Quality assurance (QA) is the process of verifying and maintaining a desired level of quality for a product or service by monitoring and improving processes and defects. As technology advances and products become more complex, there is an increasing need for qualified QA professionals to ensure quality and reliability.
What is the role of a QA professional?
A QA professional has a vital role in developing and releasing a quality product. Some of the key responsibilities include:
- Reviewing requirements and specifications to ensure they are testable and defined
- Developing test plans, test cases and test scripts to verify functionality and reliability
- Executing tests manually or using automation tools and frameworks
- Reporting and documenting defects and issues found during testing
- Retesting fixed defects to confirm issues are resolved
- Monitoring and improving the QA process to increase effectiveness and efficiency
QA professionals collaborate closely with various teams including development, product management and customer support to ensure the final product meets quality standards before launch. They employ a wide range of testing techniques including functional, performance, security, usability and exploratory testing.
What industries employ QA professionals?
QA roles exist across many industries and fields where software, hardware, complex machinery, consumer products or services are developed and launched. Some key industries include:
- Information Technology – QA testing is integral for software applications, operating systems, enterprise systems and video games.
- Telecommunications – Extensive testing is required for products like mobile devices, networks and related services.
- Manufacturing – Automobiles, electronics, medical devices and industrial equipment rely on QA throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Consumer goods – Everything from home appliances to toys need QA to meet safety and functional requirements.
- Healthcare – Rigorous testing validates software, medical devices, equipment and information systems used in healthcare.
- Energy – Complex systems and machinery in the oil, gas, electric and renewable energy sectors require reliable QA.
- Aviation – Aircraft components and on-board software undergo extensive QA before being cleared for takeoff.
In addition, any company that develops a product or service for end-user consumption likely utilizes QA professionals, even if “QA” is not in the job title.
What skills are required to be a QA professional?
While specific requirements vary by industry and employer, some of the key skills and abilities sought in QA candidates include:
- Analytical thinking – Able to break down requirements, anticipate problems and spot issues.
- Attention to detail – Identify even minor defects and inconsistencies.
- Communication – Convey test status, progress, results and issues clearly.
- Problem-solving – Debug failures, determine root cause and suggest solutions.
- Organizational skills – Coordinate test execution, cases, data, results and documentation.
- Technical expertise – Understand the systems, environment and tools used for testing.
- Teamwork – Collaborate well with programmers, designers, product owners and others.
QA professionals should be comfortable learning new tools and technologies quickly as well. Certifications like ISTQB can also demonstrate up-to-date software testing knowledge.
Is the demand for QA growing?
Yes, the demand for skilled QA professionals continues to grow steadily. Here are some key factors driving this growth:
- Development of complex software applications, embedded systems, IoT devices and AI.
- Shift towards DevOps and continuous testing requires more QA automation.
- Increasing customer expectations for quality plus growth of user experience testing.
- Higher standards for security, compliance, safety and reliability testing.
- Advancements like machine learning and AI require extensive validation.
- Shorter development cycles leave less room for discovering defects post-release.
- Continued product recalls, software bugs and system failures highlight the need for better QA.
| Year | Projected Employment | Projected Job Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 580,700 | +25,400 |
| 2019 | 605,200 | +24,500 |
| 2020 | 631,900 | +26,700 |
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of QA professionals is projected to grow 9% from 2020 to 2030, adding around 76,500 new jobs. This is much faster than the average job growth rate of 7% for all occupations during that period.
Which industries have the greatest need for QA professionals?
While the demand is increasing across many sectors, these industries are expected to see the most significant need and job growth for QA roles through 2030:
- Computer systems design and related services – 139,500 new jobs (11% increase)
- Data processing, hosting and related services – 45,900 new jobs (35% increase)
- Other information services – 38,100 new jobs (24% increase)
- Management of companies and enterprises – 28,700 new jobs (8% increase)
- Scientific research and development services – 26,600 new jobs (23% increase)
Other top growth sectors include telecommunications, automotive manufacturing, electronics, finance, insurance and healthcare. The rapid adoption of mobile apps, web services, IoT devices, AI and automation across industries is spurring demand for more QA expertise.
What is the average salary for QA professionals?
According to Payscale, the average annual salary for QA professionals in the United States is $67,723 as of October 2022. The average hourly wage is $33. Your salary as a QA professional can vary based on these factors:
- Job title – Testers vs leads vs managers vs directors
- Years of experience – Entry-level vs senior QA roles
- Location – Geographic region and cost of living
- Domain knowledge – Generic QA vs specialized (e.g. Automotive)
- Company size and industry – Corporate vs agencies or startups
- Tools and technology – Manual QA, test automation, performance testing, etc
According to Burning Glass, the national average entry-level salary for QA Tester job postings is $59,926 in the United States. With 5-9 years of experience, QA salaries jump to an average of $83,413. At the senior level with 10-20 years experience, QA managers and leads can earn well over $100,000 on average.
What is the job outlook for QA roles?
The job outlook for QA roles continues to be very positive due to the growth drivers mentioned earlier. The extent of job opportunities can also vary greatly between roles, industries and locations.
Forbes reported that software QA engineers are the #1 hardest tech jobs to fill in 2022. Hiring demand on LinkedIn and Indeed for QA talent has been consistently high as well. There is high competition for test automation engineers and senior QA leads in particular.
While there may be lots of entry-level manual tester job openings at staffing firms, the greatest long term prospects are in intermediate to senior QA roles focusing on test automation and specialized domain expertise.
Conclusion
In summary, demand for QA professionals continues to grow substantially across most industries. The need is driven by rising complexity, pace of innovation and importance of software quality. With development cycles accelerating and products becoming more interconnected, QA will only grow more crucial.
While entry-level testing jobs are readily available, the best opportunities are in intermediate to senior roles specializing in automation, performance engineering and emerging technologies. For those interested in a rewarding technology career with great job prospects, software QA remains a very promising field worth exploring.
