Technology and software have penetrated every part of our life. Right from waking up in the morning to sleeping, we use software. Even if it is the alarm clock app on your phone or the social networking site you use, everything is software.
With that, the demand of software developers and software Quality Assurance (SQA) is in great demand. We all know about software developers but, software QA is an undermined jewel and is a good career choice.
Work-life of a Software QA Engineer
The average salary for an entry-level software QA engineer in the USA can go as high as $98,283. From here on, the salary increases with experience, additional skills, and certification.
Let us see the type of QA tester:
● QA Software testers
This is an entry-level job where the QA testers use existing software tests and tools to find bugs that the developers will fix.
● QA Software Developer
This is the next level after the QA software testers. At this level, they may be involved in the software development and fix the bugs themselves. They also ensure the back and forth between developers and tests.
● QA Director
This QA professional has more involvement in the software development. The QA directors ensure that the development team meets the clients’ requirements.
Other career choices
Though the career choices are not limited to this and QA testers can take innovative career leaps like:
● Product Manager
● DevOps roles
● Customer experience leader
● Enterprise architect
● IT management
● Quality Engineering and Strategy
5 practical reasons why software QA is a good tester
● Testing tools are easy to learn.
Testers can get started without any IT experience. They just need to be willing to learn. Learning testing Automation Tools from testing institutes is easy to learn and apply in real-life scenarios.
Receiving ISTBQ certification also helps in this career choice as it looks good to hiring managers and HR professionals. Though this certification is not a must for QA professionals.
● Freelancing opportunities.
Many people escape the fixed 9 to 5 scenario and prefer working from their preferred location and time. Nowadays, companies prefer freelancers, and as a QA engineer, one can give estimates of the time to get it done or an hourly rate which will depend on the number of test cases.
● Easy to come back after a career gap
A QA tester with some good experience hardly forgets the basics. So, in case of a career gap, you need to self-study and crack the interview. You can keep yourself updated with testing blogs, forums, and current trends.
● Easy switching from development
Sometimes software development might not be as exciting as it looks. So, a QA tester is a good career option. Moreover, a developer has a good idea of how software acts and can verify its correctness.
● Good pay
As we mentioned before, the entry-level jobs of a QA tester are on par with a developer. The pay level and growth opportunity rise similar to that of a developer.
Conclusion
Many myths surround software QA, but we hope this article will help break the myths and encourage you to take the step of a software QA. We wish you a happy and successful career as a software QA.