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Blog AuthorAnkush
PublishedSep 02, 2024
Views2,185
Read Time15 mins
Table of Content
Software testing is a responsible job role where you put your full efforts into identifying the bugs and ensuring their proper functionalities across devices. To become a software tester, you must have several skills, including technical expertise, knowledge of coding, time management, effective communication, and more, to fix potential bugs before handing them over to the client. The diverse expertise in all these areas is measured to offer a rewarding software tester salary.
The average salary of a software tester in India is around 5 Lakh INR in 2024, nearly eight times less than the average salary offered to software testers in the USA ($45,000 per annum). The software tester salary for freshers and experienced testers may vary from country to country, depending on the industry you are an expert in, your experience level, and several other factors.
If you are willing to make a career in the software testing industry, then this article is perfect for knowing all the essential information in one place. In this blog post, I have shared detailed information about the software tester's salary based on their experience, location, job roles, and variable that affect it. You will also learn how to upgrade yourself to achieve a higher salary package as a software tester.
So, keep on reading to get deep insights into software testers' salaries and career growth opportunities.
A software tester is an individual who is responsible for precisely examining the working possibilities of mobile and desktop applications. They need to identify and resolve potential bugs before releasing them to users. A software tester works closely with the software development team to understand the project outline. They create and run necessary scripts for manual and automated testing while using the latest techniques.
Their job roles further include sharing feedback with the development team to fix the glitches or add the required features to provide a better user experience. Altogether, a software tester is a key link between the client and developer who ensures the delivery of the purposeful final result.
Let’s take a few quick examples to understand how important software testers are.
Everyone knows about Starbucks, one of the most renowned coffee shop franchises in the world. However, Starbucks' global Point-of-Sale (POS) platform crashed in 2015, causing it to lose millions of dollars in a short period of time.
A similar incident happened with Nissan, an automobile company that forced them to recall over 3 million vehicles in 2016. It happened due to a software bug that affected the airbag sensor detectors in those cars.
Both firms could have prevented these anomalies if their software had gone through exhaustive testing.
Now, you must have an understanding of how software testing is important in this data-driven era. So, if you are committed to stepping into the software testing career, you should have a good knowledge of software quality testing tools and techniques. Here are a few testing skills that can help you boost your chances of getting a high salary package.
System testing
Unit testing
Blackbox testing
UAT (User Acceptence Testing)
Load Testing
Scalability Testing
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The global market for software testing increased by more than $40 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to grow by $1 trillion, which is over 25% CAGR in the next two years, i.e., 2027.
In the financial year 2024-25, Western countries offer $66,577 per year as software tester salary for freshers and $92,502 per year to most experienced testers. On the other hand, in India, the entry-level software tester salary is around Rs.1.5 Lakhs per year and hikes up to Rs.8 Lakhs per year with experience.
The subsequent growth shows that as millions of software and applications are developed every year, tech companies will have continuous openings for even more software testers when development needs arise.
Also Read: Software Testing Career Path
In the software testing career, experience matters! The level of expertise you have in a particular domain, such as finance, e-commerce, media, healthcare, or multiple domains, is the most obvious factor that affects a software tester salary. The more years you’ve spent in this industry, the more skills, knowledge, and project-handling expertise you can demonstrate. Furthermore, it also helps you bring more value to your projects and clients.
According to online surveys done by tech giants, software testers who have less than a year of experience earn around $35,000 per year. On the other hand, an average software tester salary after 10 years of experience can be around $85,000 per year.
There are several other factors like location, role, and industry that can also affect your salary followed by the experience you have. However, one thing is certain: the experience pays off in the software testing career path.
Also Read: Test Scenario
Depending on where you live and work, you have to face different levels of demand, competition, supply, taxation, and cost of living. All these factors significantly affect the software tester salary for freshers and experienced.
For example, tech companies in the USA offer, on average, $70,000 per year to a software tester. However, in India, the salary difference can be huge compared to that of Western countries. In India, you might only get an average salary of around $10,000 per year for an entry-level software testing job, which is equivalent to Rs.8,00,000 INR.
With reference to major job-offering platforms like Glassdoor, Indeed, Payscale, and ZipRecruiter, here’s a range of average salary of software testers annually offered in different countries:
The USA: $60,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - $36,000 to $97,000)
Germany: $48,000 or €45,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - €35,000 to €60,000)
The UK: $44,300 or £35,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - £20,000 to £55,000)
Australia: $46,700 or A$70,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - A$50,000 to A$95,000)
Canada: $43,800 or C$60,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - C$ 40,000 to C$85,000)
France: $37,400 or €35,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - €255,000 to €50,000)
China: $34,400 or ¥250,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - ¥100,000 to ¥400,000)
India: $9,000 or Rs.750,000 (Salary Range based on Experience - Rs.300,000 to Rs.1,500,000)
Salaries are precisely based on facts like living expenses and taxation in any country. Most importantly, these numbers are not fixed; they’re a rough idea given to help you better understand the average software tester salaries offered in different countries, followed by expertise in handling the projects.
Also Read: Tester vs Developer
As a software tester, managing various responsibilities with skill sets and the latest tools can give you different autonomy, complexity, and impact levels. Thus, your job role is another factor influencing your salary in the software testing industry.
