Quality Assurance Specialist Salary: Your 2024 Guide

Quality assurance (QA) in business ensures that products or services meet certain standards. In this article, learn more about how much quality assurance specialists can make and the factors that impact their salaries.  

What is a quality assurance specialist?

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

How much do quality assurance specialists earn?

According to Glassdoor, the estimated total pay for a quality assurance specialist in the US is $58,035 annually [1]. This figure includes an average base salary of $54,677. Additional pay may represent profit-sharing, commissions, or bonuses.

Factors that influence 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.

Read more: A Guide to Writing a Quality Assurance Resume

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

• Certified Quality Process Analyst

• Certified Quality Inspector

• Certified Quality Technician

• Certified Quality Engineer

• Certified Software Quality Engineer

• Quality Auditor Certification CQA

• Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence

The ASQ also offers certification in Six Sigma practices. Or you can go directly to the Sigma organization, IASSC, for Lean Six Sigma certification. 

Read more: Quality Assurance Certification: Options, Testing, and Careers

Experience

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

• 1-3 years of experience: $53,308

• 4-6 years of experience: $56,722

• 7-9 years of experience: $58,685

• 10-14 years of experience: $61,562

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 $87,392, a software QA specialist could bring in $107,120 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: $58,035 [1]

• Quality assurance technician: $46,586 [5]

• Quality assurance associate: $58,301 [4]

• Quality systems coordinator: $64,607 [7]

• QA compliance manager: $100,736 [6]

Location

Where you work can also impact your QA specialist salary. For example, in the US, Washington has the highest-paid QA specialist jobs at $88,500. You might earn $73,017 in the same role in New Jersey and $68,250 in California [8]. Remember that jobs with higher salaries typically have more expensive costs of living. 

Gain the skills for quality assurance

Start your QA specialist salary negotiations knowing you have the skills employers seek. Build your market value with relevant specializations and Professional Certificates on Coursera. Consider Six Sigma Yellow Belt Specialization to develop a foundation of quality assurance knowledge.

Or consider the Information Systems Auditing, Controls and Assurance from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, to build technical competence in auditing and QA.