Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers: Career Overview
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.
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What Do Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Perform?
The day-to-day responsibilities of software quality assurance analysts and testers cover:
- Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
- Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
- Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
- Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
- Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
- Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
- Install, maintain, or use software testing programs.
- Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful software quality assurance analysts and testers draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
The abilities most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Other Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Job Titles
This career also goes by job titles like:
- Application Integrator
- Applications Analyst
- Applications Quality Assurance Specialist (Applications QA Specialist)
- Applications Software Engineering Information Technology Specialist (Applications Software Engineering IT Specialist)
- Applications System Analyst
- Applications Tester
- Automation Specialist
- Automation Tester
How Many Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Are There?
There are roughly 277,861 software quality assurance analysts and testers working in the United States today. Employment is projected to decline by -1.7% over the projection horizon.
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Pay
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $80,062 |
| Hourly median | $38.49 |
| 10th percentile | $52,741 |
| 25th percentile | $66,401 |
| 75th percentile | $93,722 |
| 90th percentile | $107,382 |
Pay can vary substantially based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $128,270 |
| California | $127,010 |
| Virginia | $123,270 |
| Maryland | $122,310 |
| Colorado | $114,600 |
| New Jersey | $111,790 |
| District of Columbia | $110,130 |
| New Hampshire | $110,020 |
| New York | $108,800 |
| Utah | $107,170 |
| Massachusetts | $106,090 |
| Delaware | $106,020 |
| New Mexico | $105,520 |
| Minnesota | $104,910 |
| Arizona | $103,580 |
| Alaska | $103,160 |
| Oregon | $103,000 |
| North Carolina | $102,660 |
| Texas | $101,800 |
| Connecticut | $101,270 |
| Montana | $100,790 |
| Illinois | $100,300 |
| Hawaii | $99,570 |
| Alabama | $99,520 |
| Michigan | $98,310 |
| Florida | $96,700 |
| Rhode Island | $95,260 |
| Pennsylvania | $93,600 |
| Georgia | $93,500 |
| South Carolina | $93,140 |
| Nevada | $92,150 |
| Nebraska | $90,330 |
| Tennessee | $90,170 |
| Indiana | $88,870 |
| Iowa | $85,550 |
| Ohio | $83,960 |
| Kansas | $83,070 |
| Wisconsin | $81,850 |
| North Dakota | $81,750 |
| Kentucky | $79,390 |
| Maine | $79,040 |
| Vermont | $77,060 |
| Missouri | $76,190 |
| Mississippi | $75,860 |
| Idaho | $72,880 |
| Oklahoma | $68,730 |
| South Dakota | $61,790 |
| West Virginia | $61,420 |
| Puerto Rico | $50,510 |
| Louisiana | $50,110 |
Where Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Earn the Most
Earnings for software quality assurance analysts and testers differ across the country. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $124,991 | 22.6% | 1.45 |
| Middle Atlantic | $109,400 | 16.0% | 1.13 |
| Rocky Mountains | $109,333 | 5.4% | 1.60 |
| New England | $103,933 | 5.3% | 1.34 |
| Southeast | $101,210 | 22.8% | 1.16 |
| Southwest | $99,854 | 12.7% | 1.02 |
| Great Lakes | $92,126 | 10.0% | 0.75 |
| Plains States | $88,376 | 5.2% | 0.79 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $165,700 | 7,590 |
| Lexington Park, MD | MD | $159,870 | 460 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $139,580 | 7,910 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $131,640 | 7,300 |
| Rochester, MN | MN | $128,820 | 140 |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | WA | $128,270 | 70 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | MD | $127,940 | 3,270 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | CA | $126,730 | 100 |
Which Industries Hire Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
The bulk of software quality assurance analysts and testers are concentrated in the following sectors:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 83,530 | $100,510 |
| Information | 38,580 | $104,330 |
| Finance and Insurance | 20,830 | $101,920 |
| Manufacturing | 17,140 | $125,990 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 11,150 | $104,520 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11,070 | $102,700 |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,000 | $101,420 |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,680 | $105,130 |
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers work in the following industries:
Software Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers Use
- Document management software: Adobe Acrobat (hot technology)
- Video creation and editing software: Adobe After Effects (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Creative Cloud software (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Illustrator (hot technology)
- Desktop publishing software: Adobe InDesign (hot technology)
- Graphics or photo imaging software: Adobe Photoshop (hot technology)
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
The Day-to-Day Environment
The work environment for software quality assurance analysts and testers tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Spend Time Sitting
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
Getting Started in This Career
Most software quality assurance analysts and testers positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. The role falls in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.
Other Careers to Consider
Similar Occupations
- Quality Control Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Database Administrators (Supplemental)
- Database Architects (Primary-Long)
- Data Warehousing Specialists (Supplemental)
- Network and Computer Systems Administrators (Supplemental)
- Computer Programmers (Primary-Long)
- Software Developers (Primary-Short)
Where to Study
Students preparing for software quality assurance analysts and testers commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
10 programs across 4 majors
Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields
3 programs across 1 majors
Engineering
2 programs across 1 majors
References
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1253.00 (Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers).
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