QA outsourcing rates in the United States
Middle-level medians (the middle value of each record's weighted observations) in the United States run from $96 (QA Automation Engineer) to $104 per hour (Manual QA Engineer) across 2 published roles.
Median by role, middle level
| Role | Model | p25 | Median | p75 | Confidence | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual QA Engineer | Hourly (time and materials) | $83 | $104 | $111 | A: high confidence | 3 |
| QA Automation Engineer | Hourly (time and materials) | $70 | $96 | $119 | A: high confidence | 3 |
Employer cost facts and seniority spread
Employer contributions (social security and similar charges an employer pays in addition to gross salary) in the United States: 7.7% of gross salary (statutory source: Internal Revenue Service).
Statutory paid leave: 0 working days per year; public holidays: 11 per year.
Productive hours (weekly hours divided by 5, times 260 weekdays minus paid leave and public holidays) per year: 1,992.
No role in the United States has 2 published seniority levels under one model, so no spread is computed.
In-house salary context
| Role and level | Median (USD) | Median (USD) | Confidence | n |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middle Manual QA Engineer | $88,317 | 88,317 | A: high confidence | 4 |
| Senior Manual QA Engineer | $110,428 | 110,428 | A: high confidence | 4 |
| Middle QA Automation Engineer | $101,083 | 101,083 | A: high confidence | 4 |
| Senior QA Automation Engineer | $120,250 | 120,250 | A: high confidence | 4 |
| Middle SDET | $101,773 | 101,773 | A: high confidence | 3 |
SDET: software development engineer in test; builds test frameworks and test infrastructure in code.
Sources
- job-board TalentUp. Software Tester Contractor Hourly Rate in United States 2026 | TalentUp |. Published 2025-07-03, verified . ev-rate-g2we-001
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card (delivery country: United States); vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-08-22, verified . ev-rate-g2we-011
- job-board TalentUp. Test Automation Engineer Contractor Hourly Rate in United States 2026 | TalentUp |. Published 2026-10-08, verified . ev-rate-g2we-002
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card (delivery country: United States); vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-07-11, verified . ev-rate-g2we-012
- survey Boundless. Hire and Pay Employees in the United States | Boundless. Published 2026-09-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-007
- survey Oyster HR. Employer of record (EOR) in the US: Benefits and how it works. Published 2026-06-22, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-008
- statutory Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide. Published 2026-04-30, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-001
- statutory Internal Revenue Service. Publication 15 (2026), (Circular E), Employer’s Tax Guide. Published 2026-04-30, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-002
- statutory Internal Revenue Service. Topic no. 759, Form 940, Employers Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return, filing and deposit requirements. Published 2026-09-24, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-003
- survey Oyster HR. Employer of record (EOR) in the US: Benefits and how it works. Published 2026-06-22, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-010
- survey Boundless. Hire and Pay Employees in the United States | Boundless. Published 2026-09-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-011
- statutory U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Federal Holidays. Published 2026-01-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-012
- survey Oyster HR. Employer of record (EOR) in the US: Benefits and how it works. Published 2026-06-22, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-013
- survey Boundless. Hire and Pay Employees in the United States | Boundless. Published 2026-09-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-014
- survey Remote. Employer of Record & Payroll Services | United States | Remote. Published 2026-01-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-018
- statutory Office of the Federal Register (eCFR). 29 CFR 778.101 Maximum nonovertime hours. Published 2026-10-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-015
- survey Oyster HR. Employer of record (EOR) in the US: Benefits and how it works. Published 2026-06-22, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-016
- survey Boundless. Hire and Pay Employees in the United States | Boundless. Published 2026-09-01, verified . ev-ovh-united-states-017
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card; vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-10-18, verified . ev-ovh-global-001
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card; vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-10-18, verified . ev-ovh-global-002
