How to hire an application tester

How to hire an application tester, step by step

Here's a step-by-step application tester hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an application tester job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new application tester
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an application tester do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The application tester hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect application tester also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of application tester salaries for various roles:

   Type of Application Tester	Description	Hourly rate
   Application Tester		$32-55
   Quality Assurance Lead	A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation... Show more	$34-59
   Test Analyst	The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market... Show more	$26-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Web Application
   • Java
   • Burp Suite
   • Test Results
   • Http
   • Application Penetration
   • C++
   • Selenium
   • Regression
   • Metasploit
   • Jira
   • XML
   • Test Scripts
   • Scrum

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Implement a TFS environment and manage the test planning for multiple projects.
   • Develop web page for achieving documentation and developing a multiple user interface with JavaScript and Perl.
   • Validate request and response XML.
   • Submit problem reports and monitor their status using JIRA bug-tracking system.
   • Report defects in JIRA & tracking them until satisfactory status has been determine.
   • Perform static analysis of code, mobile application (iphone, android) hacking.

   More application tester duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your application tester job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An application tester salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an application tester in Indiana may be lower than in California, and an entry-level application tester usually earns less than a senior-level application tester. Additionally, an application tester with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average application tester salary

   $88,835yearly

   $42.71 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level application tester salary

   $68,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average application tester salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$118,478	$57
   2	Washington	$105,691	$51
   3	District of Columbia	$96,962	$47
   4	New York	$96,930	$47
   5	New Jersey	$93,890	$45
   6	Oregon	$92,579	$45
   7	Massachusetts	$92,293	$44
   8	Virginia	$91,593	$44
   9	Maryland	$90,850	$44
   10	Connecticut	$89,837	$43
   11	Texas	$85,779	$41
   12	Minnesota	$82,550	$40
   13	Pennsylvania	$81,299	$39
   14	North Carolina	$78,236	$38
   15	Illinois	$78,050	$38
   16	Louisiana	$76,359	$37
   17	Georgia	$73,696	$35
   18	Arkansas	$73,216	$35
   19	West Virginia	$70,493	$34
   20	Indiana	$70,139	$34

   Average application tester salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Splunk	$123,826	$59.53
   2	Citi	$123,556	$59.40	32
   3	Santander Private Banking International	$119,824	$57.61	2
   4	RSM US	$116,552	$56.03	68
   5	Morgan Stanley	$114,559	$55.08	9
   6	Santander Bank	$113,391	$54.51	2
   7	E*TRADE	$108,706	$52.26
   8	Randstad North America, Inc.	$108,407	$52.12	13
   9	Robert Half	$103,381	$49.70	27
   10	Pegasus	$102,874	$49.46
   11	NowSecure	$101,912	$49.00
   12	Katmai Careers	$100,703	$48.41
   13	DIVERSANT	$99,038	$47.61
   14	New York Community Bank	$99,014	$47.60
   15	Booz Allen Hamilton	$98,829	$47.51	36
   16	Everest Holdings LLC	$98,543	$47.38
   17	CVS Health	$97,891	$47.06	4
   18	Catapult Consultants	$97,755	$47.00
   19	National Grid plc	$94,869	$45.61
   20	Sigma	$94,030	$45.21

4. Writing an application tester job description

   An application tester job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an application tester job description:

   Application tester job description example

   **Type of Requisition:** Regular
   
   **Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:** Secret
   
   **Job Family:** Test Engineering
   
   Join **General Dynamics IT** and be a part of a team that solve some of the world's most complex technical challenges. The **Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System - Navy Personnel and Pay (NSIPS-NP2)** is seeking a **ERP Tester** to join their team.
   
   NSIPS-NP2 is the Navy's single, field-entry, electronic pay and personnel system for all USN/USNR Sailors. The program overall will maintain Navy O&M and Research/Development/Test and Evaluation (RDTE) for Navy Personnel and Pay systems.
   
   Duties Include:
   
   + Provides guidance for evaluating, analyzing, modifying, configuring, testing, and implementing ERP systems
   
   + Collaborates with business users and management to understand and create functional requirements to customize and configure workflows and software packages
   
   + Tests and maintains configurations to ensure the system is meeting business functional needs
   
   + Provides guidance for troubleshooting and resolving any ERP related hardware, software, user access or other problems
   
   + Monitors the system regularly to ensure the system meets the evolving needs of the company
   
   + Ensures proper documentation and user guides are valid and up to date
   
   + Develop and document Testing processes and procedures for the environment as necessary
   
   Basic Qualifications:
   
   + BS degree; or 5 years additional years of Navy HR experience may be considered in lieu of degree
   
   + 8+ current years of direct Navy HR policy and law
   
   + Working Knowledge and experience with the Navy's Pay systems, DOD Systems.
   
   + Must be a U.S. Citizen and have a current DOD Secret clearance or be able to obtain an Interim DoD Secret Clearance.
   
   COVID-19 Vaccination: GDIT does not have a vaccination mandate applicable to all employees. To protect the health and safety of its employees and to comply with customer requirements, however, GDIT may require employees in certain positions to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Vaccination requirements will depend on the status of the federal contractor mandate and customer site requirements.
   
   We are GDIT. The people supporting some of the most complex government, defense, and intelligence projects across the country. We deliver. Bringing the expertise needed to understand and advance critical missions. We transform. Shifting the ways clients invest in, integrate, and innovate technology solutions. We ensure today is safe and tomorrow is smarter. We are there. On the ground, beside our clients, in the lab, and everywhere in between. Offering the technology transformations, strategy, and mission services needed to get the job done.
   
   GDIT is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other protected class.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find application testers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any application testers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level application testers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   To find application tester candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with application tester candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with an application tester applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new application tester

   Once you have selected a candidate for the application tester position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new application tester. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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