What does a Software QA Engineer salary really buy you in Vermont?
Vermont is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2024 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-03-31
Vermont's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.1, meaning prices are 1.1% higher the national average. A Software QA Engineer earning $77,060 in Vermont has the equivalent purchasing power of $76,221 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Vermont's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $53,190 | $52,611 | $-578 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $65,570 | $64,856 | $-713 |
| Median (P50) | $77,060 | $76,221 | $-838 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $98,380 | $97,309 | $-1,070 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $134,800 | $133,333 | $-1,466 |
Vermont's cost of living is close to the national average, so $77,060 keeps most of its value at $76,221 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
Where does Software QA Engineer salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Vermont ranks #45 out of 48 states for Software QA Engineer after cost-of-living adjustment.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.
A Software QA Engineer in Vermont earns a median salary of $77,060 per year. After adjusting for Vermont's cost of living (RPP=101.1), the real purchasing power is $76,221 — a -1.1% difference.
Vermont's cost of living is 1.1% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Vermont is 101.1 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Software QA Engineer in Vermont: $77,060 x (100 / 101.1) = $76,221. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.