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Average Software QA Engineer Salary in United Kingdom for 2026

A software QA engineer in United Kingdom earns about 61,600 GBP a year. That's 12% below the national average of 69,700 GBP.

Pay ranges widely from country to country and from role to role. The lowest reported salaries in United Kingdom sit around 26,900 GBP a year, while the very top stretches to 99,100 GBP. Everything on this page is in British pound (GBP, symbol £), which lets you compare numbers like-for-like without worrying about exchange rates.

The numbers here are pulled together from official government wage data, large independent salary surveys, and aggregated worker-reported pay. Most reported salaries include the benefits that are common in United Kingdom, such as housing or transport allowances, which is worth keeping in mind if you're comparing against a country where those are usually paid on top.

To turn a gross salary in United Kingdom into a take-home figure, use our United Kingdom salary after tax calculator, which works the latest tax brackets and contributions through the math for you.

How much does a software QA engineer make in United Kingdom?

Average salary
61,600 GBP
5,133 GBP per month
Lowest reported
26,900 GBP
2,241 GBP per month
Highest reported
99,100 GBP
8,258 GBP per month

A typical software QA engineer working in United Kingdom brings home around 5,133 GBP a month before tax. Entry-level pay starts near 26,900 GBP, and the top of the ladder reaches roughly 99,100 GBP for the most experienced and specialised people in the role.

The wide gap between low end and top end reflects how much pay can vary inside the same job title. A junior software QA engineer working at a small local employer earns very different money from a senior at a multinational. Skills, employer, city and years in the seat all push the number around. For a cross-country comparison, see the software QA engineer salary in Guernsey or Jersey, both of which pay in the same currency.

How software QA engineer pay ranges in United Kingdom

A good way to think about salary in United Kingdom is to look at the distribution rather than the headline average. Half of all software QA engineers in United Kingdom earn less than 66,900 GBP a year, and the other half earn more. That middle number is the median, and it is usually more useful than the average for answering "is my pay normal here".

Looking at the quartiles fills in the picture. A quarter of earners take home less than 44,300 GBP (the 25th percentile), and a quarter clear 87,900 GBP (the 75th percentile). The middle 50% of software QA engineers sit somewhere inside that band, which is where the typical reader of this page probably lives.

The very lowest reported salaries sit around 26,900 GBP. The highest stretch to 99,100 GBP, though only a small fraction of earners ever reach that level. If you are deciding whether your own offer or current pay is reasonable, work out which of those four bands you would fall into and use that as your reference point.

26,900
Low
66,900
Median
99,100
High
44,300
25th
87,900
75th
The middle 50% sit between the 25th and 75th percentile Tails are the lowest and highest reported All figures in GBP

Software QA engineer pay by experience in United Kingdom

Years of experience is the single biggest lever on pay for a software QA engineer in United Kingdom, ahead of education and almost any other single factor. The longer you have been in the role, the more your employer can trust you to handle complexity, mentor others and act independently, all of which command higher pay. The chart below shows how the typical software QA engineer salary changes as you move through the career ladder.

  • 0-2 Years
    31,700 GBP
  • 2-5 Years
    +33% from previous
    42,300 GBP
  • 5-10 Years
    +51% from previous
    63,900 GBP
  • 10-15 Years
    +20% from previous
    76,900 GBP
  • 15-20 Years
    +9% from previous
    83,800 GBP
  • 20+ Years
    +8% from previous
    90,600 GBP

The single largest jump on the ladder is from 2 - 5 Years to 5 - 10 Years, where pay rises by about 51%. That is the point at which a software QA engineer typically goes from "competent in the role" to "the person other people in the team learn from", and the market pays well for that step.

Software QA engineer pay by education in United Kingdom

Education sits alongside experience as one of the biggest factors driving software QA engineer pay in United Kingdom. Higher qualifications consistently pull higher salaries, but the size of the gap tends to be smallest at junior levels and widens as people move up. Two people in the same role with the same years of experience but different degrees can end up earning very different money once they reach mid-career.

Below is the average software QA engineer salary in United Kingdom broken down by the highest level of education a worker has completed.

  • Certificate or Diploma
    36,800 GBP
  • Bachelor's Degree
    +59% from previous
    58,600 GBP
  • Master's Degree
    +67% from previous
    97,600 GBP

Software QA engineer gender pay gap in United Kingdom

The gender pay gap is a stubborn feature of almost every labour market, and United Kingdom is no exception. Male software QA engineers in United Kingdom earn an average of 61,400 GBP a year, while female software QA engineers earn around 61,400 GBP. That works out to a 0% gap in favour of women, even when comparing people doing the same work.

A pay gap of this size has a real long-term cost. Over a typical thirty-year career it can add up to several years of pay, and it compounds through pensions, retirement contributions and bonus-linked stock. Some of the gap is explained by women being more likely to work part-time, take career breaks, or be steered toward lower-paying specialisations. Some of it is straightforward unequal pay for the same job, which is harder to defend.

