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Role hub · Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

QA Tester: what the job is, what it pays, and how to get hired.

The work, the skills that matter, the tools in demand and the pay range, from U.S. government data, plus every TryHired page for the role.

Maid DizdarevicCareer coach · 8x LinkedIn Top Voice
Updated Nov 2, 2026 · Data: BLS OEWS May 2025 · O*NET 31.0
Pay ladder · select a percentile
Median percentile pay

Half of qa testers earn more than this and half earn less.

Annual
$104,300
Hourly
$50.14
Source
BLS May 2025
Quick answer

QA Testers develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. The median pay is $104,300 a year ($50.14 an hour) (BLS, May 2025). The most commonly reported education requirement is a bachelor's degree (50% of workers surveyed by O*NET).

Median pay
$104,300
BLS May 2025
Employed in the U.S.
186,740
BLS May 2025
Preparation
Job Zone 4 of 5
considerable preparation
Most common education
Bachelor's Degree
50% of workers

Data Government data groups this job as Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (O*NET-SOC 15-1253.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

Key facts

QA Testers at a glance

  • Software quality assurance analysts and testers in the United States earned a median annual wage of $104,300 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

  • In its 2025–35 employment projections, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for software quality assurance analysts and testers in the United States.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS projects employment of software quality assurance analysts and testers in the United States to grow 5.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year on average, including replacement openings.

    Source: BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35

  • BLS estimated that 186,740 people were employed as software quality assurance analysts and testers in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.

    Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Explore the role

Every page for QA Testers

SalaryQA Tester salary

Pay by percentile, state and metro, with a negotiation script.

Open →How to becomeQA Tester how to become

Education, training and the skills to build first.

Open →ResumeQA Tester resume

Keywords, bullet formulas and the skills to prove.

Open →Interview questionsQA Tester interview questions

Questions with what they test, plus practice mode.

Open →Free toolCheck your resume

Parsed text, evidence per bullet, fixes first.

Open →
The work

What qa testers do day to day

Data Core tasks rated most important by workers in the role (O*NET).

  1. Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
  2. Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
  3. Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
  4. Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
  5. Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
  6. Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
  7. Install, maintain, or use software testing programs.
  8. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
Where this career works

Industries that employ it

Data Share of all qa tester jobs in each industry, 2025 (BLS Employment Matrix).

  1. Professional, scientific, and technical services41.2% of all jobs in this occupation · +8.9% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $107,870
  2. Insurance carriers and related activities6.5% of all jobs in this occupation · +1.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $100,880
  3. Administrative and support services5.7% of all jobs in this occupation · -3.7% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $105,340
  4. Management of companies and enterprises5.1% of all jobs in this occupation · +0.5% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $121,240
  5. Credit intermediation and related activities4.8% of all jobs in this occupation · +2.6% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $111,550
  6. Computer and electronic product manufacturing4.3% of all jobs in this occupation · -1.3% projected change here 2025–35 · mean wage $133,100

Sources: BLS 2025–35 National Employment Matrix (share of the occupation's jobs, projected change) and BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates (mean wage). Different industry estimates are not a pay forecast for any person.

Skills that matter

Ranked by importance to the job

Data O*NET importance ratings. The first three are core.

Reading ComprehensioncoreActive ListeningcoreSpeakingcoreCritical ThinkingWritingProgrammingMonitoringComplex Problem SolvingQuality Control Analysis

Knowledge areas: Computers and Electronics, English Language, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology, Design.

Tools and technology

Software qa testers use

Data Examples reported for the role; employer demand flags from O*NET.

  • GitFile versioning softwareIn demand
  • GitHubApplication server softwareIn demand
  • Jenkins CIEnterprise application integration softwareIn demand
  • SeleniumProgram testing softwareIn demand
  • AppiumProgram testing softwareIn demand
  • Microsoft PlaywrightProgram testing softwareIn demand
  • REST AssuredProgram testing softwareIn demand
  • TestNGProgram testing softwareIn demand
  • Adobe After EffectsVideo creation and editing softwareHot technology
  • Adobe Creative Cloud softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe IllustratorGraphics or photo imaging softwareHot technology
  • Adobe InDesignDesktop publishing softwareHot technology

Also called: Automation Tester, Information Technology Analyst (IT Analyst), Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst), Quality Assurance Engineer (QA Engineer), Quality Engineer, Software Quality Assurance Analyst (SQA Analyst).

Method

How this page is built

Tasks, skills, tools, education and related roles come from O*NET 31.0. Pay and employment come from the BLS OEWS May 2025 national estimates. The skill-match score is our calculation: Skill match is the cosine similarity of the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level and subtract the average across all occupations, then compare the direction of the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 means unrelated or opposite (negative values are shown as 0). Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared.

What this page can't tell you
  • How a specific employer defines the job.
  • Pay for self-employed workers (OEWS covers employees).
  • Your own chances: data describes the occupation, not you.
Sources
  1. O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
  2. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).

How TryHired builds this data: sources, methods and downloads. Spotted an error? Report a correction.