QA Lead Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$165,000
national median salary
$144,000 to $197,000. Last updated July 2026.
Highest Paying
$232,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$172,000
San Francisco, CA
Lowest Paying
$127,000
Charleston, WV
Salary data sourced from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), state pay-transparency job postings, and community submissions. Most ranges are anchored to BLS OES occupation wage percentiles and placed by seniority level (entry near the 25th, mid at the median, senior at the 75th); a minority of emerging roles retain a modeled estimate where BLS has no matching series. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated July 2026. Baseline derived from BLS SOC 15-1253. Full methodology.
The average QA Lead salary in the United States is $165,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $144,000 at the 25th percentile to $197,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $232,000, while San Francisco offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. QA Lead compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain.
QA Lead salary by city.
Skills that increase QA Lead pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for QA Leads based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $23,100 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$23,100 per year
≈ +$21,450 per year
≈ +$19,800 per year
≈ +$18,150 per year
≈ +$18,150 per year
≈ +$16,500 per year
≈ +$16,500 per year
≈ +$14,850 per year
What you should know.
QA Lead compensation is driven by years of experience, specialization depth, and the industry domain. Base salary carries most of the total compensation, with bonuses adding roughly 8% in a typical year. Within tech-sector QA Leads specifically, employer tier (FAANG and frontier-AI labs vs mid-stage startups vs traditional enterprise) drives 66%+ variance across the compensation band.
QA Leads progress from entry to senior over 5 to 8 years, with lead and management levels requiring 10+ years and demonstrated cross-functional scope. For QA Leads specifically, the seniority anchor typically means 7 to 12 years of experience with demonstrated independent scope.
Total compensation for QA Leads runs roughly $130K at median when factoring base + typical bonus (~8% of base). Base salary carries most of the compensation; benefits (healthcare, 401(k) match, PTO) add an estimated 15–25% in imputed value on top. At tech companies specifically, equity and sign-on are often the largest delta between offers — two roles with matching base can differ by $100K+ at total when equity is included.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote QA Leads typically earn $149,000 (10% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
Are you a QA Lead?
Share your real compensation anonymously. Help build the most accurate salary dataset for this role. Your data is never individually exposed.
Common questions about QA Lead pay.
Related tools