 2 |
| Deloitte | too few | 2 |
| Antra | too few | 2 |
| Artificial Intelligence Staffing | too few | 2 |
| Asta CRS | too few | 2 |
| Berkley Insurance Company | too few | 2 |
| Clicksoft Solutions | too few | 2 |
| Dotcom Team | too few | 2 |
| Environmental Systems Research Institute | 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 | $83,200 | 111 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $106,454 | 440 |
| Senior · Level III | $128,461 | 165 |
| Expert · Level IV | $150,467 | 98 |
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 | $81,910 | $83,200 | 111 |
| Mid-level · Level II | $101,234 | $106,454 | 440 |
| Senior · Level III | $128,461 | $128,461 | 165 |
| Expert · Level IV | $139,880 | $150,467 | 98 |
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.