How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)

Updated March 14, 2024

3 min read

How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (1)

A quality assurance tester ensures that software products meet the required standards and specifications. They test software applications to identify bugs and other issues that lead to poor user experience or failures. Quality assurance testers work closely with developers and project managers to ensure that software products are delivered on time and within budget. They also document test results and communicate any issues. A quality assurance tester must possess excellent analytical skills and attention to detail.

How long does it takes to become a quality assurance tester?

It takes approximately 6 to 8 years to become a quality assurance tester.

Year 1-4: Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as computer science or information technology.

Year 5-8: Gain 2-4 years of experience in the field, which is typical for this role.

Less than 1 month: On-site training is typically less than a month.

3-6 months: On-the-job training typically lasts 3-6 months.

  • Salary$74,140
  • Jobs Number82,396
  • Most Common SkillManual Test Cases
  • Most Common DegreeBachelor's degree
  • Best StateNew Hampshire

Quality Assurance Tester pros and cons

Pros

  • Opportunity to work in various industries

  • Chance to learn new technologies

  • Possibility of remote work

  • Chance to improve communication and interpersonal skills

  • Possibility of working on exciting projects

Cons

  • Long hours sitting in front of a computer

  • Need to keep up with changing technology trends

  • Constant need for attention to detail and accuracy

  • Potential for conflicts with developers or management

  • Need to constantly update testing procedures and documentation

Quality Assurance Tester career paths

A quality assurance tester can progress into various roles, such as a quality assurance analyst, business analyst, or project manager. They can also become a delivery manager or test engineer. In some cases, they can advance to senior positions like senior quality assurance tester, test engineer, or engineering manager. Additionally, they can pursue roles in other areas, such as software testing, systems engineering, product ownership, or quality management.

Key steps to become a quality assurance tester

  1. Explore quality assurance tester education requirements

    If you're interested in becoming a quality assurance tester, you must consider how much education you need. Based on real quality assurance tester resumes, 65.8% of quality assurance testers have a bachelor's degree. Regarding higher education levels, 15.9% of quality assurance testers have master's degrees. Even though most quality assurance testers have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.

    Most common quality assurance tester degrees

    Bachelor's

    65.8

    %

    Associate

    9.7

    %

  2. Start to develop specific quality assurance tester skills

    A quality assurance tester must monitor applications, develop test scripts, and collaborate with project management and development teams. They must also verify data completeness and consistency, test for security vulnerabilities, and validate business requirements. Additionally, they must have experience with automated testing, data migration, and back-end testing. They must be able to analyze system logs and output files to resolve discrepancies and use SQL Server Management Studio for verification and validation. They must also have experience with UI automation framework development and maintenance.

    SkillsPercentages
    Manual Test Cases6.15%
    Regression5.82%
    Test Scripts5.02%
    Selenium Webdriver4.36%
    Java3.86%

    Show more

  3. Complete relevant quality assurance tester training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality assurance testers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a quality assurance tester based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality assurance tester resumes.

  4. Research quality assurance tester duties and responsibilities

    Quality assurance testers monitor applications, develop test cases and automation scripts, and collaborate with project management and development teams. They verify application functionality, test data, and security aspects, and ensure data completeness and consistency. They also perform manual and automated testing, analyze business requirements, and design and implement quality-assurance methodologies.

    • Test UNIX shell scripts as part of the ETL process, automate the process of loading, pulling the data.
    • Manage departmental inventory and troubleshoot testing, reporting and inventory issues.
    • Perform functional testing, regression testing and integration testing, and UI testing according to the requirement specification and test plan.
    • Experience in load and performance testing tool JMeter.
  5. Prepare your quality assurance tester resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality assurance tester resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a quality assurance tester resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Quality Assurance Tester Resume templates

    Build a professional

    Quality Assurance Tester

    resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume.

    Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Quality Assurance Tester resume.

    How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2)

    How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (3)

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    How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (17)

  6. Apply for quality assurance tester jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a quality assurance tester job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (18)

Are you a Quality Assurance Tester?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average quality assurance tester salary

The average Quality Assurance Tester salary in the United States is $74,140 per year or $36 per hour. Quality assurance tester salaries range between $55,000 and $99,000 per year.

Average

Quality Assurance Tester

Salary

$74,140Yearly

$35.64

hourly

More quality assurance tester salary info

What Am I Worth?

How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (19)

How do quality assurance testers rate their job?

Quality Assurance Tester FAQs

Have more questions?

See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for quality assurance tester jobs

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Updated March 14, 2024

How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (20)

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Quality Assurance Tester Related Careers

  • ETL Tester
  • Functional Tester
  • Quality Analyst
  • Quality Assurance
  • Quality Assurance Analyst
  • Quality Assurance Consultant
  • Quality Assurance Engineer
  • Quality Assurance Internship
  • Quality Assurance Lead
  • Quality Assurance Representative
  • Quality Assurance Specialist
  • Quality Assurance Team Leader
  • Senior Quality Analyst
  • Senior Quality Assurance Analyst
  • Senior Quality Assurance Analyst/Lead

Quality Assurance Tester Related Jobs

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How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia (2024)

FAQs

How To Become A Quality Assurance Tester: What It Is and Career Path - Zippia? ›

Start as a junior QA tester.

