Side-by-side distribution
Frontend Engineer
$162,406
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 31.8%
- Live roles
- 1,341
QA Automation
$135,625
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 22.6%
- Live roles
- 998
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Frontend Engineer ($400k - $500k salary)
Staff/Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Staff/Principal Frontend Software Engineer
Software Engineer, Frontend
Frontend Software Engineer, ChatGPT Space
Frontend Software Engineer, Codex App
Principal Frontend AI Engineer - Cortex Code
Senior / Staff Software Engineer, Frontend
Principal Frontend Software Engineer - Discovery
Staff Software Engineer, Frontend
Highest-paying jobs
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Connectors)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Infrastructure)
Staff Software Development Engineer in Test (Graph Database)
Senior Principal, Solution Test & Automation Engineer
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Lead Automation QA Engineer (Calypso)
Principal Test Automation Engineer
Senior SDET - Platform [Remote-US]
Senior SDET – Data [Remote-US]
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
CACI
|
$160,950 | 19 |
Air Apps
|
$58,701 | 11 |
Sift Stack, Inc.
|
$205,000 | 9 |
GDIT
|
$155,000 | 9 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$113,700 | 9 |
|
Harvey
|
$241,700 | 8 |
|
Roblox
|
$267,950 | 7 |
Verkada
|
$225,000 | 7 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Air Apps
|
$59,402 | 11 |
PlayStation Global
|
$145,600 | 7 |
|
CACI
|
$134,200 | 7 |
Blue Origin
|
$161,953 | 6 |
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 5 |
Fiserv
|
$132,400 | 5 |
Accenture Federal Services
|
$125,500 | 5 |
Lightmatter
|
$190,250 | 4 |
Frontend Engineer salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| New York | $208,750 | 68 |
| San Francisco | $205,000 | 69 |
| Seattle | $193,000 | 17 |
| Boston | $188,750 | 10 |
| Austin | $187,500 | 5 |
| Chicago | $155,600 | 8 |
| Los Angeles | $134,531 | 5 |
| London | $133,526 | 4 |
| Denver | $127,250 | 5 |
| Toronto | $117,119 | 22 |
QA Automation salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | $167,500 | 4 |
| Seattle | $161,953 | 9 |
| New York | $145,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $142,888 | 4 |
| San Francisco | $141,500 | 10 |
| Boston | $140,750 | 6 |
| Atlanta | $137,500 | 5 |
| Chicago | $128,503 | 10 |
| Toronto | $106,497 | 12 |
Frontend Engineer vs QA Automation: which pays more?
The median for Frontend Engineer is $162,406 per year (typically $123,125–$202,496), versus $135,625 for QA Automation ($105,000–$167,500). That puts Frontend Engineer about 20% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Frontend Engineer and QA Automation are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.