2026 Salary — Virginia
Updated April 29, 2026
QA Engineer Salary in Virginia: $98K Median
QA Engineers in Virginia earn between $63K and $161K per year.
That's +6% above the US national median.
Quick Answer
As of April 2026, the median QA Engineer salary in Virginia is $97,520 per year — +6% above the US national median of $92,000. Salaries range from $63,388 (entry, 25th percentile) to $160,908 (90th percentile). Virginia's cost-of-living index is 104. State income tax applies.
Median
$97,520
+520.0% YoY
Entry
$76,066
Experienced
$128,726
Top 10%
$160,908
About QA Engineers in Virginia
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
QA Engineer Salary in Virginia Metros
Click any city for full breakdown including take-home pay calculator.
| City | Median |
|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | $90,160 |
How to Negotiate Your QA Engineer Salary in Virginia
Walk-away anchor: $84,800.
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 — Virginia
What is the average QA Engineer salary in Virginia?
The average QA Engineer salary in Virginia is $97,520 per year as of April 2026. Salaries range from $63,388 (entry, 25th percentile) up to $160,908 (90th percentile). State income tax applies.
How does QA Engineer pay in Virginia compare to the US average?
QA Engineers in Virginia earn approximately 6% more than the US national median ($92,000 nationally vs $97,520 in Virginia). Virginia's cost-of-living index of 104 is close to the national average.
Did QA Engineer salaries in Virginia increase in 2026?
Yes — QA Engineer salaries in Virginia grew approximately 520.0% year-over-year, from $15,729 in 2025 to $97,520 in 2026. This reflects the broader Technology sector's wage growth, driven by Playwright and Cypress demand.
Which Virginia cities pay QA Engineers the most?
Top-paying Virginia metros for QA Engineers: Virginia Beach ($90K). Click any city for full breakdown including take-home pay.
What's the job outlook for QA Engineers in Virginia?
QA engineer roles projected to grow 10% through 2034. Shift-left testing and test automation skills commanding premiums. Virginia's top industries include Government/Defense, Tech (Data Centers), Shipbuilding, and the state's unemployment rate is 3.3% — a tight labor market favoring candidates.
Does Virginia have state income tax?
Yes, Virginia has state income tax. This affects take-home pay — at $97,520, expect 4-7% effective state tax depending on filing status. See city pages for detailed take-home calculations.
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 Virginia employers.
How can I increase my QA Engineer salary in Virginia?
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 Virginia: $84,800.
Methodology
Virginia QA Engineer salary is the BLS national median ($92,000) adjusted by Virginia's state multiplier (1.06×). YoY rate from BLS Employment Cost Index. Last reviewed April 29, 2026.
QA Engineer Salary in Other States
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