Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
15-1253.00
Bright Outlook Updated 2024

The occupation code you requested, 15-1199.01 (Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers), is no longer in use. In the future, please use 15-1253.00 (Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers) instead.

Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.

Sample of reported job titles: Automation Tester, Information Technology Analyst (IT Analyst), Quality Assurance Analyst (QA Analyst), Quality Assurance Engineer (QA Engineer), Quality Engineer, Software Quality Assurance Analyst (SQA Analyst), Software Quality Assurance Engineer (SQA Engineer), Software Quality Engineer, Software Test Engineer, Test Engineer

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
  • Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
  • Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
  • Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
  • Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
  • Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
  • Install, maintain, or use software testing programs.
  • Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
  • Create or maintain databases of known test defects.
  • Develop or specify standards, methods, or procedures to determine product quality or release readiness.
  • Monitor bug resolution efforts and track successes.
  • Update automated test scripts to ensure currency.
  • Participate in product design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules, or potential problems.
  • Plan test schedules or strategies in accordance with project scope or delivery dates.
  • Monitor program performance to ensure efficient and problem-free operations.
  • Conduct software compatibility tests with programs, hardware, operating systems, or network environments.
  • Investigate customer problems referred by technical support.
  • Review software documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, or completeness, or to mitigate risks.
  • Identify program deviance from standards, and suggest modifications to ensure compliance.
  • Perform initial debugging procedures by reviewing configuration files, logs, or code pieces to determine breakdown source.
  • Design or develop automated testing tools.
  • Install and configure recreations of software production environments to allow testing of software performance.
  • Collaborate with field staff or customers to evaluate or diagnose problems and recommend possible solutions.
  • Coordinate user or third-party testing.
  • Visit beta testing sites to evaluate software performance.
  • Conduct historical analyses of test results.
  • Evaluate or recommend software for testing or bug tracking.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, allow it to adapt to new hardware, or to improve its performance.
  • Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, or humidity in area of system installation.
  • Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.
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Technology Skills

  • Access software — Citrix cloud computing software; PuTTY
  • Accounting software — Tax software
  • Administration software — Software distribution management software
  • Analytical or scientific software — IBM SPSS Statistics Hot technology ; Minitab; SAS Hot technology ; The MathWorks MATLAB Hot technology ; 5 more
  • Application server software — Docker Hot technology ; GitHub Hot technology ; Red Hat OpenShift Hot technology ; Spring Boot Hot technology ; 4 more
  • Backup or archival software — Backup and archival software; Veritas NetBackup
  • Business intelligence and data analysis software — IBM Cognos Impromptu; Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition; Qlik Tech QlikView; Tableau Hot technology ; 1 more
  • Cloud-based data access and sharing software — Dropbox; Google Drive; Microsoft SharePoint Hot technology ; Slack Hot technology
  • Cloud-based management software — Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation Hot technology ; IBM WebSphere; Splunk Enterprise Hot technology
  • Clustering software — VMware
  • Communications server software — IBM Domino
  • Computer aided design CAD software — Autodesk AutoCAD Hot technology ; Bentley MicroStation Hot technology ; Dassault Systemes CATIA
  • Computer based training software — Moodle
  • Configuration management software — Chef Hot technology ; Perforce Helix software; Puppet Hot technology ; Visible Razor; 6 more
  • Content workflow software — Emerald Software Group Emerald Green Office; Twiki; Workflow software
  • Customer relationship management CRM software — Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Oracle Eloqua; Salesforce software Hot technology
  • Data base management system software — Amazon DynamoDB Hot technology ; Elasticsearch Hot technology ; MongoDB Hot technology ; Oracle PL/SQL Hot technology ; 22 more
  • Data base reporting software — Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS Hot technology ; Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer; SAP Business Intelligence; SAP Crystal Reports; 3 more
  • Data base user interface and query software — Airtable; Apache Hive Hot technology ; Blackboard software; IBM DB2 Hot technology ; 12 more
  • Data mining software — Google Analytics Hot technology
  • Desktop communications software — Skype
  • Desktop publishing software — Adobe InDesign Hot technology ; Microsoft Publisher
  • Development environment software — Apache Kafka Hot technology ; Apache Maven Hot technology ; Apache Subversion SVN Hot technology ; Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE Hot technology ; 61 more
  • Device drivers or system software — Microsoft DirectX
  • Document management software — Adobe Acrobat Hot technology ; Document management system software
  • Electronic mail software — Google Gmail; IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook Hot technology
  • Enterprise application integration software — Atlassian Bamboo Hot technology ; Extensible markup language XML Hot technology ; Jenkins CI In-Demand Hot technology ; Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS Hot technology ; 4 more
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software — Microsoft Dynamics Hot technology ; Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Oracle PeopleSoft Hot technology ; SAP software Hot technology ; 6 more
  • Enterprise system management software — IBM Power Systems software
  • Expert system software — Ansible software Hot technology
  • File versioning software — Git In-Demand Hot technology ; Version control software
  • Filesystem software — File server software
  • Financial analysis software — Delphi Technology; Oracle E-Business Suite Financials
  • Geographic information system — ESRI ArcGIS software Hot technology ; Geographic information system GIS software
  • Graphical user interface development software — Graphical user interface GUI builder software; Graphical user interface GUI design software; Salesforce Visualforce
  • Graphics or photo imaging software — Adobe Creative Cloud software Hot technology ; Adobe Illustrator Hot technology ; JamBoard; Trimble SketchUp Pro Hot technology ; 4 more
  • Human resources software — Human resource management software HRMS
  • Industrial control software — Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software
  • Information retrieval or search software — Apache Avro; LexisNexis
  • Instant messaging software — Blink; GroupMe
  • Internet browser software — Apple Safari; Microsoft Internet Explorer; Mozilla Firefox; Web browser software
  • Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software — Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software
  • Medical software — Epic Systems Hot technology
  • Metadata management software — Quest Erwin Data Modeler; Talend Data Fabric
  • Network conferencing software — LogMeIn GoToWebinar
  • Network monitoring software — Nagios; Wireshark
  • Network operation system software — IBM z/OS operating systems
  • Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software — Firewall software; Network intrusion detection software; Virtual private networking VPN software
  • Object or component oriented development software — Apache Spark Hot technology ; jQuery Hot technology ; Scala Hot technology ; Swift Hot technology ; 32 more
  • Object oriented data base management software — Hibernate ORM Hot technology ; PostgreSQL Hot technology
  • Office suite software — LibreOffice; Microsoft Office software In-Demand Hot technology
  • Operating system software — Bash Hot technology ; Microsoft Windows Server Hot technology ; Red Hat Enterprise Linux Hot technology ; UNIX Shell Hot technology ; 22 more
  • Platform interconnectivity software — Migration software
  • Portal server software — Apache HTTP Server
  • Presentation software — Google Slides; Microsoft PowerPoint Hot technology
  • Process mapping and design software — Microsoft Visio Hot technology
  • Program testing software — Hewlett Packard LoadRunner; IBM Rational Robot; JUnit Hot technology ; Selenium In-Demand Hot technology ; 36 more
  • Project management software — Atlassian Confluence Hot technology ; Atlassian JIRA In-Demand Hot technology ; Microsoft Team Foundation Server Hot technology ; Microsoft Teams Hot technology ; 2 more
  • Requirements analysis and system architecture software — IBM Rational RequisitePro; Requirements management software; Unified modeling language UML
  • Spreadsheet software — Google Sheets Hot technology ; Microsoft Excel In-Demand Hot technology
  • Storage networking software — Amazon Simple Storage Service S3 Hot technology ; Storage area network SAN software
  • Transaction security and virus protection software — Anti-spyware software; Antivirus software; McAfee; NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software; 1 more
  • Transaction server software — Customer information control system CICS; IBM Middleware; Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS); Object Management Group Object Request Broker; 1 more
  • Video conferencing software — Cisco Webex Hot technology ; Google Meet; LogMeIn GoToMeeting; Zoom Hot technology ; 1 more
  • Video creation and editing software — Adobe After Effects Hot technology ; Flipgrid; Screencastify; YouTube; 1 more
  • Web page creation and editing software — Adobe Dreamweaver; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites
  • Web platform development software — Django Hot technology ; Google Angular Hot technology ; React Hot technology ; Spring Framework Hot technology ; 25 more
  • Word processing software — 3M Post-it App; Google Docs Hot technology ; Microsoft OneNote; Microsoft Word Hot technology ; 1 more
Hot technology
Hot Technologies are requirements most frequently included across all employer job postings.
In demand
In Demand skills are frequently included in employer job postings for this occupation.

Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
  • Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People — Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
  • Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies — Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others — Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
  • Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Detailed Work Activities

Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities

Work Context

  • Electronic Mail — 100% responded “Every day.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 75% responded “Every day.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 71% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 50% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Work With Work Group or Team — 58% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 65% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 67% responded “Every day.”
  • Telephone — 42% responded “Every day.”
  • Contact With Others — 47% responded “Contact with others most of the time.”
  • Structured versus Unstructured Work — 74% responded “Some freedom.”
  • Time Pressure — 41% responded “Once a week or more but not every day.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 59% responded “40 hours.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 38% responded “Very important.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 38% responded “Important results.”
  • Level of Competition — 42% responded “Moderately competitive.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 35% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Physical Proximity — 70% responded “Slightly close (e.g., shared office).”
  • Frequency of Conflict Situations — 41% responded “Once a month or more but not every week.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 39% responded “Once a year or more but not every month.”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Related Experience
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Job Zone Examples
Many of these occupations involve coordinating, supervising, managing, or training others. Examples include real estate brokers, sales managers, database administrators, graphic designers, conservation scientists, art directors, and cost estimators.
SVP Range
(7.0 to < 8.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
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State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Programming — Writing computer programs for various purposes.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Quality Control Analysis — Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
  • Systems Evaluation — Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operations Analysis — Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
  • Systems Analysis — Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Operations Monitoring — Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Knowledge

  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Engineering and Technology — Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
  • Mathematics — Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Design — Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • 50%
     
    Bachelor’s degree required
  • 26%
     
    Associate’s degree required
  • 9%
     
    Post-secondary certificate required

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Perceptual Speed — The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
  • Fluency of Ideas — The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • Originality — The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Selective Attention — The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Interests

Interest code: ICR
Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
  • Investigative — Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
  • Realistic — Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, transportation, machine operation, agriculture, animal services, physical or manual labor, athletics, or protective services.

Work Values

  • Achievement — Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Working Conditions — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
  • Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Work Styles

  • Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
  • Analytical Thinking — Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
  • Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
  • Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
  • Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
  • Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
  • Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
  • Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
  • Self-Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
  • Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
  • Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
  • Independence — Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
  • Innovation — Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
  • Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
  • Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2023)
$48.94 hourly, $101,800 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2023)
205,000 employees
Projected growth (2023-2033)
Much faster than average (9% or higher)
Projected job openings (2023-2033)
15,000
State trends
Top industries (2023)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2023 wage data and 2023-2033 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2023-2033). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

State job openings
Local job openings

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Professional Associations

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