In most Western and European countries, an entry-level software tester can expect a salary between $40,000 and $60,000. At the same time, the software tester salary for freshers in Asian countries can range between $9,000 to $40,000.
The fact is software testers who specialize in manual testing, black box testing, or functional testing would earn less. On the other hand, testers who specialize in automated testing, performance testing, or white box testing earn significantly higher salaries. This salary difference occurs because the latter requires more analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills, as well as hands-on experience with more advanced tools and frameworks.
Similarly, software testers who work as team members or analysts tend to earn less than those who work as a lead, consultant, or manager. This is because team leaders, project managers, or project consultants require more strategic, leadership, and communication skills along with experience than others.
Here’s a detailed overview of the software tester salary range based on job roles:
Entry-level QA tester/ Junior QA analyst: $50,000 to $70,000/year
QA Tester/ QA Analyst: $60,000 to $85,000/year
Automation Tester/ QA Automation engineer: $70,000 to $100,000+/year
Senior QA Tester/ Senior QA Analyst: $80,000 to $110,000/year
QA (Quality Assurance) Lead/ Manager: $90,000 to $130,000/year
Performance Tester/ QA Performance Engineer: $80,000 to $100,000+/year
Quality Assurance Director: $120,000 to $180,000+/year
Also Read: Automation Engineer Salary
As you might already know, multiple factors affect a software tester salary. From location to expertise, there are several factors that decide your salary in this career path. However, one of the most crucial things you can do to increase your salary in this domain is to get experience in using modern tools and frameworks. Here are the top factors that can directly affect a software tester’s salary.
It’s no secret that location plays a crucial role in deciding software testing salary. Western countries like Canada, the USA, or the UK will definitely pay you more in comparison to Asian countries like India or China. However, that is because the cost of living in Western countries is significantly higher than in Asian countries.
Having more skills and knowledge of advanced tools and frameworks plays a significant role in raising a software tester salary. Whether you are a fresher or a seasoned professional, acquiring new certifications will definitely elevate your market value as a software tester.
Industry trends and new technologies are ever-evolving. Keeping yourself updated with Agile, DevOps, cloud-based testing, user experience testing, artificial intelligence, and other emerging trends and technologies can help you align your skill sets and negotiate for higher salaries.
You must have heard the phrase, “A Jack of all trades is a master of none,” which means being best in several domains is not important; you must specialize in a particular field to increase your earning capability. Thus, it is wise to master one domain to become a hot commodity rather than trying to do everything. Mastering unit testing, performance testing, security testing, acceptance testing, or other specific domains can immensely increase your annual salary.
A1QA, Applause, iBeta, ImpactQA, Lotus Quality Assurance, PFLB, QA Madness, QAMentor, and QualityLogic are a few names from the list of the world’s largest software testing companies. They are devoted to delivering satisfactory results to the end users, backed by a powerful and extraordinary software testing team. Working at tech giants and multinational corporations offers you better perks with higher salaries. This means that the higher the company’s reputation you are working in, the higher the benefits you can avail yourself of.
To climb the ladder of your software testing career, you can aim for relevant certifications and training programs that match your goals. You can go for certifications like ISTQB and CSTE, as these skills can greatly boost your reputation.
You can find a mentor to smoothen your career path, as their advice can be priceless in offering industry wisdom.
Networking is a crucial part of staying in the loop about the latest trends and opportunities.
You can start learning new programming languages and testing tools to stand out in the hiring queue.
With better knowledge, you can advance in various career paths, ranging from test analysts to QA directors. These job roles can help you focus on areas like automation and performance testing, giving you higher positions and more pay.
Your journey in a software testing career can grow significantly through the right opportunities and skill sets. You just have to focus on learning new technologies, improving your communication skills, and making professional networks. Elevating your technical skill sets through a trusted Automation Testing Certification program can boost your salaries significantly.
Software testing is one of the most rewarding professions around the globe. However, getting a job for freshers in this domain can be challenging. But if you want to make a career with a higher software tester salary, it is always possible with the right approach. As you have learned above, software tester salary for freshers or experience depends mostly on your education, experience, technical and analytical skill sets, and your job location. Thus, you should level up your skills by enrolling in the right automation testing course. The professional certification course is crucial to take the first step towards your dream career that can significantly boost your work performance and annual salary. So, be aware of all the ins and outs of the software testing industry, and you might just be on the verge of getting the paycheck you seek.
Getting the highest salaries in software testing requires the right skill sets that can be earned through professional certification courses. Your experience and specialization in software testing also help you get higher paycheck amounts.
Yes, software testing is one of the high-paying careers in the IT industry. If you have the right skills, certifications, and experience, you can earn more than $100,000 a year.
On average, you can see a steady salary growth rate of 5% to 10% every year. However, you can avail of more growth as you gain more experience and skills.
In software testing, you can grab various growth opportunities through the mentioned activities:
Making networks and finding mentors
Learning modern programming languages
Gaining relevant Automation Testing Training
Improving your communication and analytical skills
You don’t need any specific qualifications to enroll in a software testing course. However, having a background in computer science and related fields can boost your learning and understanding capabilities.
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26 Sep 2023
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