Based on FY 2026-27 market data across all experience levels and employer types in India. In-hand calculated under new tax regime, metro city.
| Experience Level | Typical CTC | Monthly In-Hand (Metro, New Regime) | Annual In-Hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresher / 0-1 yr | Rs. 4.0 LPA | Rs. 29,292 | Rs. 3,51,504 |
| Junior QA / 1-3 yrs | Rs. 7.0 LPA | Rs. 53,411 | Rs. 6,40,932 |
| Mid-level / 3-6 yrs | Rs. 12.0 LPA | Rs. 94,276 | Rs. 11,31,312 |
| Senior QA / 6-10 yrs | Rs. 20.0 LPA | Rs. 1,44,668 | Rs. 17,36,017 |
| QA Lead / Manager / 10+ yrs | Rs. 30.0 LPA | Rs. 2,03,802 | Rs. 24,45,628 |
| Basic Salary | Rs. 15,000/mo |
| HRA (50% of basic, metro) | Rs. 7,500/mo |
| Special Allowance | Rs. 12,479/mo |
| Gross Monthly Salary | Rs. 34,979/mo |
| Employee PF | -Rs. 1,800/mo |
| Professional Tax | -Rs. 200/mo |
| Income Tax (TDS) | -Rs. 0/mo |
| Monthly In-Hand | Rs. 32,979/mo |
How QA Engineer Salary Grows in India
What Does a QA Engineer Earn in India?
QA engineers in India test software products for bugs, performance, and security across manual and automated testing. Manual QA freshers start at Rs. 3 to Rs. 4 LPA. Automation QA engineers with Selenium, Cypress, or Appium skills earn Rs. 6 to Rs. 12 LPA with 2 to 4 years of experience. Performance and security testing specialists earn Rs. 10 to Rs. 22 LPA. The shift to automation has made manual-only QA roles increasingly commoditised.
What Drives QA Engineer Salary in India?
QA engineer salary is driven heavily by automation skills. Manual-only QA engineers have stagnant salary growth while automation engineers with Python or JavaScript scripting, API testing (Postman, RestAssured), and CI/CD integration see strong demand and salary growth. Performance testing (JMeter, Gatling) and security testing add significant premiums at senior levels.
QA Engineer Salary by Specialization
QA Engineer Salary Across Employer Types
| Employer Type | Typical CTC Range | Monthly In-Hand |
|---|---|---|
| Product Companies / Startups | Rs. 7-22 LPA | Rs. 49K-1.1L/mo |
| MNC Testing Centers | Rs. 5-16 LPA | Rs. 34K-92K/mo |
| IT Services (TCS/Infosys/Wipro) | Rs. 3.5-10 LPA | Rs. 24K-68K/mo |
| QA Outsourcing Firms | Rs. 3-8 LPA | Rs. 20K-55K/mo |
QA Engineer Salary by City in India
| City | Salary vs Base |
|---|---|
| Bangalore | +20% |
| Hyderabad | +12% |
| Delhi NCR / Noida | +10% |
| Pune / Mumbai | +8% |
| Chennai | +5% |
| Tier-2 cities | Base |
New Regime vs Old Regime at QA Engineer Entry Level
At Rs. 4.5 LPA CTC, the new tax regime gives Rs. 32,979/mo per month in a metro. The old regime with Rs. 1,50,000 in 80C deductions gives Rs. 32,979/mo. The new regime saves Rs. 0 per year at this CTC.