Quality assurance (QA) is the process of ensuring that products, software, and systems meet quality standards and requirements. As technology continues advancing and software becomes more complex, there is an increasing need for skilled QA professionals to test new products and find bugs and issues before release. This has led to a high demand for quality assurance skills and expertise.
What is QA?
QA involves developing and executing systematic test plans to ensure software functions as intended. It encompasses a wide range of activities including:
- Planning testing activities and creating test cases
- Executing test cases and recording results
- Reporting bugs and working with developers to get them fixed
- Regression testing to ensure existing functionality remains intact
- Load and performance testing to evaluate how the system functions under different conditions
- User acceptance testing to validate usability and compliance with business requirements
Strong QA skills require attention to detail, analytical abilities, communication skills, and knowledge of QA methodologies and tools. QA analysts and engineers play a critical role in building and delivering high-quality products that meet user needs.
Why is QA Important?
Here are some key reasons why quality assurance is so essential:
- Builds user trust – Rigorous testing ensures products work as expected, leading to higher customer satisfaction.
- Saves money – Finding and fixing bugs early is much cheaper than after release.
- Reduces risk – QA minimizes defects and potential negative impacts on business operations.
- Increases efficiency – Automated testing frees up developer time to focus on new features.
- Verifies functionality – Testing confirms all aspects of the product work correctly.
- Ensures compliance – QA helps validate adherence to regulations and standards.
Without comprehensive QA, there would be no way to reliably release software and technology products that meet functionality, reliability, and security requirements.
QA Market Growth
The QA services market has seen strong growth in recent years, driven by:
- Rapid rise in software complexity – Modern applications have more features, integrations, and deployment targets.
- Shift to iterative development – Agile and DevOps require incremental testing.
- Increasing quality demands – Users expect flawless products, driving more rigorous QA.
- Testing automation trends – Automation allows faster and more efficient QA.
- Regulatory compliance – Industries like financial services and healthcare have stringent requirements.
Research firm Gartner predicts the global QA and testing services market will grow at a 9.5% CAGR from 2020-2024 to reach $66 billion. Other reports also forecast strong double-digit growth over the next 5-10 years.
| Year | Market Size |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $40 billion |
| 2024 (Projected) | $66 billion |
This growth demonstrates the strategic business importance of QA and the increasing demand for skilled testing professionals.
QA Engineer Salaries
Along with growing demand, QA salaries have also been rising steadily. According to PayScale, the average base pay for QA analysts and test engineers in the US is between $55,000 – $90,000 per year. Senior and specialized roles can earn $100,000 or more.
Some key QA salary stats:
- Average QA base pay: $68,860
- Average QA salaries by experience:
- Entry level (0-5 years): $55,000
- Mid-career (5-10 years): $71,000
- Experienced (10-20 years): $88,000
- High-paying QA roles:
- QA managers: $98,000
- QA architects: $110,000
- QA directors: $118,000
Salaries are highest in major tech hubs like Silicon Valley and New York City, where total compensation can exceed $150,000 for QA managers and directors.
Salary Growth Trends
QA salaries have grown substantially above national wage trends. PayScale data shows QA salaries climbed over 7% from 2018 to 2021. By comparison, average wages for all occupations rose only 4% over those three years according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
The strong salary growth reflects rising demand for QA skills that is outpacing supply of qualified candidates. With software quality more important than ever, these trends point to ongoing high compensation levels for QA roles.
Job Opportunities
Current job openings reflect the robust demand for QA expertise. LinkedIn’s list of top emerging jobs ranks software QA engineer at #4 based on growth over the past 5 years. On any given day, leading job sites post thousands of open QA positions.
Some examples of companies urgently hiring QA professionals include:
- Technology firms – Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple
- Consulting/services – Accenture, Tata Consultancy, Cognizant
- Financial services – Wells Fargo, JP Morgan, Bank of America
- Healthcare – UnitedHealth Group, CVS Health, Cerner
- Retail/ecommerce – Walmart, Home Depot, Etsy
These positions span a wide range of verticals and many companies are hiring QA’s across multiple locations.
