H1B Report
Salary comparison

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers vs Cost Estimators

Side-by-side H-1B prevailing-wage comparison using the same DOL LCA data that drives every page on H1B Report. Quartiles, hiring geography, top sponsors and yearly wage drift.

Occupation B
Cost Estimators
SOC 13-1051Rank #63

Key metrics

Wage figures are offered annual wage; volume is total LCA count.

MetricSoftware Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersCost Estimators
Median wage$81,328$75,000
P25 wage$68,549$60,000
P75 wage$100,000$98,000
Wage spread (P75 − P25)$31,451$38,000
Total filings367,09713,578
Wage samples366,39213,478
Rank#4#63

Median wage by year

Year-over-year drift of the typical offered wage.

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$75k
FY2011$70k
FY2012$68k
FY2013$68k
FY2014$69k
FY2015$70k
FY2016$71k
FY2017$74k
FY2018$82k
FY2019$85k
FY2020$88k
FY2021$94k
FY2022$97k
FY2023$98k
FY2024$100k
FY2025$103k
FY2026$110k
Cost Estimators
Time series: 17 points from FY2010 to FY2026
Time series
PeriodValue
FY2010$62k
FY2011$60k
FY2012$61k
FY2013$65k
FY2014$62k
FY2015$63k
FY2016$69k
FY2017$66k
FY2018$70k
FY2019$73k
FY2020$77k
FY2021$82k
FY2022$90k
FY2023$93k
FY2024$93k
FY2025$93k
FY2026$110k

Top 5 hiring states — Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

  • 1CA69,271$96,325
  • 2TX38,277$82,710
  • 3NJ23,266$72,030
  • 4WA19,761$87,942
  • 5IL17,732$74,818

Top 5 hiring states — Cost Estimators

  • 1NY2,301$72,088
  • 2CA2,281$85,747
  • 3TX1,690$78,978
  • 4NJ839$71,800
  • 5FL563$65,000

Top 5 sponsors — Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

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Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers vs Cost Estimators — H-1B Salary Comparison · H1B Report