Operating Expenses

Total Operating Expenses

Qualcomm Total Operating Expenses decreased by 6.7% to $8.29B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 5.5%, from $7.86B to $8.29B. Over 4 years (FY 2021 to FY 2025), Total Operating Expenses shows an upward trend with a 7.6% CAGR. This increase may warrant attention — for this metric, lower values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementIncome Statement
SectionOperating Expenses
CategoryEfficiency
SignalLower is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ1 2014
Last reportedQ2 2026Apr 29, 2026

How to read this metric

An increase faster than revenue growth suggests declining operating margins, while slower growth indicates effective cost control.

Detailed definition

Total operating expenses represent the sum of all costs incurred to operate the business, excluding the cost of goods so...

Peer comparison

Used to calculate operating margin; peers in the healthcare sector monitor this closely to manage profitability against R&D requirements.

Metric ID: total_operating_expenses

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26Q2 '26
Value$5.87B$6.43B$6.84B$7.31B$6.46B$7.73B$7.00B$7.19B$6.63B$7.22B$7.01B$7.05B$7.17B$7.66B$8.11B$7.86B$7.60B$8.35B$8.89B$8.29B
QoQ Change+9.7%+6.3%+6.8%-11.5%+19.6%-9.5%+2.7%-7.8%+8.9%-3.0%+0.6%+1.7%+6.8%+5.9%-3.1%-3.3%+9.9%+6.4%-6.7%
YoY Change+10.2%+20.1%+2.3%-1.7%+2.5%-6.6%+0.1%-1.9%+8.2%+6.1%+15.8%+11.5%+6.0%+9.0%+9.5%+5.5%
Range$5.87B$8.89B
CAGR+7.6%
Avg YoY Growth+6.1%
Median YoY Growth+6.1%

Business Segments

View all
SegmentQ2 '26
QCT$1.91B
QTL$388.00M
QSI$3.00M
Total$8.29B

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Qualcomm's total operating expenses?
Qualcomm (QCOM) reported total operating expenses of $8.29B in Q1 2026.
How has Qualcomm's total operating expenses changed year-over-year?
Qualcomm's total operating expenses increased by 5.5% year-over-year, from $7.86B to $8.29B.
What is the long-term trend for Qualcomm's total operating expenses?
Over 4 years (2021 to 2025), Qualcomm's total operating expenses has grown at a 7.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $23.78B to $31.93B.
What does total operating expenses mean?
The total cost of running the business, including all non-production expenses.