2026 Salary — Tennessee
Updated April 29, 2026
QA Engineer Salary in Tennessee: $87K Median
QA Engineers in Tennessee earn between $57K and $144K per year.
That's -5% below the US national median.
Quick Answer
As of April 2026, the median QA Engineer salary in Tennessee is $87,400 per year — -5% below the US national median of $92,000. Salaries range from $56,810 (entry, 25th percentile) to $144,210 (90th percentile). Tennessee's cost-of-living index is 92. Tennessee has no state income tax.
Median
$87,400
+520.0% YoY
Entry
$68,172
Experienced
$115,368
Top 10%
$144,210
About QA Engineers in Tennessee
QA engineers ensure software quality through automated and manual testing. They build test frameworks, write integration tests, and prevent regressions from reaching production.
Hot 2026 Skills
PlaywrightCypressAPI testingCI/CD test pipelinesAI-assisted testingperformance testing
ATS Keywords
SeleniumCypressPlaywrighttest automationJIRACI/CDAPI testingPostmanregression testingagile
How to Negotiate Your QA Engineer Salary in Tennessee
Walk-away anchor: $76,000.
Leverage Points
- Reference levels.fyi total compensation data for your level (L4/L5/etc.) at comparable companies
- Quantify recent shipped impact: latency reduced, revenue driven, on-call incidents resolved
- Hold a competing offer (or credible interview pipeline) before the salary conversation
- Highlight in-demand skill premiums: LLMs, Kubernetes, Rust, distributed systems
Negotiate Beyond Base
Sign-on bonus ($25K-$100K is standard at Big Tech)RSU refreshers and accelerated vesting cliffsRemote/hybrid flexibility and home-office stipendAnnual learning budget and conference allowanceSabbatical eligibility after 4-5 years
QA Engineer Salary FAQ — Tennessee
What is the average QA Engineer salary in Tennessee?
The average QA Engineer salary in Tennessee is $87,400 per year as of April 2026. Salaries range from $56,810 (entry, 25th percentile) up to $144,210 (90th percentile). Tennessee has no state income tax — increasing take-home meaningfully.
How does QA Engineer pay in Tennessee compare to the US average?
QA Engineers in Tennessee earn approximately 5% less than the US national median ($92,000 nationally vs $87,400 in Tennessee). Tennessee's cost-of-living index of 92 amplifies the real purchasing power.
Did QA Engineer salaries in Tennessee increase in 2026?
Yes — QA Engineer salaries in Tennessee grew approximately 520.0% year-over-year, from $14,097 in 2025 to $87,400 in 2026. This reflects the broader Technology sector's wage growth, driven by Playwright and Cypress demand.
Which Tennessee cities pay QA Engineers the most?
Top-paying Tennessee metros for QA Engineers: Nashville ($92K), Memphis ($81K). Click any city for full breakdown including take-home pay.
What's the job outlook for QA Engineers in Tennessee?
QA engineer roles projected to grow 10% through 2034. Shift-left testing and test automation skills commanding premiums. Tennessee's top industries include Healthcare, Manufacturing (Auto, EV), Logistics (FedEx), and the state's unemployment rate is 3.6% — a tight labor market favoring candidates.
Does Tennessee have state income tax?
No, Tennessee has no state income tax. This significantly boosts take-home pay vs comparable salaries in tax states like California or New York. At $87,400, you keep all of it (after federal + FICA).
What skills are most in demand for QA Engineers in 2026?
Hottest 2026 skills: Playwright, Cypress, API testing, CI/CD test pipelines, AI-assisted testing, performance testing. ATS systems specifically scan for these. Adding them to your resume — naturally and in context — improves your match rate with Tennessee employers.
How can I increase my QA Engineer salary in Tennessee?
Based on levels.fyi data and what I'm seeing from comparable offers, total compensation for this level is closer to $X base plus equity. Can we close the gap on base or front-load the RSU grant? Beyond base, negotiate: Sign-on bonus ($25K-$100K is standard at Big Tech), RSU refreshers and accelerated vesting cliffs, Remote/hybrid flexibility and home-office stipend, Annual learning budget and conference allowance. Walk-away anchor for Tennessee: $76,000.
Methodology
Tennessee QA Engineer salary is the BLS national median ($92,000) adjusted by Tennessee's state multiplier (0.95×). YoY rate from BLS Employment Cost Index. Last reviewed April 29, 2026.
QA Engineer Salary in Other States
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