Software QA Engineer Salary in Chicago, Illinois

How much does a Software QA Engineer make in Chicago, IL?

As of April 01, 2025, the average annual salary for a Software QA Engineer in Chicago, IL is $111,363. According to Salary.com, salaries can range from a low of $94,983 to a high of $129,604, with most professionals earning between $102,789 and $120,911.

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Salary range for a Software QA Engineer

$102,789 to $120,911

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Software QA Engineer

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Job Openings for Software QA Engineer in Chicago, IL

What does a Software QA Engineer do?

Common responsibilities of a Software QA Engineer

Develop and execute test strategies, plans and cases that may cover functional, performance, regression, end user, integration, stress, scalability, internationalization and system level testing.

August 18, 2022

Design test plans and test cases based on testing requirements derived from reviewing user stories, product specifications, requirement documents, and discussions with Product Development, Software Engineering, and end users.

September 17, 2022

Provide perspective and guidance on launch readiness of new development, including assessment of potential risks and customer experience issues.

December 13, 2022

Review testing and functional documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, completeness, and to mitigate risks.

January 02, 2023

Create and execute test plans, test cases, and scripts for development projects supporting our billing, rating, CRM, and web systems.

January 14, 2023

Understand and communicate defect priority and assess when a "work-around" is appropriate, includes documentation of the accepted defect to the production support team.

January 18, 2023

Demonstrated experience using technology tools including, but not limited to Microsoft Team Foundation Server, SQL, Visio, IIS, source code management, QA, and project management.

February 08, 2023

Hands on experience with testing, analyzing and troubleshooting communication between front-end and API / Web Services.

February 18, 2023

Assist in the preparation of Test Plans, Procedures, Checklists, and Reports in accordance with organization standards, customer specification, and manager direction.

March 15, 2023

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Software QA Engineer Salary By Experience Levels in Chicago, IL

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RELEVANT JOB EXPERIENCE

Length of experience is a pay differentiator. Those with greater experience may have an advantage in negotiating salary. For those with less experience, other factors such as education or special skills could impact your pay. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Software QA Engineer Salary By Level of Education in Chicago, IL

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LEVEL OF EDUCATION

Depending on the job, educational levels may have a significant impact on pay levels. Be informed and understand how things like education and certifications can help to increase potential earnings for the career you are interested in. Please visit Professional Salary Report for more details.

Average Salary Range for Software QA Engineer in Chicago, IL

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

102789

120911

111363

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

106489

127254

116314

What is the average salary for Software QA Engineer in 2025?

These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Software QA Engineer in Chicago, IL. The base salary for Software QA Engineer ranges from $102,789 to $120,911 with the average base salary of $111,363. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $106,489 to $127,254 with the average total cash compensation of $116,314.

View Average Salary for Software QA Engineer as table

	Average Salary	Average Salary Range
Base Salary	$111,363	$102,789 - $120,911
Bonus	$4,950	$3,699 - $6,343
Total Pay	$116,314	$106,489 - $127,254

* Base Salary represents gross income before taxes and deductions. It does not include additional pay such as benefits, bonuses, profit sharing or commissions.

* Total Pay combines base salary, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job.

Software QA Engineer Salary Near Chicago, IL

CITY, STATE	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL
CITY, STATE Cicero, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $102,789 - $120,911	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL 0%
CITY, STATE Oak Park, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $102,789 - $120,911	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL 0%
CITY, STATE Oak Lawn, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $102,670 - $120,771	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL
CITY, STATE Evanston, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $102,749 - $120,864	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL
CITY, STATE Skokie, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $102,749 - $120,864	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL
CITY, STATE Arlington Heights, IL	AVERAGE SALARY RANGE $100,641 - $118,384	COMPARE TO Chicago, IL

See salaries for Software QA Engineer in locations close to Chicago, IL. Pay for the same job may vary based on the location and on the location and on other factors such as the size of company, the industry, and other local conditions.

About Chicago, Illinois

Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ (listen), locally also /-ˈkɔː-/), officially the City of Chicago, is the most populous city in Illinois, as well as the third most populous city in the United States. With an estimated population of 2,716,450 (2017), it is the most populous city in the Midwest. Chicago is the principal city of the Chicago metropolitan area, often referred to as Chicagoland, and the county seat of Cook County, the second most populous county in the United States. The metropolitan area, at nearly 10 million people, is the third-largest in the United States, and the fourth largest in North A...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/11/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

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