QA jobs in Costa Rica
Costa Rica has 15 open QA roles across 1 of our 1 listed city, and 8 are remote. A mid-level QA Automation Engineer earns a median of CRC 33M gross a year. QA Automation Engineer is the most common opening.
A nearshore QA market with US-aligned time zones, shared-service centres and free-zone employers around San Jose.
Latin America · schematic, dot size follows open roles
Live QA roles in Costa Rica
15 roles from our listings, newest first. Pay is shown upfront. Mix: permanent 12, contract 3.
QA Automation Engineer
QA Manual (CR Only)
AI Automation Engineer
Senior SDET (Earnix)
Software Tester and QA Analyst Consultant
SDET
Role mix in Costa Rica
- QA Automation Engineer3 20%
- Manual QA Tester3 20%
- AI / LLM Evaluation QA3 20%
- SDET3 20%
- Business / Test Analyst3 20%
What employers here hire for
Tools named most often: Jira, Playwright, Python.
Browse all 15 QA roles or jump to QA Automation Engineer, SDET and Manual QA Tester.
QA pay in Costa Rica
Gross annual pay in CRC, mid-level. Median is the modelled middle of the market. P10 to P90 is the usual spread: median x 0.82 to x 1.22.
| Role | P10 | Median | P90 | Senior median | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manual QA Tester | CRC 18M | CRC 23M | CRC 27M | CRC 28M | Guide |
| QA Automation Engineer | CRC 27M | CRC 33M | CRC 41M | CRC 42M | Guide |
| SDET | CRC 29M | CRC 36M | CRC 44M | CRC 46M | Guide |
| Mobile QA Engineer | CRC 24M | CRC 29M | CRC 36M | CRC 38M | Guide |
| Performance Test Engineer | CRC 33M | CRC 40M | CRC 49M | CRC 53M | Guide |
| QA Lead / Manager | CRC 25M | CRC 30M | CRC 37M | CRC 38M | Guide |
Modelled from posted pay ranges and the national pay index (0.53 of the US level). Salary methodology and all countries.
Hiring QA in Costa Rica
Typical terms for a mid-level QA hire. They are ranges for orientation. Collective agreements and individual contracts change them.
Contract types
Notice period
Statutory notice runs from one week to one month, rising with tenure.
Paid leave
Statutory minimum is two weeks per 50 weeks worked.
Working week
48 hours is the legal maximum for day shifts.
Probation
Typically three months.
Employer on-costs
Employer social-security contributions are around 26% of gross, plus a mandatory year-end bonus.
Employer of record
An employer of record can hire here without a local entity, usually for a monthly fee on top of salary and on-costs.
Contractors
Independent contractors handle their own tax and social security.
Working language
Spanish; English in most QA teams serving US clients.
Typical values and ranges for orientation only. Not legal or tax advice. Confirm with local counsel or an employer of record before you hire. PassRidge does not provide legal advice.
Overlap with US and European teams
Costa Rica is on UTC-6 (CST). The strip shows a 09:00-17:00 day on Costa Rica's main clock against the same hours at four client hubs. Green is shared time.
Europe moves its clocks on 25 Oct 2026 and the US on 1 Nov 2026. For that week US East and London overlap 4 h on a 09:00-17:00 day, against 3 h today. Costa Rica keeps its clock all year. With one flexible hour each side the overlap with US East is 8 h and with London 3 h.
Flex work in Costa Rica: limited
Flex tasks are available in Costa Rica for a smaller set of task types, matched to client demand. Tasks run 3-4 hours a day. Rates start at $15/hour and are shown before you apply.
1 city in Costa Rica
Tier A cities are established QA hubs. Tier B are growing. Tier C are emerging. Each page has local pay, jobs and time-zone overlap.
Nearby countries
QA jobs in Costa Rica: FAQ
How much does a QA engineer earn in Costa Rica?
A mid-level QA Automation Engineer in Costa Rica has a median gross salary of CRC 33M a year, with a p10 to p90 band of CRC 27M to CRC 41M. A mid-level Manual QA Tester earns CRC 23M. Senior automation engineers reach CRC 42M.
How many QA jobs are open in Costa Rica?
PassRidge lists 15 open QA roles in Costa Rica today, 8 of them remote. San José leads with 3 listings. The most common role is QA Automation Engineer.
What are the typical contract terms in Costa Rica?
Common arrangements are: Employment contract; Fixed-term contract; Independent contractor. Notice: Statutory notice runs from one week to one month, rising with tenure. Paid leave: Statutory minimum is two weeks per 50 weeks worked. Typical on-costs: Employer social-security contributions are around 26% of gross, plus a mandatory year-end bonus. This is general information, not legal advice.
What time-zone overlap does Costa Rica have with US and European clients?
On a 09:00-17:00 day, Costa Rica (UTC-6 (CST)) overlaps 6 h with US East, 7 h with US West, 1 h with London and 0 h with Central Europe. Overlap shifts by up to an hour when clocks change.
Can I do PassRidge Flex work from Costa Rica?
Flex tasks are available in Costa Rica for a smaller set of task types, matched to client demand. Flex tasks run 3-4 hours a day and rates are shown before you accept. Check your main employer's contract for side-work rules first.
Which cities in Costa Rica hire the most QA testers?
By open roles: San José (3). We cover 1 city: San José.