What are the main factors that influence a Software Test Lead's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Software Test Lead's salary?

A Software Test Lead's salary grows with experience: a Test Engineer IV (7+ years)earns $136,724, a Test Engineer V (7-10 years)earns $149,357, a Software Test Lead (10+ years)earns $107,322, a Test Engineering Manager I (10+ years)earns $128,017, a Test Engineering Manager II (10+ years)earns $158,457,

What are the highest paying states for a Software Test Lead?

Software Test Lead salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Software Test Lead roles are District of Columbia $118,888, California $118,437, Massachusetts $116,859. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Software Test Lead roles make?

Salaries for Software Test Lead level roles vary by specialization: Software development engineers in test Lead: $166,285; Lead Software Test Engineer: $148,939; Software Test Manager: $139,267; Lead Software Developer In Test: $137,496; Software Test Specialist: $136,760.

How do different companies affect a Software Test Lead's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Software Test Lead roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Software Test Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Software Test Lead make in the United States?

As of May 18, 2021, the average salary for a Software Test Lead in the United States is $107,377 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $52.

However, a Software Test Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $123,493
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $97,626 to $115,813
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $88,747

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Software Test Lead Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$115,813	$9,651	$2,227	$56
Average	$107,377	$8,948	$2,065	$52
25th Percentile	$97,626	$8,135	$1,877	$47

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Key Factors That Influence Software Test Lead Salaries

A Software Test Lead's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Software Test Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Software Test Lead's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $136,724
Early Career (1-2 years): $149,357
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $107,322
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $128,017
Expert (over 8 years): $158,457

Levels	Salary
Test Engi... Level Software Test Lead	$136,724
Test Engi... Level Software Test Lead	$149,357
Software ... Level Software Test Lead	$107,322
Test Engi... Level Software Test Lead	$128,017
Test Engi... Level Software Test Lead	$158,457

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What Am I Worth?

How Do Software Test Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Software Test Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $118,888.
California: $118,437.
Massachusetts: $116,859.

District of Columbia $118,888 California $118,437 Massachusetts $116,859 Washington $116,429 New Jersey $116,386 Alaska $116,236 Connecticut $114,754 New York $114,153

Hawaii $112,231 Rhode Island $111,329 Maryland $110,717 Minnesota $109,879 Colorado $109,557 Illinois $109,450 Oregon $109,042 Delaware $108,741

New Hampshire $108,552 Virginia $108,129 Pennsylvania $106,894 Nevada $106,271 North Dakota $106,067 Michigan $105,745 Wisconsin $105,627 Vermont $105,391

Texas $104,736 Maine $104,693 Arizona $104,628 Ohio $104,553 Georgia $103,565 Indiana $103,072 Wyoming $102,975 Utah $102,825

Iowa $102,760 Kansas $102,245 Louisiana $102,094 North Carolina $102,041 Missouri $102,019 Florida $101,600 Montana $101,375 Nebraska $101,160

Kentucky $101,042 South Carolina $100,613 Tennessee $100,344 Idaho $100,237 New Mexico $99,453 Oklahoma $99,281 Alabama $98,648 South Dakota $97,585

Arkansas $97,005 West Virginia $96,693 Mississippi $95,759

Top Paying Cities for Software Test Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $135,435
San Francisco: $134,104
Oakland: $131,129

