How to hire a lead software tester

How to hire a lead software tester, step by step

Here's a step-by-step lead software 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 lead software tester job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new lead software tester
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a lead software tester do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The lead software 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

   A lead software tester's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, lead software testers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents lead software tester salaries for various positions.

   Type of Lead Software Tester	Description	Hourly rate
   Lead Software Tester		$37-62
   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
   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:

   • Test Cases
   • Software Development
   • Scrum
   • Test Automation
   • Java
   • Test Results
   • QA
   • Regression
   • C++
   • C #
   • Jenkins
   • Selenium
   • Jira
   • Test Scripts

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Project also define UI standards for adaptive applications and define process to manage UI design standards for adaptive applications.
   • Manage departmental inventory and troubleshoot testing, reporting and inventory issues.
   • Test, verify and automate tests for the hardware interface API using java.
   • Work with in all aspects of the SDLC.
   • Defect logging and monitoring using JIRA.
   • Create new Linux users and groups.

   More lead software tester duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your lead software tester job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A lead software tester salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, lead software testers' average salary in oklahoma is 41% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level lead software testers earn 40% less than senior-level lead software testers.
   • Certifications. A lead software tester with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a lead software tester's salary.

   Average lead software tester salary

   $100,101yearly

   $48.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level lead software tester salary

   $77,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average lead software tester salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$145,819	$70
   2	Washington	$130,392	$63
   3	New York	$110,490	$53
   4	District of Columbia	$110,063	$53
   5	Virginia	$101,530	$49
   6	New Jersey	$101,351	$49
   7	Illinois	$100,682	$48
   8	Connecticut	$99,157	$48
   9	Michigan	$98,375	$47
   10	Texas	$98,292	$47
   11	Utah	$97,895	$47
   12	South Dakota	$96,681	$46
   13	Iowa	$94,528	$45
   14	Arizona	$93,663	$45
   15	Ohio	$92,669	$45
   16	Massachusetts	$92,625	$45
   17	Wisconsin	$91,640	$44
   18	North Carolina	$90,892	$44
   19	Pennsylvania	$89,388	$43
   20	Minnesota	$88,753	$43

   Average lead software tester salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Zscaler	$130,817	$62.89	26
   2	Glassdoor	$126,217	$60.68
   3	Brocade Services Corporation	$125,087	$60.14
   4	Texas Instruments	$123,879	$59.56	20
   5	Nokia	$122,501	$58.89	55
   6	Cirrus Logic	$119,692	$57.54	11
   7	Barclays	$119,461	$57.43
   8	Kohl's	$114,175	$54.89	1
   9	Walgreens	$113,378	$54.51	9
   10	Zillow Group	$112,619	$54.14	5
   11	Area 1 Security	$111,084	$53.41
   12	BrickRed Systems	$108,831	$52.32
   13	Chainlink	$108,634	$52.23	1
   14	Almac Group	$108,476	$52.15
   15	Hire IT People	$108,415	$52.12
   16	Axoni	$108,335	$52.08
   17	Cs Group, Inc.	$108,020	$51.93
   18	Pace Inc	$107,092	$51.49	1
   19	Centro	$107,022	$51.45	1
   20	Baker Hughes	$106,742	$51.32	2

4. Writing a lead software tester job description

   A lead software 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a lead software tester job description:

   Lead software tester job description example

   • 10+ years of IT experience as a Enterprise/SaaS Test Automation Architect/SDET
   • Hands-On Experience as a Programmer/Software Engineer
   • Insurance/Finance Industry Experience
   • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) model Experience/Exposure
   • Test Data Management Process/Tools
   • Exp in Continuous Integration/Testing/Delivery/Deployment and SecDevOps Culture/Tools/Implementation
   • BA Degree

   Travel:

   Negligible

   Business Category:

   GTO

   Number of Openings:

   1

   At MetLife, we’re leading the global transformation of an industry we’ve long defined. United in purpose, diverse in perspective, we’re dedicated to making a difference in the lives of our customers.

   MetLife:

   MetLife, through its subsidiaries and affiliates, is one of the world’s leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

   We are one of the largest institutional investors in the U.S. with $642.4 billion of total assets under management as of March 31, 2021. We are ranked #46 on the Fortune 500 list for 2021. In 2020, we were named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) for the fifth year in a row. DJSI is a global index to track the leading sustainability-driven companies. We are proud to have been named to Fortune magazine’s 2021 list of the “World’s Most Admired Companies.”

   MetLife is committed to building a purpose-driven and inclusive culture that energizes our people. Our employees work every day to help build a more confident future for people around the world.

   The wage range for applicants for this position is [the more specific figure (for example (only): $80,000) or range within which the hiring manager reasonably expects to hire (for example (only): $70,000 - $85,000)] . The role is eligible for incentive compensation under the sales incentive plan for your position. MetLife offers a comprehensive benefits program, including healthcare benefits, life insurance, retirement benefits, parental leave, legal plan services and paid time off. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

   We want to make it simple for all interested and qualified candidates to apply for employment opportunities with MetLife. For further information about how to request a reasonable accommodation, please click on the Disability Accommodations link below.

   MetLife is a proud Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer dedicated to attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment at MetLife without regards to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status, uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

   MetLife maintains a drug-free workplace.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right lead software 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 lead software tester job on Zippia to find and attract quality lead software tester candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit lead software testers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview lead software 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 lead software tester

   Once you have selected a candidate for the lead software 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 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new lead software tester. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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