QA / Software Test Engineer Salary in Rawalpindi, Pakistan (2026)
- Average: PKR 77,000 per month (PKR 924,000 per year).
- Range: PKR 50,000 to PKR 123,000 per month.
- Take-home at the average: about PKR 76,730 per month after FY 2026-27 income tax.
- Versus other cities: ranks #4 of 12 cities, 17% above the cross-city average.
- Versus other jobs in Rawalpindi: #15 of 52 professions tracked.
So, what does a QA / Software Test Engineer earn in Rawalpindi? Short answer: around PKR 77,000 a month, on average. Longer answer — it depends on who you work for, how much experience you bring, and a handful of other factors covered below.
Hiring activity for QA / Software Test Engineer roles in Rawalpindi is steady, neither oversaturated nor scarce.
Out of 12 cities compared for this role, Rawalpindi ranks #4, with average pay running about 17% above the cross-city average of PKR 65,916.
Rawalpindi's job market is closely linked to Islamabad's, with somewhat lower average pay but a notably lower cost of living.
QA / Software Test Engineer Salary by Experience Level in Rawalpindi
Pay for this role typically grows in stages as you gain experience. Here is roughly how QA / Software Test Engineer salaries in Rawalpindi break down by career stage. The senior band tops out at about 2.5 times the bottom of the entry-level band, which shows how much career progression can be worth in this field.
| Experience Level | Typical Monthly Salary | Approx. Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-Level (0–2 years) | PKR 50,000 – PKR 58,000 | PKR 600,000 – PKR 696,000 |
| Mid-Level (3–6 years) | PKR 58,000 – PKR 92,000 | PKR 696,000 – PKR 1,104,000 |
| Senior-Level (7+ years) | PKR 92,000 – PKR 123,000 | PKR 1,104,000 – PKR 1,476,000 |
Take-Home Pay for a QA / Software Test Engineer in Rawalpindi (FY 2026-27 Tax)
Gross salary is not what lands in your bank account. Salaried individuals pay progressive income tax, which is withheld by the employer every month. Under the slabs that took effect on 1 July 2026, annual income up to Rs 600,000 (Rs 50,000 a month) is tax-free, and rates then rise in eight steps from 1% to 35%. At the Rawalpindi average of PKR 77,000, an estimated PKR 270 a month goes to income tax, which is an effective rate of 0.4%.
| Level | Gross / month | Income tax / month | Take-home / month | Effective rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level (typical) | PKR 54,000 | PKR 40 | PKR 53,960 | 0.1% |
| Mid-level (typical) | PKR 75,000 | PKR 250 | PKR 74,750 | 0.3% |
| Senior-level (typical) | PKR 107,500 | PKR 1,325 | PKR 106,175 | 1.2% |
| City average | PKR 77,000 | PKR 270 | PKR 76,730 | 0.4% |
These figures cover federal income tax only. Your payslip may also show provident fund, EOBI, insurance or loan deductions. Use the calculator below to test your own number, or open the full salary tax calculator for slab details and examples.
Annual Gross:
Annual Tax:
Monthly Tax:
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About the QA / Software Test Engineer Role
What does a QA / Software Test Engineer do?
A QA or software test engineer makes sure software works before users find the problems. Duties include writing test plans and cases, running manual and automated tests, reporting and tracking bugs, and checking releases for regressions. As teams release faster, QA has shifted from clicking through screens to building automation and testing APIs.
What drives QA / Software Test Engineer pay?
The gap between manual-only testers and automation engineers is large. Automation, performance and security testing skills, along with ownership of release quality, drive pay. Companies serving overseas clients usually pay more for testers who can also communicate well in English.
The Rawalpindi Job Market for QA / Software Test Engineer Roles
Rawalpindi is Islamabad's twin city and a large market in its own right, with a strong presence of military and defence-linked institutions, trading bazaars, small and medium industry, education and healthcare. Many professionals live in Rawalpindi for lower rents and commute to Islamabad via the Metro Bus or by road, which means the two cities share a combined labour market. Salaries for local roles are generally somewhat below those in Islamabad for equivalent jobs, but living costs are noticeably lower, so take-home pay can stretch further. Retail, logistics, teaching, healthcare, construction and technical trades are major employers, along with an expanding number of IT and call-centre operations.
See the full salary guide for Rawalpindi for every profession we track in the city.
What Affects QA / Software Test Engineer Salary in Rawalpindi?
For QA / Software Test Engineer roles, the biggest swing factors are the specific tech stack you know, whether you've worked with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP), and whether you're working for a local company or a foreign/remote-paying client — the latter often pays substantially more.
Technology Careers: What Employers Pay For
Technology is the most globally portable career field in Pakistan. Software houses, product companies, banks, telecoms and fintech firms all compete for engineers, and many professionals also sell their skills directly to clients abroad. That outside market sets a ceiling above what purely local employers can pay, which is why experienced developers often see offers jump when they change jobs.
What employers pay for
Salaries follow demonstrable skill rather than degree alone. Hands-on experience with in-demand stacks (cloud, mobile, data, security, modern web frameworks), proven delivery on real products and strong English communication consistently raise pay. Companies that earn in dollars, venture-backed startups and multinationals pay the highest bands, while service-only firms serving small local clients pay less.
How to negotiate
Come with a portfolio, GitHub profile or case studies, and quantify your results: performance improvements, users served, revenue supported. Compare the full package, including annual increments, bonuses, medical cover, provident fund, remote or hybrid options and learning budgets. In this field, a competing offer is the strongest negotiating tool.