San Jose, CA $135,435

San Francisco, CA $134,104

Oakland, CA $131,129

New York, NY $124,440

Queens Village, NY $123,634

Paramus, NJ $122,775

Passaic, NJ $122,668

Bergenfield, NJ $122,561

Stamford, CT $122,399

Huntington, NY $122,292

Newark, NJ $121,594

Bridgeport, CT $121,379

New Brunswick, NJ $121,025

Vallejo, CA $120,800

Middlesex, NJ $120,735

Somerset, NJ $120,638

Petaluma, CA $120,391

Santa Cruz, CA $119,973

Boston, MA $119,758

Monterey, CA $119,221

Fairbanks, AK $119,146

Los Angeles, CA $118,942

Washington, DC $118,888

Seattle, WA $118,695

Santa Rosa, CA $118,673

Juneau, AK $118,362

Orange, CA $118,008

Anchorage, AK $117,814

Anaheim, CA $117,739

Santa Ana, CA $117,578

Nassau, NY $117,514

Long Beach, CA $117,471

Danbury, CT $117,439

Santa Maria, CA $117,074

Everett, WA $117,052

Bremerton, WA $116,526

Trenton, NJ $116,322

Sacramento, CA $116,279

San Diego, CA $116,225

Brockton, MA $116,182

Tacoma, WA $116,139

Santa Barbara, CA $115,989

Lowell, MA $115,560

New Suffolk, NY $115,517

Nashua, NH $115,388

Lompoc, CA $115,216

Ventura, CA $115,109

Stockton, CA $115,076

New Haven, CT $114,862

Atlantic City, NJ $114,582

Hartford, CT $114,346

Modesto, CA $114,292

Poughkeepsie, NY $114,056

New Britain, CT $114,003

Kennewick, WA $113,852

Olympia, WA $113,852

New London, CT $113,831

Norwich, CT $113,799

Lawrence, MA $113,745

Bakersfield, CA $113,444

New Bedford, MA $113,294

Riverside, CA $113,294

Richland, WA $113,186

Portsmouth, NH $113,101

Vineland, NJ $113,079

San Bernardino, CA $112,993

Boulder, CO $112,693

Worcester, MA $112,607

Portland, OR $112,510

Saint Paul, MN $112,381

Minneapolis, MN $112,381

Philadelphia, PA $112,231

Honolulu, HI $111,662

Springfield, MA $111,286

Providence, RI $111,275

Chicago, IL $110,964

Bellingham, WA $110,835

Baltimore, MD $110,717

Chico, CA $110,448

Wilmington, DE $110,266

Pittsfield, MA $110,158

Manchester, NH $109,954

Spokane, WA $109,482

Denver, CO $109,471

Albany, NY $108,967

Troy, NY $108,924

Schenectady, NY $108,698

Burlington, VT $108,462

Portland, ME $108,086

Salem, OR $108,000

Yakima, WA $107,979

Ann Arbor, MI $107,946

Rochester, MN $107,646

Reno, NV $107,592

Fresno, CA $107,592

Milwaukee, WI $107,495

Detroit, MI $107,388

Allentown, PA $107,356

Carson City, NV $107,345

Houston, TX $107,184

Colorado Springs, CO $107,173

Syracuse, NY $107,120

Eugene, OR $106,916

Gary, IN $106,787

Bismarck, ND $106,787

Galveston, TX $106,787

Springfield, OR $106,701

Medford, OR $106,443

Fort Collins, CO $106,400

Austin, TX $106,314

Mesa, AZ $106,089

Phoenix, AZ $106,067

Dallas, TX $106,035

Reading, PA $105,971

Saint Cloud, MN $105,928

Concord, NH $105,831

Madison, WI $105,788

Utica, NY $105,498

Raleigh, NC $105,412

Las Vegas, NV $105,402

Rochester, NY $105,326

Des Moines, IA $105,316

Atlanta, GA $105,144

Battle Creek, MI $105,112

Salt Lake City, UT $105,079

Lancaster, PA $104,918

Champaign, IL $104,897

Harrisburg, PA $104,768

Durham, NC $104,671

Kansas City, MO $104,661

Kansas City, KS $104,639

Fort Worth, TX $104,628

Boca Raton, FL $104,586

Cleveland, OH $104,575

Columbus, OH $104,553

Pittsburgh, PA $104,543

Richmond, VA $104,500

Indianapolis, IN $104,478

Cincinnati, OH $104,339

Petersburg, VA $104,178

Lansing, MI $103,941

Billings, MT $103,941

Huntsville, AL $103,941

Lebanon, PA $103,931

Pueblo, CO $103,920

Dayton, OH $103,920

Appleton, WI $103,888

Buffalo, NY $103,845

Racine, WI $103,791

Charlotte, NC $103,780

Saint Louis, MO $103,748

Springfield, IL $103,705

York, PA $103,684

Elkhart, IN $103,684

Gastonia, NC $103,673

Benton Harbor, MI $103,673

Beaumont, TX $103,608

Lorain, OH $103,587

