How To Become An Associate Tester: What It Is and Career Path

What is an associate tester and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

An associate tester is an individual who is trained and possesses in-depth knowledge about testing the software or hardware. With the boom in the information technology sector, there is an ample number of opportunities available for associate tester/engineers. The main associate test engineer's responsibilities are to test the software hardware thoroughly by eliminating the technical issues to achieve maximum quality standards.

Test engineers are most commonly associated with either electrical or computer engineering. However, they may be found in every sector where a product is formed and needs to be tested for its quality standards. Thus, they are extremely important for ensuring the success of any organization.

They require a bachelor's degree in computer science or a relevant field from an accredited university. The work hours are standard normally lasting for forty to forty-five hours per week. However, they may be extended depending on the situation, like if there is any technical problem, they may need to resolve it as soon as possible to ensure the smooth flow of work.

ScoreAssociate TesterUS Average

Salary

5.8

Avg. Salary $74,863

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 32.56%

male 67.44%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

6.1

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.0

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an associate tester

Explore associate tester education requirements

Most common associate tester degrees

Bachelor's

59.0 %

Associate

18.0 %

Master's

10.0 %

Start to develop specific associate tester skills

Skills	Percentages
Test Results	12.42%
Test Data	9.83%
Java	9.50%
Test Procedures	8.24%
Jira	6.45%

Complete relevant associate tester training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New associate testers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an associate tester based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real associate tester resumes.

Research associate tester duties and responsibilities

Train and lead a team of 3+ testers in support of compatibility testing.
Manage departmental inventory and troubleshoot testing, reporting and inventory issues.
Train new hires on testing PC titles for compatibility issues.
Analyze defects for AAA gaming software for Xbox and PC.

Prepare your associate tester resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your associate tester resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an associate tester resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable associate tester resume templates

Build a professional associate tester resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your associate tester resume.

Apply for associate tester jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an associate tester job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do associate testers rate their job?

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Associate tester reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2020

Pros

I like testing because it can be interesting. Things can change but also stay the same. I like routine but not repetition doing the same thing. Testing isn't the best job but a good job.

Cons

Some things you test can be really picky to pass. It's likely they will always fail the first time. Some test seem to always pass and seek insufficient. I always look at productivity but also efficiency. So if not necessary by customer and always passes I can't see why a part of the test he removed especially if another part of the test will fail if it does. Options I am always open to.

A zippia user wrote a review on May 2020