Where growth comes from
Move toward ownership: lead features, mentor juniors, take responsibility for production systems and learn adjacent skills such as cloud and security. Decide early whether you want the technical track (architect, principal engineer) or the management track, and build the matching evidence. Continuous learning is not optional, because tools change quickly.
How to Increase Your Salary as a QA / Software Test Engineer in Rawalpindi
To move up the pay scale as a QA / Software Test Engineer in Rawalpindi, focus on building a public portfolio (GitHub, personal projects), picking up in-demand skills like cloud infrastructure or AI tooling, and — where possible — targeting remote roles with foreign clients who typically pay in USD.
One more thing worth noting: what you're offered and what you keep are two different numbers. The calculator further down this page shows the gap between the two for QA / Software Test Engineer pay in Rawalpindi.
QA / Software Test Engineer Salary: Rawalpindi vs Other Pakistani Cities
Location changes pay noticeably. Across the 12 cities we track, the average QA / Software Test Engineer salary runs from PKR 49,000 to PKR 94,000 per month. Rawalpindi is highlighted below. Higher pay in larger cities is partly offset by higher rent and transport costs, so compare take-home pay against your living costs rather than the headline number.
| City | Average / month | Compared with Rawalpindi |
|---|---|---|
| Karachi | PKR 94,000 | +22% |
| Islamabad | PKR 92,000 | +19% |
| Lahore | PKR 85,000 | +10% |
| Rawalpindi | PKR 77,000 | This page |
| Sialkot | PKR 61,000 | -21% |
| Gujranwala | PKR 60,000 | -22% |
| Faisalabad | PKR 58,000 | -25% |
| Hyderabad | PKR 56,000 | -27% |
| Peshawar | PKR 55,000 | -29% |
| Multan | PKR 53,000 | -31% |
| Quetta | PKR 51,000 | -34% |
| Sargodha | PKR 49,000 | -36% |
How QA / Software Test Engineer Pay Compares With Other Technology Roles in Rawalpindi
In Rawalpindi, QA / Software Test Engineer ranks #15 out of 52 professions in our data. Here is how it sits against related roles in the same field, which is useful if you are considering a move within technology.
| Role | Average / month | Difference from QA / Software Test Engineer |
|---|---|---|
| DevOps Engineer | PKR 144,000 | +87% |
| Software Engineer | PKR 126,000 | +64% |
| Mobile App Developer | PKR 99,000 | +29% |
| Data Analyst | PKR 90,000 | +17% |
| UI/UX Designer | PKR 86,000 | +12% |
| Web Developer | PKR 81,000 | +5% |
| Network Administrator | PKR 68,000 | -12% |
| IT Support Specialist | PKR 50,000 | -35% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi?
The average QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi is around PKR 77,000 per month, based on current market observation. Actual pay depends on experience, employer, and negotiation.
What is the salary range for a QA / Software Test Engineer in Rawalpindi?
QA / Software Test Engineer salaries in Rawalpindi generally range from PKR 50,000 to PKR 123,000 per month, depending on experience level, company size, and specific skill set.
What is the entry-level QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi?
Entry-level QA / Software Test Engineer professionals in Rawalpindi typically start around PKR 50,000 to PKR 58,000 per month, rising as they gain experience and take on more responsibility.
Is Rawalpindi a good city for QA / Software Test Engineer jobs?
Rawalpindi offers a reasonably steady job market for QA / Software Test Engineer roles — neither oversaturated nor scarce, with consistent opportunities across different employers.
How does QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi compare to other cities in Pakistan?
Among the 12 cities tracked here, Rawalpindi ranks #4 for QA / Software Test Engineer pay, running roughly 17% above the cross-city average of PKR 65,916 per month.
What is the take-home salary of a QA / Software Test Engineer in Rawalpindi?
At the average of PKR 77,000 per month, the estimated federal income tax under the FY 2026-27 slabs is about PKR 270 a month, leaving roughly PKR 76,730 in take-home pay, an effective tax rate of 0.4%. Provident fund, EOBI and other deductions are not included.
What is the senior QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi?
Senior QA / Software Test Engineer professionals in Rawalpindi (typically 7+ years) are generally in the PKR 92,000 to PKR 123,000 per month band, about 2.5 times the bottom of the entry-level range, with the highest pay going to people who combine technical depth with leadership or specialist skills.
Which city pays the most for QA / Software Test Engineer in Pakistan?
In our data, Karachi pays the most for QA / Software Test Engineer at about PKR 94,000 per month on average, while Rawalpindi is at PKR 77,000. City pay differs mainly because of employer concentration, cost of living and the share of export-oriented or multinational firms.
Is the QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi above the minimum wage?
Yes. The average of PKR 77,000 is above the FY 2026-27 minimum wage announced for Punjab (PKR 40,000). The legal minimum is a floor for unskilled work, not a market rate for skilled roles.
How can I increase my QA / Software Test Engineer salary in Rawalpindi?
The most reliable levers are specialised skills that employers struggle to find, recognised certifications, a documented record of results, and moving to employers that pay above the local average. Compare at least two offers before negotiating, and negotiate on total compensation including benefits, not only base pay.
QA / Software Test Engineer Salary in Other Cities
Compare how this role pays across the cities we track.
Other Jobs in Rawalpindi
Browse salaries for other professions in the same city.