You might also work with senior QA testers to ensure the development process works properly. After you've proven how valuable you are, management might notice and offer you a promotion to QA tester and later as a senior QA tester.

What is the career path of quality assurance tester? ›

Start as a junior QA tester.

You might also work with senior QA testers to ensure the development process works properly. After you've proven how valuable you are, management might notice and offer you a promotion to QA tester and later as a senior QA tester.

What qualifications do you need to be a quality assurance tester? ›

Some of the key requirements for a QA tester include: A bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology or a related field. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Knowledge of software development methodologies and processes.

How do I start a career as a QA tester? ›

How to become a QA tester
  1. Enroll in college. Consider the qualifications required for the industry you'd like to work in to figure out which type of degree or certification you need to earn. ...
  2. Complete your education. ...
  3. Consider an internship. ...
  4. Apply for jobs. ...
  5. Attention to detail. ...
  6. Organization. ...
  7. Listening skills. ...
  8. Communication.

Can I be a QA tester without experience? ›

The qualifications that you need to become a quality assurance tester (QA tester) with no experience include a computer-related degree, the ability to undergo training, and computer coding skills.

Can you be a QA tester without a degree? ›

Most commonly, they study computer science, business, computer applications, or information technology. You can also become a QA tester without a degree by meeting other employer qualifications, like industry certifications or hands-on experience.

How do I start a career in quality assurance? ›

If you're interested in pursuing this career, consider following these 10 steps to land a QA job:
  1. Explore your interests. ...
  2. Earn a computer science degree. ...
  3. Gain skills. ...
  4. Consider freelance tasks. ...
  5. Join a professional organization. ...
  6. Network with industry colleagues. ...
  7. Get certified. ...
  8. Connect with QA recruiters.

Is it hard to become a QA tester? ›

Software assurance QA testing is easy to learn and not code intensive. You will have to learn some coding, but not to the same extent as a software or web developer. Software QA test training typically takes six to ten weeks, whereas web development training takes anywhere from 12-26 weeks.

Can I learn QA testing on my own? ›

Becoming a quality assurance tester, engineer, or specialist is possible, even without formal education. You can learn the necessary skills on your own via online courses, bootcamps, and learning from experts in the field!

How do I become a QA tester from scratch? ›

There are a lot of different ways to get into software testing, but you'll need to take these steps to launch your career:
  1. Invest in Education and Learning.
  2. Learn To Code.
  3. Build the Necessary Skills.
  4. Learn the Essential Tools.
  5. Remember: Practice Makes Perfect.
  6. Pursue a Certification.
  7. Expand Your Network.
Sep 5, 2023

Is QA an entry-level job? ›

The qualifications to get an entry-level QA job typically include a bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, or a relevant field, although it is common for candidates to have an associate degree and strong technical proficiency.

What is the starting salary for quality assurance tester? ›

QA Software Tester Salaries in India

The average salary for QA Software Tester is ₹5,10,000 per year in the India. The average additional cash compensation for a QA Software Tester in the India is ₹30,000, with a range from ₹14,000 - ₹65,000.

Can you make money in QA? ›

In conclusion, making money in QA is indeed possible and can be financially rewarding for individuals who possess the right skills, expertise, and ambition. Whether you choose to work as an employee, a freelancer, or a consultant, the QA field offers ample opportunities for career growth and financial success.

Do QA testers work from home? ›

Normally, QA testers work in the manufacturing plant or the office, but work from home QA testers are sent products to their home to test.

Are QA testers in demand? ›

Is there a demand for QA testers? Thanks to a rapidly growing and evolving need for software by businesses, the demand for QA professionals and testers is projected to grow 25 percent between 2021 and 2031.

Does QA tester require coding? ›

While coding skills can be beneficial for QA professionals, it is not a mandatory requirement for the role. QA professionals are responsible for test planning, test case design, test execution, defect management, and ensuring software quality.

What is the next level of QA tester? ›

Testers that want a new challenge can level up by moving on to more engaging positions. Maybe a role in software development, product management or customer support could better fit your skills and desires.

What is the pathway for quality assurance? ›

It typically takes 5-7 years to become a quality assurance:
  • Years 1-4: Obtaining a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field, such as engineering, biology, or chemistry.
  • Years 5-6: Accumulating the necessary work experience in quality control, inspection, or testing.
  • Year 7: Completing on-the-job training for 3-6 months.
Jun 25, 2024

What is the job growth for QA testers? ›

Overall employment of software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers is projected to grow 25 percent from 2022 to 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.

What is the career path of QA QC? ›

Diverse Career Paths

A career in QA/QC can lead to numerous pathways within an organization. Professionals can specialize in areas such as software testing, process improvement, regulatory compliance, or quality management systems.

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