Software QA Engineer gender pay gap

0%

Men earn this much less than women on average in United Kingdom.

Men 61,400 GBP
Women 61,400 GBP

Pay raises for a software QA engineer in United Kingdom

Most countries hand out at least some kind of pay raise every year, typically when an employee's contract is reviewed or as a cost-of-living adjustment to keep wages roughly in step with inflation. The rhythm and size of those raises varies hugely between industries.

A typical worker doing this role in United Kingdom sees a raise of about 12% every 17 months, which works out to roughly 8% on an annual basis. That figure is the typical underlying rate; in years where inflation runs high you can usually expect a bit more, and in flat-economy years a bit less.

Across all jobs in United Kingdom, the national average raise is around 9% every 15 months.

By industry

Industries with the highest pay raises in United Kingdom:

  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Construction
  • Education

By experience level

Experienced workers tend to see larger raises. Retaining a senior is cheaper than replacing them, so employers fight harder for them.

  • Junior Level
    3% - 5%
  • Mid-Career
  • Senior Level
  • Top Management

Software QA engineer bonus rates in United Kingdom

Bonuses are the other half of total compensation, and they vary a lot between jobs and industries. Some roles are paid almost entirely in base salary; others lean heavily on bonus structures tied to revenue, project completion or company performance. Whether a job pays a bonus, how big it is, and how often it lands all factor into whether the headline salary is actually a good offer.

61%

61% of software QA engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus of some kind in the past twelve months. That makes a software QA engineer a moderate-bonus role overall, which is useful context when you're weighing up a job offer where the base is below market.

Among those who did receive a bonus, the size of the payment varied substantially. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary. The remaining 39% of software QA engineers reported no bonus at all over the same period.

Which careers pay bonuses in United Kingdom

Revenue-facing roles tend to pay the biggest bonuses. Operational and support roles tend toward smaller, more predictable ones.

  • Finance
  • Architecture
  • Sales
  • Business Development
  • Marketing / Advertising
  • Information Technology
  • Healthcare
  • Insurance
  • Customer Service
  • Human Resources
  • Construction
  • Transport
  • Hospitality

Software QA engineer: public vs private sector pay

Public-sector pay in United Kingdom is about 7% more than private-sector pay for similar work. The private sector typically offers stronger upside and bigger bonuses; the public sector typically offers better benefits and stability.

Public vs private pay gap

6%

Public-sector workers earn this much more than private-sector workers in United Kingdom on average.

Public sector 72,700 GBP
Private sector 68,200 GBP

Software QA engineer salary by city and region in United Kingdom

Software QA engineer pay is not even across United Kingdom. The chart below shows the highest-paying cities and regions in the dataset, followed by the full location table.