Remote Work Opportunities
The rise of remote work has also expanded QA job possibilities. Many companies have remote-first or hybrid policies enabling testing roles to be performed from anywhere. This gives QA professionals more flexibility and expanded options beyond just tech hub locations.
According to recent FlexJobs data, QA jobs including test engineers, QA analysts, and QA managers rank among the top 10 remote tech roles. Openings span startups, mid-size companies, and major enterprises.
QA Hiring Challenges
Despite tremendous demand, hiring managers face challenges filling open QA positions. A survey by QA consultancy Test IO found:
- 67% of organizations have trouble recruiting QA talent
- 55% say there are not enough skilled QA candidates
- 48% find it difficult to retain QA employees
Some key factors behind these QA hiring difficulties include:
- Global QA talent shortage – Demand is outpacing available trained and experienced candidates.
- Stiff competition – Companies bid against each other for in-demand talent.
- Low visibility – Many developers don’t consider QA as a career path.
- High barriers to entry – QA roles typically require technical expertise and automation skills.
- Difficulty retaining – Turnover results from burnout and lack of career advancement.
To attract top talent, companies are boosting QA salaries, offering remote options, and investing more in QA training and development programs.
QA Skills in Demand
The types of QA skills employers need most include:
Technical Expertise
- Programming: Java, JavaScript, Python
- Test automation: Selenium, Appium, JUnit
- Tools/Platforms: Jira, Quality Center, Azure DevOps
- Web/mobile testing
- Performance testing
- API/microservices testing
Soft Skills
- Communication and collaboration
- Analytical thinking and problem solving
- Creativity and innovation
- Planning and organizational skills
- Attention to detail
- Agile and DevOps mindset
Candidates who combine technical QA expertise with strong soft skills have their pick of opportunities.
Certifications
Relevant QA certifications are also valued by hiring managers. Popular certs include:
- ISTQB Certified Tester
- ASQ Certified Quality Engineer
- Scrum Alliance Certified ScrumMaster
- SAFe Certified Agilist
Investing in certs shows commitment and can give candidates a competitive edge.
Future QA Demand
All signs point to sustained high demand for QA skills for the foreseeable future. Software quality and reliability have never been more important for business success. As technology and development practices evolve, there will be an ongoing need for QA professionals to provide testing expertise.
Some key trends that will drive future QA demand include:
- Continued software complexity – Cloud, hybrid apps, microservices, and AI expand testing needs.
- Mainstream automation – Automation will be required for efficient testing at scale.
- IoT growth – Connected devices create new testing and data challenges.
- AR/VR adoption – New platforms require specialized QA approaches.
- Strict regulations – Compliance requirements across industries will increase.
- Rise of DevOps – Integrating QA earlier in development requires new skills.
There will also be strong demand for advanced QA roles in areas like:
- Site reliability engineering
- QA data science
- QA automation architecture
- Security/compliance testing
Forward-looking companies recognize the benefits of embedding QA deeply into development. Investing in internal QA resources and teams will continue being a top priority.
Building a QA Career
For those interested in pursuing a QA role, some tips include:
- Get hands-on experience – Doing personal projects, contributing to open source, or taking on internships/entry-level roles.
- Develop technical expertise – Learn automation frameworks like Selenium and programming languages like Java.
- Understand SDLC methodology – Know concepts like requirements analysis, test planning, defect tracking, etc.
- Obtain relevant certifications – ISTQB and ASQ certs validate QA knowledge.
- Grow soft skills – Communication, analytical thinking, and creativity are key.
- Focus on in-demand skills – Target high-value skills like automation, security testing, and DevOps.
- Keep learning – QA changes rapidly, so stay on top of new tools, technologies, and trends.
The QA field offers excellent opportunities for motivated professionals to build in-demand expertise and advance their careers. Given competitive hiring, those with the right skills can land rewarding and well-compensated QA roles.
Conclusion
Demand for skilled QA professionals continues rising. The combination of software complexity, quality demands, automation, and compliance needs fuel strong growth in QA spending and salaries. While hiring challenges persist, those gaining relevant experience and skills are well-positioned to launch and build QA careers. With technology playing an ever-larger business role, QA will remain a critical function requiring dedicated talent. For technologists seeking robust opportunities, QA represents an appealing and promising field.
