Have you ever been curious about who ensures the apps and software you use daily are user-friendly and bug-free? That’s one of the roles of a software Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer.
A QA Engineer ensures that programs and products/software meet the standard quality, industry, and company requirements. They perform tests, validate products, identify and fix potential issues, bugs, and errors before a product is launched or used by its end-users.
If you’re considering taking the QA engineering path, continue reading. We’ll discuss what a software Quality Assurance Engineer is, their responsibilities, job description, skills, how to become one, and the kind of salary you can expect.
Plus, we’ll highlight the tools and qualifications you’ll require to succeed in this role.
Table of Contents
What is a QA Engineer?
A Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer is a professional whose primary role is to monitor a software product or program throughout its development process to ensure it meets its quality requirements and functions as intended without any errors or bugs.
They do this by supervising the entire design, development, and testing process. In addition, they suggest corrections on the product’s basic functionality, optimizations, and enhancements.
What Do QA Engineers Do?
QA Engineers oversee, evaluate, and troubleshoot a product’s software development process to meet the standard quality requirements before its launch.
Further, a Quality Assurance Engineer predicts user behavior and draft out test samples for a software to check if it functions as intended. At the same time, they liaise with the management, customers, and software development team.
Quality Assurance Engineer Job Description
Jobs for a Quality Assurance Engineer will typically have these job descriptions:
- Maintain detailed documentation and records of test cases.
- Find out the specific, overall quality needs for programs/products.
- Ensure products align with the industry, company, or clients’ standards.
- Supervise product launch and commit to making corrections.
- Analyze test results and implement solutions or relay these solutions to developers.
- Follow up on challenges and corrections to ensure the software development team implements critical solutions to the products before they’re launched or delivered to clients.
- Research, brainstorm, and provide solutions to potential bugs or software issues.
- Make manual and automated tests to determine problems with functionality, and implement the test scripts.
- Ensure the development teams meet deadlines given.
- Draft quality standard guidelines for the software developers.
- Ensure products pass security tests for the product’s safety/security.
- Review the product functionality for the final time before launching it for commercial use.
Day-to-day Responsibilities of QA Engineers
As a Quality Assurance Engineer, the following are some of the responsibilities you should expect to perform daily:
- Write codes and run automated tests.
- Document changes and processes.
- Attend meetings with stakeholders, developers, alongside other brainstorming sessions.
- Predict and identify potential product and quality issues and offer solutions to avert them.
- Run manual or automated tests on programs/products.
- Determine aspects that require improvement in testing processes.
- Test scripts and programs to identify and correct coding bugs & errors.
How To Become a QA Engineer
To become a QA Engineer, the first thing you need is a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a very similar field alongside relevant experience.
However, some Quality Assurance Engineers start with an Associate degree and balance it with relevant work experience. Other requirements for becoming a software Quality Assurance Engineer include proficient working knowledge of coding and programming languages.
Furthermore, these professionals work in the software industry and sometimes in manufacturing. Since you’d likely work as part of a team, you can expect to have training and managerial duties. Therefore, you’ll need strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
What Qualifications And Skills Are Needed to be a QA Engineer?
Generally, the qualifications required to become a software Quality Assurance Engineer vary based on the role or level you’re vying for and the company’s specific requirements.
For instance, if it’s an entry-level role, you’ll need a few years of experience with coding or testing, or a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a similar field. However, if you can take up a bootcamp or an internship if you’ve never worked in the software development field.
In addition to these, we’ve compiled a roundup of the general qualifications for becoming a QA Engineer.
- Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, or a similar field.
- At least two years of experience in software testing, software development, or related roles.
- Ability to analyze tests and confirm quality requirements.
- Experience with software testing associated with specific product development stages.
- Ability to develop and perform automated and manual software testing processes.
Also Read: What Is Custom Software?
Quality Assurance Engineer Soft Skills
These soft skills are relevant for QA Engineer or QA tester.
- Time management
- Close attention to details (detail-oriented)
- Perseverance
- Research skills
- Verbal and written communication skills
- Innovation and creativity skills
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Emotional intelligence
- Interpersonal skills
- Ability to adapt to and manage change
- Patience and self-motivation
- Resilience
Quality Assurance Engineer Hard Skills
As much as QA Engineers need formal education and soft skills, they need hard skills too. These hard skills are as follows:
- Technical writing.
- Computer programming languages like Python, Ruby, C#, Java, or JavaScript.
- Expert knowledge of A/B testing tools and software testing.
- Other QA tools like DevTools, Figma, or Android Studio.
- Knowledge of quality assurance testing for mobile, desktop, and console platforms.
- Automation testing tools like WebdriverIO, Puppeteer, or Selenium.
- Proficiency in using software debugging tools.
- Experience with DevOps or DevOps tools.
- Proficiency in using project management tools like Asana, Jira, or YouTrack.
- Knowledge of integrated development (IDE) programs.
- Frameworks, API platforms, use cases, and testing.
- SQL or experience with databases.
Programs And Tools Used By a QA Engineer
Here’s a rundown of the tools and programs used by QA Engineers in their day-to-day operations.
- Jira
- Java
- JavaScript
- C
- C#
- C++
- Ruby
- Python
- PHP
- SQL
- QA Wolf
- LoadRunner
- Testim
- Unix scripting
- Visual Studio
How Much Does a QA Engineer Make?
According to builtin, the average base salary a Quality Assurance Engineer earns in the United States is $98,974. Then, their additional cash compensation is averagely $19,170 and the total compensation for these professionals in the United States is averagely $118,144.
Furthermore, reports from Payscale show that the pay for QA Engineers in the US is $28.81 per hour and $77,891 per year. But the average base salary range for a Quality Assurance Engineer in the US is from $58k–$107k, and a total pay from $56k–$110k yearly.
Salary.com says that the average salary for a Quality Assurance Engineer in the United States is $74,199. However, the range is usually between $66,070 and $80,907. The same source reports that the average Software Quality Assurance Engineer salary is $105,155 with a typical pay range between $96,913 and $114,203.
Additionally, according to Zippia.com, a Quality Assurance Engineer can earn an average salary of $82,215 in the US. Their salaries fall between $61,000 and $109,000 per year, with an average hourly rate of $39.53.
We also checked ZipRecruiter, which asserts that QA Engineers make $48.54 on average per hour. But hourly wages are typically between $78.61 and $18.99 while the average yearly income is $100,970.
At the same time, QA Engineers yearly salary is usually between $39,500 and $163,500 in the United States. While we’ve given you salary analysis from different sources, a QA Engineer’s salary can be impacted by years of experience, skill level, location, education, certifications, and additional skills.
Bottom Line
Quality assurance engineering plays a vital role in the software development cycle that ensures the launch/delivery of top-quality, reliable products that meet industry standards.
As we’ve discussed, QA Engineers are responsible for identifying bugs, designing and implementing testing techniques, and collaborating with developers to enhance the general product quality.
Further, becoming a QA Engineer is a rewarding career path for individuals that are detail-oriented, have solid analytical skills, and are passionate for technology.
So, if you want to pursue a career in QA engineering, start building fundamental skills in testing principles, automation tools, and programming languages.
Again, build your communication skills, problem-solving skills, and stay abreast of trends in testing and software development.