Software tester and QA engineer: certifications, study paths and pay
Every question and every answer is checked twice before you see it.
You find problems before customers do. QA people plan tests, run them and increasingly automate them.
See practice tests for this roleWhat does it pay?
What you do
- Write and run test cases
- Report and track defects
- Automate repeat tests and check releases
Skills that matter
- Attention to detail
- Test design
- Basic scripting
- Clear defect reports
What does this role pay?
United States, May 2025, annual wages for the closest official occupation: Software quality assurance analysts and testers, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Entry-level jobs usually start nearer the lower figure. Pay in Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and other countries is different, so check local job boards and salary guides. These figures are a guide, not an offer or a promise of pay.
Practice tests that fit this role
Certifications that appear most often alongside this role. Start with the first one if you are new to it.
Study paths that lead here
Job titles this page covers
- Quality assurance tester
- Software tester or QA engineer
- Technical writer or QA working in repositories
Employers use many names for similar work. Requirements vary by employer and country, and a certificate supports your application but does not guarantee a job.
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