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card; vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-10-18, verified . ev-ovh-global-003
- vendor-rate-card Vendor rate card; vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-10-18, verified . ev-ovh-global-004
- survey Page published by a QA or staffing vendor; vendor name and link are published only in the evidence file. Published 2026-10-13, verified . ev-ovh-gap2-008
- survey Pin. Recruitment Agency Commission Structures Explained - Pin. Published 2026-10-19, verified . ev-ovh-gap2-009
- survey Recruitly. Recruitment agency fees in 2026: what to charge your clients. Published 2026-02-12, verified . ev-ovh-gap2-010
- survey Motion Recruitment (a Kelly company). Motion Recruitment Tech Salary Guide 2026 (United States). Published 2025-12-22, verified . ev-sal-united-states-002
- survey Robert Half. QA Analyst Salary (Updated for 2027) | Robert Half. Published 2026-10-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-014
- job-board Payscale. Test / Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer (Computer Software) Salary in 2026 | PayScale. Published 2026-06-07, verified . ev-sal-united-states-016
- survey Motion Recruitment (a Kelly company). Motion Recruitment Tech Salary Guide 2026 (United States). Published 2025-12-22, verified . ev-sal-united-states-003
- survey Robert Half. QA Analyst Salary (Updated for 2027) | Robert Half. Published 2026-10-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-015
- job-board Payscale. Sr. Test / Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer, (Computer Software) Salary in 2026 | PayScale. Published 2026-07-13, verified . ev-sal-united-states-017
- survey Motion Recruitment (a Kelly company). Motion Recruitment Tech Salary Guide 2026 (United States). Published 2025-12-22, verified . ev-sal-united-states-004
- survey Robert Half. QA Automation Engineer Salary (Updated for 2027) | Robert Half. Published 2026-10-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-011
- job-board Payscale. Quality Assurance (QA) / Test Automation Engineer Salary in 2026 | PayScale. Published 2026-07-09, verified . ev-sal-united-states-018
- survey Motion Recruitment (a Kelly company). Motion Recruitment Tech Salary Guide 2026 (United States). Published 2025-12-22, verified . ev-sal-united-states-005
- survey Robert Half. QA Automation Engineer Salary (Updated for 2027) | Robert Half. Published 2026-10-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-012
- job-board Payscale. Senior Quality Assurance (QA) / Test Automation Engineer Salary in 2026 | PayScale. Published 2026-06-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-019
- survey Motion Recruitment (a Kelly company). Motion Recruitment Tech Salary Guide 2026 (United States). Published 2025-12-22, verified . ev-sal-united-states-006
- job-board Payscale. Software Engineer In Test Salary in 2026 | PayScale. Published 2026-09-01, verified . ev-sal-united-states-020
Questions
What is the median hourly rate for QA roles in the United States?
Middle-level medians in the United States: Manual QA Engineer $104; QA Automation Engineer $96 per hour.
What does an employer pay in addition to salary for a QA engineer in the United States?
Employer social contributions in the United States add 7.7% to gross salary, per the sources listed on this page.
How does paid leave affect the productive hours of a QA engineer in the United States?
Statutory paid leave in the United States: 0 working days per year; public holidays: 11. Productive hours per year, (weekly hours / 5) x (260 minus leave minus holidays): 1,992.
How much does a QA engineer earn in the United States?
The median annual base salary for a Middle Manual QA Engineer in the United States is $88,317 (USD, as stated by the sources).
How many working hours does the United States overlap with US East (UTC-5) and Central European (UTC+1) working hours?
With the reference offset UTC-5 for the United States, an 8-hour day starting at the same local hour overlaps 8 hours with UTC-5 (US East) and 2 hours with UTC+1 (Central Europe); daylight saving time is not applied.
How many QA providers in the directory deliver from the United States?
10 providers in the directory state delivery from the United States; the directory lists facts only and has no ranking.
Cite this page
QA Rates Compare (2026). QA outsourcing rates in the United States, data version 1.0.0. https://qaratescompare.com/rates/united-states/. Accessed 2026-10-20.
Figures are medians of published observations converted to USD at the quarterly ECB reference rate shown in the footer. They describe market ranges on the verification date, not quotes. Monthly and annual figures assume the hours stated on this page. Confidence grades are defined on the methodology page. This site does not recommend providers.