Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
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Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2021
15-1253 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.
National estimates for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Industry profile for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Geographic profile for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
National estimates for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Employment (1) |
Employment
RSE (3) |
Mean hourly
wage |
Mean annual
wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
| 190,120 |
1.7 % |
$ 46.97 |
$ 97,710 |
0.7 % |
Percentile wage estimates for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Percentile |
10% |
25% |
50%
(Median) |
75% |
90% |
| Hourly Wage |
$ 23.54 |
$ 34.57 |
$ 47.22 |
$ 59.88 |
$ 73.68 |
| Annual Wage (2) |
$ 48,960 |
$ 71,910 |
$ 98,220 |
$ 124,550 |
$ 153,250 |
Industry profile for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers are provided.
For a list of all industries with employment in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
63,670 |
2.81 |
$ 47.09 |
$ 97,950 |
| Software Publishers |
16,240 |
3.09 |
$ 46.92 |
$ 97,600 |
| Employment Services |
11,260 |
0.32 |
$ 43.84 |
$ 91,190 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises |
10,880 |
0.43 |
$ 47.82 |
$ 99,460 |
| Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services |
7,800 |
2.06 |
$ 41.05 |
$ 85,380 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Industry |
Employment (1) |
Percent of industry employment |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Software Publishers |
16,240 |
3.09 |
$ 46.92 |
$ 97,600 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services |
63,670 |
2.81 |
$ 47.09 |
$ 97,950 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing |
3,260 |
2.10 |
$ 56.39 |
$ 117,280 |
| Data Processing, Hosting, and Related Services |
7,800 |
2.06 |
$ 41.05 |
$ 85,380 |
| Other Information Services |
6,760 |
1.86 |
$ 58.71 |
$ 122,110 |
Top paying industries for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
Geographic profile for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers are provided.
For a list of all areas with employment in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California |
34,050 |
2.06 |
1.53 |
$ 55.49 |
$ 115,420 |
| Texas |
17,960 |
1.47 |
1.09 |
$ 43.45 |
$ 90,370 |
| Florida |
10,740 |
1.25 |
0.92 |
$ 38.25 |
$ 79,550 |
| Washington |
10,240 |
3.19 |
2.37 |
$ 50.43 |
$ 104,900 |
| Maryland |
10,210 |
4.01 |
2.97 |
$ 53.34 |
$ 110,950 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| Maryland |
10,210 |
4.01 |
2.97 |
$ 53.34 |
$ 110,950 |
| Washington |
10,240 |
3.19 |
2.37 |
$ 50.43 |
$ 104,900 |
| Virginia |
9,310 |
2.48 |
1.84 |
$ 49.16 |
$ 102,250 |
| California |
34,050 |
2.06 |
1.53 |
$ 55.49 |
$ 115,420 |
| New Jersey |
7,770 |
2.02 |
1.50 |
$ 51.86 |
$ 107,870 |
Top paying states for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| State |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York |
9,630 |
1.11 |
0.82 |
$ 55.98 |
$ 116,440 |
| California |
34,050 |
2.06 |
1.53 |
$ 55.49 |
$ 115,420 |
| Maryland |
10,210 |
4.01 |
2.97 |
$ 53.34 |
$ 110,950 |
| New Mexico |
570 |
0.73 |
0.54 |
$ 53.06 |
$ 110,370 |
| Massachusetts |
4,400 |
1.30 |
0.96 |
$ 52.08 |
$ 108,320 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
13,120 |
1.51 |
1.12 |
$ 57.08 |
$ 118,730 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
11,600 |
3.96 |
2.93 |
$ 50.87 |
$ 105,810 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
9,480 |
8.88 |
6.58 |
$ 66.52 |
$ 138,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
9,110 |
4.75 |
3.52 |
$ 51.33 |
$ 106,760 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
7,920 |
3.53 |
2.62 |
$ 60.89 |
$ 126,640 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
7,850 |
2.19 |
1.62 |
$ 43.92 |
$ 91,360 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
7,300 |
1.28 |
0.95 |
$ 47.59 |
$ 98,980 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI |
6,300 |
1.49 |
1.10 |
$ 45.35 |
$ 94,330 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
4,840 |
3.85 |
2.86 |
$ 55.74 |
$ 115,940 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,300 |
1.66 |
1.23 |
$ 52.42 |
$ 109,040 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| California-Lexington Park, MD |
480 |
10.26 |
7.60 |
$ 59.02 |
$ 122,750 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
9,480 |
8.88 |
6.58 |
$ 66.52 |
$ 138,360 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA |
9,110 |
4.75 |
3.52 |
$ 51.33 |
$ 106,760 |
| Boulder, CO |
780 |
4.27 |
3.16 |
$ 48.26 |
$ 100,380 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
11,600 |
3.96 |
2.93 |
$ 50.87 |
$ 105,810 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
4,840 |
3.85 |
2.86 |
$ 55.74 |
$ 115,940 |
| Raleigh, NC |
2,320 |
3.66 |
2.71 |
$ 51.79 |
$ 107,720 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
7,920 |
3.53 |
2.62 |
$ 60.89 |
$ 126,640 |
| Austin-Round Rock, TX |
3,770 |
3.51 |
2.60 |
$ 44.39 |
$ 92,320 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC |
1,010 |
3.24 |
2.40 |
$ 48.01 |
$ 99,860 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
| Metropolitan area |
Employment (1) |
Employment per thousand jobs |
Location quotient (9) |
Hourly mean wage |
Annual mean wage (2) |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA |
9,480 |
8.88 |
6.58 |
$ 66.52 |
$ 138,360 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA |
7,920 |
3.53 |
2.62 |
$ 60.89 |
$ 126,640 |
| California-Lexington Park, MD |
480 |
10.26 |
7.60 |
$ 59.02 |
$ 122,750 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA |
13,120 |
1.51 |
1.12 |
$ 57.08 |
$ 118,730 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD |
4,840 |
3.85 |
2.86 |
$ 55.74 |
$ 115,940 |
| Albuquerque, NM |
480 |
1.31 |
0.97 |
$ 55.28 |
$ 114,990 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA |
50 |
0.44 |
0.33 |
$ 53.87 |
$ 112,050 |
| Santa Rosa, CA |
100 |
0.53 |
0.39 |
$ 53.46 |
$ 111,200 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA |
80 |
0.86 |
0.63 |
$ 53.43 |
$ 111,130 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Nashua, MA-NH |
4,300 |
1.66 |
1.23 |
$ 52.42 |
$ 109,040 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers:
About May 2021 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia.
The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall.
The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate—50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median.
More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours;
for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration.
A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OEWS estimates and related information:
May 2021 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2021 Occupation Profiles
Technical Notes
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2022
United States Department of Labor