  • England
  • Scotland
  • Sheffield
  • Bristol
  • Birmingham
  • Somerset
  • Glasgow
  • Cardiff
  • Coventry
  • Liverpool
LocationTypeAverageMedianRange
EnglandRegion115,600 GBP128,200 GBP52,300-187,500 GBP
ScotlandRegion86,100 GBP90,000 GBP42,800-134,700 GBP
SheffieldCity75,000 GBP80,900 GBP35,300-117,100 GBP
BristolCity73,800 GBP79,800 GBP35,300-117,100 GBP
BirminghamCity73,300 GBP80,000 GBP33,000-118,900 GBP
SomersetCity73,100 GBP68,400 GBP38,700-108,200 GBP
GlasgowCity72,800 GBP69,100 GBP36,700-109,700 GBP
CardiffCity72,700 GBP68,200 GBP36,400-111,700 GBP
CoventryCity72,000 GBP75,000 GBP36,000-114,900 GBP
LiverpoolCity71,800 GBP68,900 GBP35,400-109,700 GBP
BradfordCity71,800 GBP72,700 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
LondonCity71,200 GBP77,100 GBP31,700-114,300 GBP
NewcastleCity70,100 GBP65,400 GBP36,600-105,200 GBP
LeedsCity69,700 GBP67,800 GBP35,200-109,700 GBP
PlymouthCity69,700 GBP71,200 GBP31,700-107,700 GBP
SouthamptonCity69,200 GBP69,700 GBP33,000-109,000 GBP
ManchesterCity69,200 GBP72,700 GBP33,800-111,700 GBP
SwanseaCity69,200 GBP67,400 GBP35,000-107,300 GBP
LeicesterCity69,100 GBP72,300 GBP31,800-109,700 GBP
NottinghamCity68,800 GBP69,400 GBP35,400-109,000 GBP
EdinburghCity68,800 GBP69,400 GBP35,400-109,000 GBP
BelfastCity68,500 GBP73,700 GBP32,200-108,200 GBP
BrightonCity68,200 GBP65,900 GBP34,900-107,300 GBP
Kingston upon HullCity67,200 GBP69,700 GBP33,600-105,200 GBP
OxfordCity67,000 GBP61,700 GBP33,000-101,100 GBP
NewportCity66,700 GBP70,700 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
PeterboroughCity66,700 GBP70,700 GBP29,600-105,800 GBP
PortsmouthCity65,700 GBP72,000 GBP32,900-107,700 GBP
PooleCity64,900 GBP61,700 GBP35,500-100,300 GBP
WolverhamptonCity64,600 GBP71,200 GBP29,200-102,700 GBP
AberdeenCity64,500 GBP59,900 GBP35,100-99,100 GBP
NewryCity63,900 GBP66,200 GBP28,900-101,100 GBP
CambridgeCity63,800 GBP64,200 GBP32,200-99,700 GBP
YorkCity63,500 GBP66,000 GBP30,300-99,600 GBP
ArmaghCity63,500 GBP63,000 GBP34,000-98,900 GBP
DerbyCity63,200 GBP60,600 GBP31,700-98,000 GBP
StirlingCity62,100 GBP58,500 GBP32,200-94,100 GBP
DundeeCity61,800 GBP67,900 GBP29,900-97,300 GBP
DerryCity61,800 GBP62,600 GBP30,100-95,400 GBP
ChesterCity61,700 GBP66,400 GBP28,900-101,400 GBP
LincolnCity61,700 GBP63,900 GBP29,600-96,400 GBP
ExeterCity61,400 GBP62,100 GBP30,800-94,800 GBP
NorwichCity61,200 GBP67,300 GBP27,700-98,300 GBP
LisburnCity60,700 GBP56,600 GBP30,600-93,800 GBP
CanterburyCity60,100 GBP58,500 GBP32,200-93,100 GBP
TruroCity60,000 GBP56,900 GBP30,200-92,100 GBP
SalisburyCity59,800 GBP59,700 GBP31,800-92,500 GBP
BangorCity59,700 GBP58,600 GBP29,900-91,200 GBP
WalesRegion59,700 GBP55,200 GBP29,600-88,300 GBP
GloucesterCity58,800 GBP55,300 GBP29,400-92,400 GBP
St DavidsCity58,700 GBP60,500 GBP26,900-90,900 GBP
DurhamCity58,600 GBP62,100 GBP27,800-90,300 GBP
HartlepoolCity58,200 GBP64,900 GBP26,500-91,700 GBP
RiponCity58,200 GBP61,400 GBP29,300-90,900 GBP
WinchesterCity57,800 GBP55,400 GBP30,100-84,300 GBP
WakefieldCity57,200 GBP63,200 GBP25,800-92,000 GBP
Northern IrelandRegion57,200 GBP53,800 GBP29,300-87,700 GBP
InvernessCity57,100 GBP61,700 GBP27,300-92,400 GBP
AbingdonCity56,600 GBP59,200 GBP29,600-92,300 GBP
KirkwallCity54,600 GBP58,100 GBP28,800-86,300 GBP
StrontianCity54,200 GBP57,000 GBP26,500-85,500 GBP
StromnessCity54,100 GBP59,100 GBP24,400-89,800 GBP
WellsCity54,100 GBP55,100 GBP25,800-83,000 GBP

Software QA Engineer in United Kingdom: FAQs

  • How much does a software QA engineer make per month in United Kingdom?

    A software QA engineer in United Kingdom earns about 5,133 GBP a month before tax, based on an annual average of 61,600 GBP.

  • What's the salary range for a software QA engineer in United Kingdom?

    Entry-level software QA engineers in United Kingdom start near 26,900 GBP. Top-end pay reaches around 99,100 GBP. The middle 50% of earners sit between 44,300 and 87,900 GBP.

  • Is the median software QA engineer salary in United Kingdom higher or lower than the average?

    The median is 66,900 GBP, higher than the average of 61,600 GBP. Half of software QA engineers in United Kingdom earn below the median, half earn above it.

  • What's the gender pay gap for software QA engineers in United Kingdom?

    Men working as a software QA engineer in United Kingdom earn around 0% less than women on average (61,400 vs 61,400 GBP a year).

  • Do software QA engineers in United Kingdom get bonuses?

    About 61% of software QA engineers in United Kingdom reported a bonus in the past 12 months. Reported bonuses ranged from 2% to 7% of base salary.

  • Do software QA engineers earn more in the public or private sector in United Kingdom?

    In United Kingdom, the public sector pays a software QA engineer about 7% more on average. Public-sector pay tends to be steadier; private-sector pay tends to offer bigger upside.

  • How often do software QA engineers in United Kingdom get a pay raise?

    A software QA engineer in United Kingdom sees a raise of around 12% every 17 months, equivalent to roughly 8% a year.