Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers · California

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Salary in California

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers in California earn a median annual wage of $128,740 —23.4% above the national median of $104,300. That ranks CA #1 of 46 covered states and territories for this occupation.

Median annual
$128,740
Median hourly
$61.89
Entry level (P10)
$65,890
10th percentile
Top 10% (P90)
$201,070
90th percentile
Employment
27,710
1.5 per 1,000 jobs
vs U.S. median
+23.4%
U.S. $104,300

Wage distribution

How earnings are spread across workers in this occupation, from the 10th to the 90th percentile.

10th percentile90th percentile
$65,890
$93,530
$128,740
$165,530
$65,890$128,740$201,070
Annual wage distribution. Highlighted segment contains the median of $128,740.

Employment is 1.27× as concentrated as the national average, making California a strong market for this occupation.

Highest-paying states for software quality assurance analysts and testers

All 46 states ranked by median annual wage. California is highlighted.

#StateMedian annual Median hourlyEmploymentLocation quotient
1California$128,740$61.8927,7101.27
2Washington$128,480$61.777,9701.87
3Colorado$123,690$59.475,1101.48
4Massachusetts$122,210$58.766,6401.52
5Virginia$121,590$58.4610,1602.06
6New York$121,240$58.2910,4600.90
7New Jersey$119,470$57.446,5501.27
8New Mexico$116,580$56.054500.43
9Maryland$111,100$53.415,8801.77
10Oregon$108,440$52.131,8400.78

Related occupations in California

Occupations in the same job family, compared within California.

OccupationCalifornia medianU.S. median
Software Developers$174,410$135,980
Computer User Support Specialists$79,570$61,860
Computer Systems Analysts$127,720$105,850
Computer Occupations, All Other$134,440$116,580
Network and Computer Systems Administrators$106,440$99,130
Data Scientists$141,590$120,230

Frequently asked questions

How much do software quality assurance analysts and testers make in California?

The median annual wage for software quality assurance analysts and testers in California is $128,740, or $61.89 per hour. That is 23.4% above the national median of $104,300.

What is the entry-level software quality assurance analysts and testers salary in California?

Workers at the 10th percentile earn $65,890 per year ($31.68/hour). The 25th percentile is $93,530.

How many people work as software quality assurance analysts and testers in California?

About 27,710 people work in this occupation in California, or 1.5 per 1,000 jobs statewide.

Is California a good state for software quality assurance analysts and testers?

California ranks #1 of 46 states by median wage for this occupation. Employment is 1.27x as concentrated as the national average, making California a strong market for this occupation.

Which state pays software quality assurance analysts and testers the most?

California has the highest median wage at $128,740 per year, followed by Washington ($128,480) and Colorado ($123,690).

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, cross-industry estimates. Retrieved 2026-10-26. Figures are rounded by BLS to the nearest dollar (annual) and cent (hourly). Percentile wages describe the distribution of workers, not the pay range for a single job posting. bls.gov/oes