Quality Assurance Specialist Salary: Your 2026 Guide

Key takeaways

Quality assurance (QA) specialists confirm that products or services meet certain industry standards. They generally earn above-average salaries. 

• Quality assurance specialists earn a median total pay of $76,000 per year [1].

• Certifications, including those from the American Society for Quality (ASQ), can build your skills, bolster your resume, and potentially help you earn a higher salary. 

• You can find various job opportunities in the field, including quality assurance specialist, quality assurance technician, and QA compliance manager in industries such as technology, manufacturing, and software.

Learn more about a career as a quality assurance specialist, including job duties, average salaries, and factors that can influence your pay. Afterward, if you’re ready to build essential job skills, consider enrolling in Rice University’s Engineering Project Management Specialization. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about project risk management, quality assurance, and organizational structure in as little as four weeks.

What does a quality assurance specialist do?

Quality assurance specialists oversee processes that ensure products or services fulfill industry standards and stakeholder expectations. QA is necessary for manufacturing, technology development, pharmaceuticals, aviation, oil and gas, and customer care.

QA is part of the product lifecycle, to gauge quality from production to testing, all the way to packaging and delivery. Businesses typically use formal quality management systems to achieve quality objectives. 

You can pursue various jobs within the quality assurance field, including QA specialist, QA technician, QA manager, and QA analyst.

Quality control vs. quality assurance 

QC and QA deal with quality management systems, which are formalized systems that track procedures, responsibilities, and processes to meet customer requirements. QC is more focused on detecting mistakes or missed requirements. QC is reactive, while QA works proactively to uncover issues and address the source of the problems. Both are necessary and rely on each other to produce a good product. 

Read more: Quality Assurance vs. Quality Control: Choosing the Right Career Path

What is the average salary of a quality assurance specialist?

According to Glassdoor, the median total pay for a quality assurance specialist in the US is $76,000 annually [1]. This figure includes base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

Factors that influence quality assurance specialist salary

Several considerations influence QA specialist salary throughout your career. Learn about the factors to help increase your earnings.

Education

A career in QA typically requires a bachelor’s degree. To be a QA specialist in software development, you’ll want to obtain a computer science or programming degree. If you’re doing QA for manufacturing, a degree in a lab, science, or engineering discipline is a common requirement. 

For a QA job in any sector, securing experience through internships can also influence your salary. As part of your education, seeking hands-on experience can help you enter the field with industry experience.

Getting into QA with a high school or secondary school level education is possible. Some companies will provide on-the-job training.

Certifications

Certifications are a great way to show employers you’re dedicated to your career. Earning one may sometimes transfer to a higher salary. The American Society for Quality (ASQ) offers several certification pathways to enhance your credentials and resume. These include:

• Certified Quality Improvement Associate (CQIA)

• Certified Quality Process Analyst (CQPA)

• Certified Quality Inspector (CQI)

• Certified Quality Technician (CQT)

• Certified Quality Engineer (CQE)

• Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE)

• Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)

• Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE)

The ASQ also offers certification in Six Sigma practices. Or you can go directly to the Sigma organization, IASSC (short for International Association for Six Sigma Certification), for Lean Six Sigma certification. 

Experience

How long you’ve been in the industry will also influence your pay. Here are some examples, according to Glassdoor [1]:

All salary information represents the median total pay from Glassdoor as of December 2025. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

• 1–3 years of experience: $69,000

• 4–6 years of experience: $73,000

• 7–9 years of experience: $75,000

• 10–14 years of experience: $84,000

Industry

Many industries employ QA roles, and depending on which one you work in, your salary can be impacted. For example, while a manufacturing QA specialist in the US might make $94,000, a software QA specialist could bring in $96,000 each year [2, 3].

Job function and title

While you may have similar roles and responsibilities, certain job titles can make a difference in your salary. For instance, you can move from being an "associate" to being a "manager," when you'll have more leadership responsibilities.

• Quality assurance specialist: $76,000 [1]

• Quality assurance technician: $51,000 [4]

• Quality assurance associate: $72,000 [5]

• Quality systems coordinator: $85,000 [6]

• QA compliance manager: $146,000 [7]

Location

Where you work can also impact your QA specialist salary. For example, in the US, Rhode Island has the highest-paid QA specialist jobs at $84,516 [8]. You might earn $82,155 in the same role in Maryland and $81,897 in Connecticut [8]. Remember that jobs with higher salaries typically have more expensive costs of living. 

Discover free resources for your QA career

Stay up-to-date with QA industry trends by subscribing to Career Chat, our LinkedIn newsletter. Then, access these free resources as you plan for your career as a quality assurance specialist:

• Build your skills: Leadership Is for Everyone: Discover Essential Leadership Skills 

• Watch on YouTube: What Can You Do With a Computer Science Degree? 

• Consider your options: Product Management Career Paths: Explore Roles and Specializations

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