Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers: H-1B wage levels by area (2026-27)
For Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (SOC 15-1253), the salary that reaches H-1B wage Level II ranges from $68,162 in Provo, UT to $129,022 in San Jose, CA among the 60 areas with the most jobs in the occupation (Department of Labor wage file for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, read on 7 November 2026). Level II gives 2 lottery entries, Level IV gives 4.
US mean wage (OEWS May 2025): $111,490
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Not legal or immigration advice. This page reports the Department of Labor wage file and the DHS rule as we read them. The level on a registration also depends on the job duties, the SOC code and the place of work chosen for the job, and the employer attests to it. Check with USCIS and the Department of Labor, and ask an immigration lawyer about your own case.
Wage levels in the 60 areas with the most jobs
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | 11,460 | $84,323 | $107,349 | $130,354 | $153,379 | 1 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 8,840 | $70,054 | $88,566 | $107,099 | $125,611 | 1 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | 8,460 | $85,800 | $105,851 | $125,902 | $145,954 | 1 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 7,200 | $70,325 | $94,827 | $119,330 | $143,832 | 1 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | 6,650 | $81,598 | $108,243 | $134,867 | $161,512 | 1 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 6,480 | $98,322 | $129,022 | $159,744 | $190,445 | 1 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,050 | $72,280 | $94,786 | $117,291 | $139,797 | 1 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 5,880 | $80,579 | $108,472 | $136,344 | $164,237 | 1 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,270 | $74,381 | $90,750 | $107,141 | $123,510 | 1 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 5,010 | $74,381 | $91,749 | $109,138 | $126,506 | 1 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3,900 | $63,773 | $79,477 | $95,202 | $110,906 | 1 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 3,620 | $82,846 | $102,294 | $121,763 | $141,211 | 1 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 3,340 | $70,616 | $90,043 | $109,450 | $128,877 | 1 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 3,160 | $67,163 | $83,990 | $100,818 | $117,645 | 1 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 2,670 | $87,506 | $108,347 | $129,189 | $150,030 | 1 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 2,650 | $69,950 | $87,589 | $105,206 | $122,845 | 1 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 2,420 | $59,218 | $79,040 | $98,883 | $118,706 | 1 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 2,280 | $73,424 | $95,992 | $118,539 | $141,107 | 1 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | 2,190 | $74,298 | $90,147 | $105,997 | $121,846 | 1 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 2,140 | $72,238 | $88,379 | $104,541 | $120,682 | 1 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 1,960 | $61,838 | $81,474 | $101,109 | $120,744 | 1 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 1,940 | $65,520 | $84,157 | $102,773 | $121,410 | 1 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 1,930 | $65,104 | $84,947 | $104,770 | $124,613 | 1 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 1,760 | $75,670 | $95,285 | $114,899 | $134,514 | 1 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | 1,610 | $50,939 | $69,181 | $87,402 | $105,643 | 1 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 1,550 | $66,331 | $91,686 | $117,042 | $142,397 | 1 |
| Madison, WI | 1,470 | $66,102 | $86,070 | $106,038 | $126,006 | 1 |
| Cleveland, OH | 1,440 | $69,285 | $82,950 | $96,637 | $110,302 | 1 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 1,430 | $62,608 | $78,520 | $94,411 | $110,323 | 1 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 1,360 | $63,461 | $81,557 | $99,632 | $117,728 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 1,120 | $55,078 | $69,202 | $83,325 | $97,448 | 1 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 1,060 | $67,808 | $83,325 | $98,842 | $114,358 | 1 |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV | 1,040 | $68,432 | $89,856 | $111,280 | $132,704 | 4 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 1,010 | $63,045 | $79,643 | $96,262 | $112,861 | 1 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 990 | $65,125 | $79,726 | $94,328 | $108,930 | 1 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 950 | $75,338 | $96,824 | $118,290 | $139,776 | 1 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 930 | $65,749 | $87,090 | $108,451 | $129,792 | 1 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 920 | $64,189 | $79,414 | $94,640 | $109,866 | 1 |
