How to hire a functional tester

How to hire a functional tester, step by step

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

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

What does a functional tester do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your functional tester job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a functional tester for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a functional tester to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a functional tester that fits the bill.

   This list presents functional tester salaries for various positions.

   Type of Functional Tester	Description	Hourly rate
   Functional Tester		$29-45
   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
   Quality Assurance Team Leader	A quality assurance (QA) team leader is a professional who is responsible for managing a team of engineers from the quality assurance department of an organization to participate in the overall QA planning and activities. QA team leaders are required to play the key role as a member of the project management team to ensure that the product exceeded user expectations... Show more	$36-60

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Test Cases
   • Web Application
   • Selenium
   • Test Automation
   • C Net
   • Test Scripts
   • QA
   • Regression
   • Test Results
   • Test Plan
   • Jira
   • SQL Server
   • Mobile Testing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage UNIX system workstations in ATM test team and troubleshooting system problems.
   • Develop web page for achieving documentation and developing a multiple user interface with JavaScript and Perl.
   • Perform end to end testing for the whole project and create any defects find while testing the application in JIRA.
   • Develop and maintain test data scripts to support regression testing and participate actively in system testing and regression testing.
   • Perform various test scenarios including positive and negative testing and also execute performance, regression testing to ensure business functionality coverage.
   • Experience in UAT and involve in UAT testing and setup the UAT environment.

   More functional tester duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your functional tester job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A functional 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 a functional tester in Wisconsin may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level functional tester usually earns less than a senior-level functional tester. Additionally, a functional 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 functional tester salary

   $76,647yearly

   $36.85 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level functional tester salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average functional tester salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$88,345	$42
   2	Maryland	$85,352	$41
   3	Connecticut	$81,765	$39
   4	California	$81,340	$39
   5	New Jersey	$79,662	$38
   6	Massachusetts	$79,058	$38
   7	Pennsylvania	$77,620	$37
   8	New York	$76,789	$37
   9	Virginia	$76,579	$37
   10	Texas	$76,553	$37
   11	Colorado	$76,012	$37
   12	North Carolina	$75,905	$36
   13	Illinois	$74,672	$36
   14	Georgia	$73,609	$35
   15	Ohio	$73,100	$35
   16	Nevada	$72,928	$35
   17	South Carolina	$71,752	$35
   18	Missouri	$71,738	$34
   19	Iowa	$70,574	$34
   20	Michigan	$70,436	$34

   Average functional tester salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Cerner	$112,033	$53.86
   2	Miller’s	$103,572	$49.79
   3	Grandbridge Real Estate Capital	$103,151	$49.59	45
   4	Randstad North America, Inc.	$100,737	$48.43	6
   5	TSYS	$99,335	$47.76	1
   6	Humana	$97,612	$46.93
   7	MetLife	$96,562	$46.42
   8	CUNA Mutual Group	$96,428	$46.36
   9	Epitec	$94,437	$45.40	1
   10	MUFG EMEA	$94,433	$45.40
   11	MassMutual	$93,391	$44.90
   12	HMSA	$92,352	$44.40
   13	Motion Recruitment	$92,184	$44.32	6
   14	Kronos Incorporated	$91,910	$44.19
   15	Altria	$91,214	$43.85
   16	Kyyba	$91,132	$43.81
   17	Keynote Systems	$91,105	$43.80
   18	Robert Half	$90,755	$43.63	27
   19	Vanguard Services	$90,591	$43.55	3
   20	Model N	$89,886	$43.21

4. Writing a functional tester job description

   A functional 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 a functional tester job description:

   Functional tester job description example

   Infosys is seeking an Functional/API Test Analyst,
   
   As a QA Test Analyst, you will act as a validation and quality assurance expert and review the functionality of existing systems. You will conduct requirement analysis, define test strategy & design and lead execution to guarantee superior outcomes. You will also be required to design an optimal test environment to simulate real-time scenarios. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with some of the best talent in the industry to create innovative high quality and defect-free solutions to meet our clients' business needs. You will be part of a learning culture, where teamwork and collaboration are encouraged, excellence is rewarded, and diversity is respected and valued.
   
   Required Qualifications:
   
   * Bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent required from an accredited institution. Will also consider three years of progressive experience in the specialty in lieu of every year of education.
   * 2 years of Information Technology experience
   * U.S. citizens and those authorized to work in the U.S. are encouraged to apply. We are unable to sponsor at this time.
   * Candidate must be located within commuting distance of Charlotte, NC or be willing to relocate to the area. This position may require travel in the US and Canada
   * 2 years of experience in Automation Testing
   * Experience with Testing strategies and Test Execution
   * Knowledge and experience with full SDLC lifecycle
   * Experience with Lean / Agile development methodologies
   
   Preferred Qualifications:
   
   * 2years of hands on experience in Functional Testing in Banking domain
   * Hands on experience in working on Agile project execution
   * Working Experience in Test management tools such as JIRA and ALM
   * Ability to participate in Agile ceremonies, Requirement Analysis, Test scenario/ Test case Preparation, Test case execution and Defect Management.
   * Working Experience in SQL and BDD Framework would be a big plus.
   * Having an understanding on any automation tool preferred.
   * Strong communication, presentation and problem-solving skills, as well as excellent interpersonal, management/business skills.
   
   The job entails sitting as well as working at a computer for extended periods of time. Should be able to communicate by telephone, email or face to face. Travel may be required as per the job requirements.
   
   About Us
   
   Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in more than 50 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over four decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.
   
   Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next.
   
   EOE/Minority/Female/Veteran/Disabled/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/National Origin

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right functional tester for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your functional tester job on Zippia to find and recruit functional tester candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with functional 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.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview functional tester candidates, so you can ask them to do a test project. If you are not a technical person and don't know what a test project should be, you can use these websites:

   • 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 functional tester

   Once you've selected the best functional tester candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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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How much does it cost to hire a functional tester?