Toledo, OH $103,544

Binghamton, NY $103,490

Rock Hill, SC $103,480

Rockford, IL $103,426

Elyria, OH $103,372

Fargo, ND $103,372

Flagstaff, AZ $103,297

Fort Lauderdale, FL $103,233

Miami, FL $103,168

Duluth, MN $102,996

Bangor, ME $102,857

Cedar Rapids, IA $102,739

Louisville, KY $102,685

Grand Rapids, MI $102,663

Hialeah, FL $102,653

Casper, WY $102,502

Scranton, PA $102,374

New Orleans, LA $102,341

Virginia Beach, VA $102,331

Akron, OH $102,277

Peoria, IL $102,137

Sarasota, FL $102,116

Green Bay, WI $102,041

Baton Rouge, LA $101,987

Charleston, SC $101,966

Nashville, TN $101,933

Jamestown, NY $101,912

Davenport, IA $101,912

Tucson, AZ $101,858

Cheyenne, WY $101,826

Saint Petersburg, FL $101,794

Tampa, FL $101,772

Omaha, NE $101,751

Evansville, IN $101,708

Port Arthur, TX $101,708

Bradenton, FL $101,665

Santa Fe, NM $101,472

Orlando, FL $101,364

Clearwater, FL $101,246

La Crosse, WI $101,021

Canton, OH $101,021

Grand Forks, ND $100,988

Tulsa, OK $100,956

Albuquerque, NM $100,956

Newport News, VA $100,945

High Point, NC $100,913

Ogden, UT $100,870

Corpus Christi, TX $100,784

Laramie, WY $100,720

Norfolk, VA $100,720

Rock Island, IL $100,656

Saginaw, MI $100,634

Jacksonville, FL $100,623

Salisbury, NC $100,602

Memphis, TN $100,580

Moline, IL $100,527

Fort Myers, FL $100,494

Waterloo, IA $100,355

Spartanburg, SC $100,248

Lincoln, NE $100,194

Fort Wayne, IN $100,172

Birmingham, AL $100,054

Cedar Falls, IA $100,033

Provo, UT $100,022

Springfield, OH $100,011

San Antonio, TX $99,990

Greensboro, NC $99,947

South Bend, IN $99,936

Winston Salem, NC $99,925

Boise, ID $99,893

Savannah, GA $99,818

Muskegon, MI $99,625

Lima, OH $99,496

Lake Charles, LA $99,453

Anderson, IN $99,431

Lexington, KY $99,399

Augusta, GA $99,367

Greenville, SC $99,367

Wichita, KS $99,270

Tuscaloosa, AL $99,270

Columbia, SC $99,174

Bloomington, IN $98,905

Roanoke, VA $98,841

Asheville, NC $98,701

Knoxville, TN $98,519

Shreveport, LA $98,508

Wilmington, NC $98,368

Frankfort, KY $98,164

Oklahoma City, OK $98,089

Chillicothe, OH $98,046

Longview, TX $98,036

Topeka, KS $98,003

Mobile, AL $97,842

Terre Haute, IN $97,799

Erie, PA $97,789

Altoona, PA $97,735

Melbourne, FL $97,703

Amarillo, TX $97,660

Killeen, TX $97,627

Fayetteville, AR $97,542

Sioux Falls, SD $97,466

Chattanooga, TN $97,402

Idaho Falls, ID $97,391

Gainesville, FL $97,166

Portsmouth, OH $97,112

Little Rock, AR $97,091

Lynchburg, VA $97,091

Youngstown, OH $97,048

Lafayette, LA $97,048

Temple, TX $97,005

Daytona Beach, FL $96,983

Clarksville, TN $96,972

Pensacola, FL $96,962

Hopkinsville, KY $96,640

Charleston, WV $96,629

Florence, SC $96,575

Sioux City, IA $96,511

Macon, GA $96,199

Tallahassee, FL $96,189

Fayetteville, NC $96,167

Wichita Falls, TX $96,146

Waco, TX $96,146

Pine Bluff, AR $96,103

Vincennes, IN $95,899

Lubbock, TX $95,856

Great Falls, MT $95,791

Alamogordo, NM $95,781

Abilene, TX $95,695

Rapid City, SD $95,555

Monroe, LA $95,555

Albany, GA $95,491

Huntington, WV $95,480

Jackson, MS $95,469

Greenville, MS $95,458

Parkersburg, WV $95,351

Montgomery, AL $95,330

Johnstown, PA $95,308

Springfield, MO $95,222

Biloxi, MS $95,169

Sumter, SC $94,943

Columbus, GA $94,932

Twin Falls, ID $94,868

Pascagoula, MS $94,728

Kingsport, TN $94,449

Gulfport, MS $94,417

Alexandria, LA $94,063

Fort Smith, AR $93,794

El Paso, TX $93,504

Helena, MT $93,365

Las Cruces, NM $93,021

Harlingen, TX $92,720

Pocatello, ID $92,624

Florence, AL $92,591

Brownsville, TX $92,570

Dothan, AL $92,398

Mcallen, TX $92,345

Columbus, MS $91,550

Altus, OK $91,056

Lawton, OK $90,852

Pierre, SD $90,465

