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Software & SaaS
Microsoft, Adobe, Atlassian
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
These workers look for bugs before software reaches users, writing test plans, running checks across devices and systems, and logging defects so developers can fix them. The work is a mix of detective work and light coding, and the main tradeoff is speed versus thoroughness: teams want releases fast, but QA is there to slow things down when the product is not ready.
Also known as QA AnalystQuality Assurance AnalystQA TesterSoftware TesterTest Analyst
Median Salary
$102,610
Mean $110,260
U.S. Workforce
~200K
14K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+10%
201.7K to 221.9K
Entry Education
Bachelor's degree
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers sits in the Technology category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~200K workers, with a median annual pay of $102,610 and roughly 14K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 201.7 K in 2024 to 221.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Junior QA Tester and can progress toward QA Lead / Quality Engineering Manager. High-value skills usually include Reading Requirements, Specs & User Stories, QA Test Planning, Scenarios & Release Criteria, and Selenium, Cypress & Playwright Test Automation, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Clear Verbal Communication.
Core Responsibilities
- Talk with developers, support staff, or customers to recreate bugs and figure out what is causing the problem.
- Write clear test plans and step-by-step test cases for new features and software releases.
- Check that software works across different browsers, devices, operating systems, and network setups.
- Coordinate testing with real users or outside testers and gather their feedback.
Keep exploring: more Technology careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Talk with developers, support staff, or customers to recreate bugs and figure out what is causing the problem.
02 Write clear test plans and step-by-step test cases for new features and software releases.
03 Check that software works across different browsers, devices, operating systems, and network setups.
04 Coordinate testing with real users or outside testers and gather their feedback.
05 Build and update automated test scripts and tools that run checks faster and more consistently.
06 Track known defects, review past test results, and recommend whether the software is ready to ship.
Industries That Hire
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E-commerce & Retail
Amazon, Shopify, Walmart
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Financial Services
Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Fidelity
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Healthcare Technology
Epic Systems, Oracle Health, CVS Health
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Gaming & Media
Electronic Arts, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Netflix
Pros and Cons
Advantages
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Pay is strong for a role with no required work experience: the mean annual wage is $110,260 and the median is $102,610.
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The job has steady demand, with projected employment growth of 10.0% and about 14,000 annual openings.
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BLS says the typical entry point is a bachelor's degree, but the field also has real paths from associate degrees and certificates.
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The work is concrete and measurable: you can point to bugs found, test coverage, and release risks reduced.
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It is often remote-friendly because most of the job happens on a computer and through online collaboration tools.
Challenges
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A lot of the work is repetitive, especially when you are rerunning the same checks across builds and devices.
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QA is often the last stop before release, so deadlines can be tight and blame can land on testers when shipping slips.
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Automation is changing the job: people who only do manual testing may find fewer opportunities unless they learn scripting and test tools.
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There is a career ceiling if you stay in basic testing; moving up usually means automation, leadership, or shifting into engineering-adjacent roles.
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The pay is solid but not top-tier for tech, so highly specialized developers and engineers can out-earn QA workers by a wide margin.
Career Progression
Junior QA Tester
0-2 years
$60K-$80K
Entry-level work focuses on running existing test cases, documenting bugs clearly, and learning the product and testing tools.
Software Quality Assurance Analyst
2-5 years
$85K-$115K
At this stage, you design tests, work more independently, and help decide whether software is ready for release.
Senior QA Analyst / Test Automation Engineer THIS ROLE
5-8 years
$115K-$145K
Senior workers handle more complex systems, build automation, and often guide less experienced testers.
QA Lead / Quality Engineering Manager
8-12 years
$145K-$185K
Leaders set testing standards, coordinate release quality across teams, and balance product speed with reliability.
Education Paths
Bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field
The most common entry route, held by 50.0% of workers in this role.
Associate's degree in software, IT, or a related technical field
A sizable alternative route, used by 26.47% of workers, especially when paired with hands-on testing experience.
Post-secondary certificate in software testing or QA
A shorter path, seen in 8.82% of workers, can work well for people who already know the tools and can show practical projects.
Some college courses plus a portfolio or internship experience
This less common route appears for 8.82% of workers and usually depends on proving skills through projects and testing practice.
Key Skills
Technical
Reading Requirements, Specs & User Stories 80%
QA Test Planning, Scenarios & Release Criteria 79%
Selenium, Cypress & Playwright Test Automation 78%
Jira, TestRail & Defect Tracking 77%
SQL & Test Data Validation 76%
API Testing with Postman & REST APIs 74%
Python, JavaScript & Java Scripting 72%
Git, Jenkins & CI/CD Pipelines 70%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingClear Verbal CommunicationClear Written CommunicationAttention to DetailProblem Solving Job Outlook and Trends
+10%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
14K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 201.7K to 221.9 K over the next decade, representing 10% growth. Around 14 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently High availability. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.