Fresher
10th to 25th percentile
From
$81,360
To
$99,410
Use this for early-career offers or roles with limited paid experience.
Median annual salary
$126,350
BLS OEWS 2025
25th percentile
$99,410
Lower market anchor
75th percentile
$149,370
Upper market anchor
Mean annual salary
$126,100
Average published wage
Salary Explorer
Pick a work area, role, location, and experience band to compare salary ranges.
Selected
Intermediate salary for Test Engineer in Washington DC
Open the page for the 25th to 75th percentile and the full percentile breakdown.
Salary Range by Experience
These bands translate salary percentiles into practical fresher, intermediate, and senior salary ranges. They are not fixed years-of-experience rules.
Median salary
$126,350
BLS
to
Intermediate
25th to 75th percentile
From
$99,410
To
$149,370
Use this for candidates with proven role skills and solid delivery history.
Senior
75th to 90th percentile
From
$149,370
To
$175,240
Use this for senior candidates, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Fresher salary answer
Freshers and entry-level candidates can compare test engineer offers in Washington DC against $81,360 to $99,410.
Intermediate salary answer
Intermediate candidates can compare test engineer offers in Washington DC against $99,410 to $149,370.
Senior salary answer
Senior candidates can compare test engineer offers in Washington DC against $149,370 to $175,240.
How Washington DC Salaries Compare With Other Cities for This Role
Washington DC is a BLS metro estimate. The other rows are BLS metro areas for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, so candidates can compare local pay with major hiring markets.
Mean annual salary
San Francisco
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
$136,630
Seattle
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
$135,140
New York
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
$130,580
Washington DC
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$126,100
Denver
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO
$121,950
Los Angeles
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
$119,570
Boston
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
$117,520
Austin
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
$109,660
Chicago
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$109,300
Atlanta
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA
$107,300
How Test Engineer Salaries Compare With Other Roles
This chart compares test engineer pay in Washington DC with other roles available in the salary directory. Each row uses BLS OEWS min, avg, and top salary data.
Mean annual salary
Attorney
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Corporate Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
General Counsel
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Lawyer
Lawyers, SOC 23-1011
$226,780
Physician
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Psychiatrist
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Surgeon
Physicians, All Other, SOC 29-1229
$226,120
Dentist
Dentists, General, SOC 29-1021
$215,610
Engineering Manager
Computer and Information Systems Managers, SOC 11-3021
$206,960
Test Engineer
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, SOC 15-1253
$126,100
Salary Snapshot
The median annual salary for test engineers in Washington DC is $126,350. The middle market range runs from $99,410 at the 25th percentile to $149,370 at the 75th percentile. The wider salary range runs from $81,360to $175,240.
| Measure | Value | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $81,360 | Lower published wage point |
| 25th percentile | $99,410 | Common lower market anchor |
| Median | $126,350 | Middle of the BLS wage range |
| 75th percentile | $149,370 | Upper market anchor |
| 90th percentile | $175,240 | High published wage point |
Source Notes
This page maps Test Engineer to BLS occupation Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, SOC 15-1253. The wage data is annual USD salary from BLS OEWS 2025. It does not include equity, signing bonus, bonus targets, benefits value, or self-employed income.
This page uses the BLS OEWS occupation Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, SOC 15-1253, as the public wage source for Test Engineer.
- BLS area
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- Employment estimate
- 8,460
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the median test engineer salary in Washington DC?
The median annual salary for test engineers in Washington DC is $126,350, based on BLS OEWS 2025 data for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers.
How much can fresher test engineer candidates expect in Washington DC?
Freshers and entry-level candidates can use the 10th to 25th percentile range as a guide. For test engineers in Washington DC, that range is $81,360 to $99,410. It is a percentile band, not a fixed years-of-experience rule.
What is the intermediate test engineer salary range in Washington DC?
Intermediate candidates can compare offers against the 25th to 75th percentile range. For test engineers in Washington DC, that range is $99,410 to $149,370.
What do senior test engineer candidates earn in Washington DC?
Senior candidates can use the 75th to 90th percentile range for stronger skill depth, senior scope, or higher-paying employers. For test engineers in Washington DC, that range is $149,370 to $175,240.
Does this salary data include bonuses or equity?
No. BLS OEWS wage estimates cover wages and salaries. They do not fully capture equity, signing bonuses, annual bonus targets, benefits value, or contractor rates.
How should I use these salary percentiles?
Use percentiles as market anchors. The 10th to 25th percentile can fit fresher or lower-paid roles, the median is the midpoint, and the 75th to 90th percentile can fit stronger experience, scarce skills, or higher-paying employers.
Why does this page use Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers instead of only Test Engineer?
BLS publishes wages by standard occupation. This page maps Test Engineer to Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, SOC 15-1253, so the numbers come from a public wage series instead of a private survey.
Does Washington DC mean city limits or a metro area?
Washington DC is displayed as a candidate-friendly city label, but the underlying wage estimate is for the BLS metro area Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, not strict city limits.
Written by Adithyan RK
Published on: 20 Apr 2026|Last updated: 5 Jul 2026
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