What Skills Can Increase a Software Test Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 6.11% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Test Planning (Mentioned in 2.37% Job Postings): Test planning is an essential activity of testing, regardless of the project lifecycle approach.
Software Testing (Mentioned in 1.87% Job Postings): Software testing is an investigation conducted to provide stakeholders with information about the quality of the software product or service under test. Software testing can also provide an objective, independent view of the software to allow the business to appreciate and understand the risks of software implementation. Test techniques include the process of executing a program or application with the intent of finding software bugs (errors or other defects), and verifying that the software product is fit for use. Software testing involves the execution of a software component or system component to evaluate one or more properties of interest. In general, these properties indicate the extent to which the component or system under test: meets the requirements that guided its design and development, responds correctly to all kinds of inputs, performs its functions within an acceptable time, it is sufficiently usable, can be installed and run in its intended environments, and achieves the general result its stakeholders desire.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	6.11%
Test Planning	2.37%
Software Testing	1.87%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Software Test Lead's salary.

Test Management: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Test Automation: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Test Strategy: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Test Management	$111,672	4%
Test Automation	$110,599	3%
Test Strategy	$110,599	3%
Collaboration	$110,599	3%
Test Scripts	$110,599	3%
Computer Science	$110,599	3%

Get Latest Data

How Education impacts a Software Test Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Software Test Leads enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Software Test Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $110,073 and $114,439).

Software Test Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Software Test Lead

No Diploma 10.4%

High School 54.2%

Associates 10.4%

Bachelors 54.2%

Masters 35.4%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	10.4%
High School	54.2%
Associates	10.4%
Bachelors	54.2%
Masters	35.4%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Software Test Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Software Test Lead's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on May 18, 2021

$97,626

Average $107,377/year

$115,813

$8,135

Average $8,948/month

$9,651

$1,877

Average $2,065/week

$2,227

$47

Average $52/hour

$56

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$115,813	$9,651	$2,227	$56
Average	$107,377	$8,948	$2,065	$52
25th Percentile	$97,626	$8,135	$1,877	$47

Salaries of jobs related to Software Test Lead

Salary Trends for Software Test Lead

Salaries for a Software Test Lead can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary increased from $100,995 in 2023 to around $101,396 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Software Test Lead salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Software Test Lead Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$100,995

2024

$101,866

2025

$101,396

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$100,995
2024	$101,866
2025	$101,396
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Software Test Lead

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