SOC 15-1253 · Appleton, WI metro

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Salary in Appleton, WI

The average salary for software quality assurance analysts and testers in Appleton, Wisconsin is $96,960 a year ($46.61 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $90,890: half of the 40 people in this job in the Appleton, WI metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,142).

$96,960average per year

$46.61 / hourMedian $90,890Take-home ≈ $72,794

  • $61K10th
  • $73K25th
  • $91KMedian
  • $113K75th
  • $132K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

40people in this job
-15%vs U.S. metro average
#5 of 10Wisconsin metros
92cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers pay range in Appleton

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,060 a year or less, while the top 10% make $132,280 or more. The middle half of software quality assurance analysts and testers in Appleton earn between $73,290 and $112,960.

  • $61K10th
  • $73K25th
  • $91KMedian
  • $113K75th
  • $132K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$96,960$8,080$46.62
Median$90,890$7,574$43.70
Entry level (25th percentile)$73,290$6,108$35.24
Experienced (75th percentile)$112,960$9,413$54.31

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year.

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers salary after taxes in Appleton

On the average salary of $96,960, a single filer in Appleton takes home about $72,794 a year, or $6,066 a month and $2,800 every two weeks. Taxes take 25% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).

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Is Appleton a good place for software quality assurance analysts and testers? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Appleton area are 8% below the U.S. average (BEA price parity 92.4), so the average $96,960 buys what about $104,913 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.8 times the median wage of all jobs in Appleton ($49,910). A typical home costs $350,370, or 3.6 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $96,960 is worth in another city

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers salary in other Wisconsin cities

Appleton ranks 5th of 10 Wisconsin metro areas for this job; Kenosha pays the most ($113,930).

All Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers salaries in Wisconsin

Highest-paying cities for software quality assurance analysts and testers

San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($160,040).

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers salary by city

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Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers salary in Appleton: questions

How much do software quality assurance analysts and testers make an hour in Appleton?

$46.61 an hour on average, and $43.70 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level software quality assurance analysts and testers salary in Appleton?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $61,060 a year and the 25th percentile is $73,290, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the software quality assurance analysts and testers take-home pay in Appleton?

About $72,794 a year ($6,066 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $96,960.

Do software quality assurance analysts and testers earn more in Appleton than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% less than the U.S. metro average for this job ($114,142).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 15-1253; area Appleton, WI (11540). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 6.8%.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.28, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.28).

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