Updated June 25, 2024
6 min read
Quoted Expert
Nola Pearce
A quality assurance professional is an individual responsible for ensuring that products or services meet the established standards of quality before they are released to the public. They perform various tests, inspections, and audits to identify any defects or issues that need to be addressed.They work closely with other departments within a company to ensure that all processes are consistent and effective. Their ultimate goal is to improve the overall quality of products and services.
How long does it takes to become a 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.
ScoreQuality AssuranceUS Average
Salary
4.0
Avg. Salary $51,313
Avg. Salary $59,228
Diversity
4.1
Race
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%
Asian 11.99%
Black or African American 6.24%
Hispanic or Latino 8.82%
Unknown 4.70%
White 67.73%
Gender
female 44.16%
male 55.84%
Age - 43
Race
American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Gender
female 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43
Stress Level
5.1
Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity Level
6.3
Complexity Level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work Life Balance
6.0
Work Life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a Quality Assurance?
Pros
Job security as quality assurance is a vital part of any industry
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Strong attention to detail skills are developed
Opportunities for career advancement and growth
Work-life balance is often prioritized
Cons
High pressure to ensure quality standards are met consistently
Strict deadlines can lead to high stress levels
Constantly adapting to new technologies, processes, and standards can be demanding
-Fast-paced environments that require quick thinking and decision making
May need to enforce unpopular decisions or protocols.
Quality Assurance career paths
A quality assurance professional can move into various leadership positions like quality assurance lead, manager, or director. They may also shift into project management, product management, or become an information technology project manager. In some cases, they can transition into business analysis or become a team leader, supervisor, or superintendent.
Key steps to become a quality assurance
Explore quality assurance education requirements
The educational requirements for a quality assurance are typically a bachelor's degree. According to the data provided, 63.64% of quality assurance professionals hold a bachelor's degree. There are also certifications that can be beneficial, such as Certified Welding Inspector and Certified Scrum Master.
As per the data, there are various majors that can lead to a career in quality assurance, including Business, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Nursing, and Biology. Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Maine Maritime Academy, and University of Southern California are some of the top schools for quality assurance education.
Most common quality assurance degrees
Bachelor's
46.9
%
Associate
17.2
%
High School Diploma
15.9
%
Start to develop specific quality assurance skills
Quality assurance professionals perform a range of tasks including data entry, editing, and testing. They also inspect departments for cleanliness and proper food handling procedures, and assist in investigations with a focus on product quality and regulatory expectations. They update software, plan and release solutions into the software development life cycle, and perform end-to-end testing considering all interface and subsystems for functional and non-functional testing.
Skills Percentages Test Cases 6.30% Food Handling 6.22% Java 4.52% Selenium 4.37% Data Entry 4.28% Show more
Complete relevant quality assurance training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality assurances 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 based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality assurance resumes.
Research quality assurance duties and responsibilities
A quality assurance professional's main responsibility is to ensure the quality of a product or service. They do this by reviewing documents, inspecting departments, and conducting various types of testing. This can include functional cross-browser testing, regression testing, and user acceptance testing. They also identify and report defects, and initiate corrective action when necessary. As Nola Pearce, a Practice Director and Account Executive at ETSTech-Ops, puts it, "The skill a young graduate needs to walk away with is the ability to apply their materials knowledge in a way that allows them to continually learn, listen, and solve problems."
- Participate in weekly scrum meetings with project leads and the QA team to track and report overall progress.
- Manage the logistics requirements, handling, processing, and repairing of avionics equipment and avionics support equipment.
- Champion use of detail bug tracking (JIRA) and strict release methodology to achieve field stability and maintainability.
- Experience in working with product teams, product owners and scrum masters to compose and manage integrate project plans.
Prepare your quality assurance resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality assurance 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 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 Resume templates
Build a professional
Quality Assurance
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 resume.Apply for quality assurance jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a quality assurance job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How Did You Land Your First Quality Assurance Job
Are you a Quality Assurance?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average quality assurance salary
The average Quality Assurance salary in the United States is $51,313 per year or $25 per hour. Quality assurance salaries range between $28,000 and $92,000 per year.
Average
Quality Assurance
Salary
$51,313Yearly
$24.67
hourly
More quality assurance salary info
What Am I Worth?
How do quality assurances rate their job?
-/5
5 Stars
4 Stars
3 Stars
2 Stars
1 Star
Quality Assurance reviews
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2021
Pros
Pride on myself making sure the quality is in the product for releasel
A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019
Pros
New field to work with compassion.
Cons
Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros
Very repetitive work schedule, so no huge surprises or having to carve out time in addition to the regular work week. Little supervision, which could be a plus if you are looking for a job where there is no micromanagement.
Quality Assurance FAQs
What are the four types of quality assurance?
What are the top 3 skills for a quality assurance specialist?
What is the difference between QA and QC?
Have more questions?
See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.Search for quality assurance jobs
Updated June 25, 2024
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.
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Updated June 25, 2024