QA & SDET Salary Calculator
Walking into a salary conversation without a number is how you leave money on the table. Pick your track, level, market, and skills to get an aggregated pay range, so you can anchor the ask instead of guessing. Free, client-side, no account.
Estimate your QA / SDET salary band.
Pick your track, level, market, and skills. Get an aggregated salary range to anchor your next offer conversation. Nothing is uploaded; the numbers are illustrative estimates.
UI and API automation as the core of the role (Selenium, Playwright, Cypress).
No premium skills selected. Modern automation, API, and CI/CD experience usually lift this range.
How this estimate is built
- Track + level base: $98,000 (US national)
- Market adjustment: ×1.00
- Skill premium: +0%
Knowing the band is half the battle. Practice defending your number in a mock interview, then walk in with a range you can back up.
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Start practicing free →Estimates are aggregated, illustrative figures for base salary in USD, not an offer or guarantee. Real comp varies by company, equity, bonus, and individual negotiation.
What drives QA and SDET pay
Track: manual vs automation vs SDET
The single biggest lever. SDET and automation roles lean toward software engineering and pay a clear premium over manual / functional QA at the same seniority.
Seniority
Junior to staff roughly doubles base. The jump from mid to senior is usually the steepest, and is where automation depth starts to compound.
Market
Location still moves comp even for remote roles. SF Bay, NYC, and Seattle sit well above the US national figure; many international markets sit below it in USD terms.
In-demand skills
Cloud, performance, and security depth add the most. Modern automation (Playwright, Cypress), API testing, and CI/CD all lift the band, and stacking several pushes you toward the top.
Questions before you negotiate
How much does a QA engineer make?
In the US, manual / functional QA engineers typically land in the $55k-$110k range and automation QA / SDET roles in the $80k-$180k range, depending on seniority, market, and skills. Senior SDETs in high-cost metros and staff-level engineers can exceed $200k base. Use the calculator above to narrow it to your track and level.
Do SDETs earn more than manual QA testers?
Generally yes. SDET and automation roles lean toward software engineering and command a premium over manual / functional QA, often 25-50% higher at the same seniority, because they require coding, framework, and CI/CD skills that are harder to hire for.
Which skills increase a QA salary the most?
Modern automation (Playwright, Cypress), API testing, CI/CD, cloud / Kubernetes, performance testing, and security testing all move pay up. Cloud, performance, and security depth tend to add the most, and stacking several pushes you toward the top of your band.
How accurate is this QA salary calculator?
It produces an aggregated, illustrative range, not a guaranteed figure. It is meant to anchor your expectations and negotiation, not to replace company-specific data. Real comp also depends on equity, bonus, company stage, and how you negotiate.
Is this salary tool free?
Yes. It runs entirely in your browser with no account and no upload. You can copy the result as a Markdown table.
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