| Huntsville, AL | 850 | $80,434 | $98,197 | $115,960 | $133,723 | 1 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 830 | $60,486 | $75,442 | $90,397 | $105,352 | 1 |
| Omaha, NE-IA | 800 | $71,011 | $85,446 | $99,882 | $114,317 | 1 |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | 790 | $64,605 | $82,992 | $101,379 | $119,766 | 1 |
| Columbus, OH | 780 | $72,093 | $87,152 | $102,190 | $117,250 | 1 |
| Richmond, VA | 720 | $77,397 | $94,370 | $111,342 | $128,315 | 1 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | 720 | $74,235 | $91,582 | $108,909 | $126,256 | 1 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 610 | $80,246 | $102,086 | $123,906 | $145,746 | 1 |
| Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT | 600 | $51,418 | $68,162 | $84,926 | $101,670 | 1 |
| Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT | 510 | $52,062 | $74,235 | $96,387 | $118,560 | 1 |
| Boulder, CO | 500 | $90,418 | $113,339 | $136,261 | $159,182 | 1 |
| Rochester, NY | 490 | $69,202 | $83,491 | $97,802 | $112,091 | 1 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 460 | $73,466 | $93,683 | $113,922 | $134,139 | 1 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 450 | $69,222 | $89,232 | $109,262 | $129,272 | 1 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | 450 | $72,197 | $91,603 | $111,030 | $130,437 | 1 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 440 | $68,744 | $82,160 | $95,576 | $108,992 | 1 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | 440 | $82,742 | $96,678 | $110,635 | $124,571 | 1 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 430 | $69,763 | $86,299 | $102,856 | $119,392 | 1 |
| Tucson, AZ | 430 | $79,206 | $93,600 | $107,994 | $122,387 | 1 |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA | 420 | $88,629 | $98,654 | $108,659 | $118,685 | 1 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | 400 | $59,051 | $72,467 | $85,904 | $99,320 | 1 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 400 | $99,195 | $126,277 | $153,379 | $180,461 | 1 |
Yearly salary from which each level starts. Jobs: people employed in the occupation in the area (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Geo level 1 = wage computed from the area itself; 2 = area plus contiguous areas; 3 = statewide; 4 = national (OFLC). Tap a column heading to sort.
The US mean wage for software quality assurance analysts and testers is $111,490 (median $104,300). In 3 of these 60 areas Level II starts above the US mean.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (OFLC), wage data file 2026-27 (OFLC_Wages_2026-27.zip, updated 1 July 2026); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025. Read on 7 November 2026. U.S. government data, public domain.
Area pages
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in New York, NY: Level II from $107,349
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Dallas, TX: Level II from $88,566
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Washington, DC: Level II from $105,851
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Los Angeles, CA: Level II from $94,827
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Seattle, WA: Level II from $108,243
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in San Jose, CA: Level II from $129,022
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Boston, MA: Level II from $94,786
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in San Francisco, CA: Level II from $108,472
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Atlanta, GA: Level II from $90,750
- Software QA Analysts and Testers in Chicago, IL: Level II from $91,749
Lottery entries
Level I = 1 entry, Level II = 2, Level III = 3, Level IV = 4 (90 FR 60864). DHS estimated a 15.29% chance at Level I and 61.16% at Level IV for its assumed pool: how the odds work.
Questions people ask
What are the H-1B wage level salary ranges for software quality assurance analysts and testers?
They depend on the area. Among the 60 areas with the most jobs, Level I starts between $50,939 and $99,195 a year, and Level IV between $97,448 and $190,445.
What is the H-1B Level II salary for software quality assurance analysts and testers?
From $68,162 in Provo, UT to $129,022 in San Jose, CA among the main areas; in 3 of the 60 areas it is above the US mean wage of the occupation ($111,490).
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