What does it mean to be a software tester? Why people choose this profession and how much they earn? What skills and education they possess? Today, we are going to shed light on these questions and reveal some interesting facts about the software tester of 2018.

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Software tester is a specialist who verifies software in order to detect bugs, errors, or other issues by applying certain testing techniques and methodologies. Software testers can be either a part of software development team, freelance worker or an employee at a QA (Quality Assurance) outsourcing company.

In general, there are different names for the specialists in the software testing field: QA Engineers, Test Analysts, Test Architects, Test Engineer, etc. But despite different job titles, all of them pursue one common goal — to help improve software quality and ensure positive user experience.

According to the report State of Testing 2018 conducted by PractiTest and Tea-Time with Testers, 32% of respondents are Test Engineers. There were 1 500 participants from 80 countries all over the world. The majority of participants (37%) were from Europe and the Russian Federation, and 22% — from India.

Why have people chosen QA?

Quality assurance is considered to be one of the most popular ways of entering IT world. It required less technical background or programming skills in comparison to developers. QA became attractive even for people not much connected to technology. So, in 2017, 32% of respondents got to software testing field by accident.

In 2018, the situation has changed. 22% of survey participants had a goal to become a Software Tester and they went to study the field. Besides, 22% — moved to QA field already working in the IT field.

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Gender

Globally, among IT industry men employers greatly outnumber women. Software testing is not an exception. According to The Global State of Software Testers conducted by QualiTest, 66% male and 34% female work in the software testing industry. Still, the ratio differs according to the region. China, for example, has the highest percentage of female software testers — 42%, while the United Kingdom has the lowest index — 28%.

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Education

A lot of Software Testers have no special high education. Some of them moved to software testing from other industries, and some completed QA training or certification. General, around 50% of all testers have B. S. (Bachelor of Science) Degree, and nearly 23% — M. S. (Master of Science) Degree.

Experience

The data provided by State of Testing Report 2018 show that the QA field remains to be one of the most popular ways to enter the IT industry. And every year people start their career as Software Testers. Also, statistics prove that those, who have chosen QA, stay in the field and pursue their career.

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Required Tester’s Skills

According to State of Testing Report 2018, communication skills remain to be the critical for every software tester for 2 years already. 75% of survey participants consider communication skills to be crucial for QA field. Besides, in recent years several new skills are required. They are API testing, data analysis, machine learning / AI (Artificial Intelligence), and operation management.

Software testers’ salary

Globally, the average annual salary for an entry-level QA tester is around $18 000 per year. The experienced tester can get $70 000 per year. But, an average tester salary greatly depends on the region the specialist is working in. The highest salaries are in the USA and Canada.

Who is an average QA Engineer in 2018?

So, an average software tester is a man around 30. He lives in the USA and has B. S. Degree. He got to QA by accident but decided to continue his career development. He has been working in QA for more almost 5 years. His annual salary is around $56 000.

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