How to hire a manager, software quality assurance

How to hire a manager, software quality assurance, step by step

Here's a step-by-step manager, software quality assurance hiring guide:

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

What does a manager, software quality assurance do?

Post a manager, software quality assurance job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the manager, software quality assurance you need to hire. Certain manager, software quality assurance roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 manager, software quality assurance 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 manager, software quality assurance salaries for various roles:

   Type of Manager, Software Quality Assurance	Description	Hourly rate
   Manager, Software Quality Assurance		$44-78
   Release Manager	A release manager is responsible for supervising project releases across various platforms by closely coordinating with technology and project teams, ensuring the stability and efficiency of outputs according to clients' specifications and business needs. Release managers handle the delivery management procedures from conceptualization to production, maintaining budget requirements and adherence to timetables... Show more	$38-70
   Test Manager	A test manager is responsible for supervising the content of test activities and ensuring that the scope meets the test requirements. Test managers monitor the test process and determine the accurate strategies to establish efficient methods for the success of test deliveries... Show more	$34-57

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Software Quality
   • Software Development
   • Test Cases
   • Test Automation
   • SQA
   • Java
   • Selenium
   • Regression
   • Scrum
   • Software QA
   • Quality Standards
   • Project Management
   • C++
   • C #

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead white box testing for the voice driven Java portal, integrate with a C++ VoiceXml engine
   • Develop JAVA program to automate status and configuration data collection from test-beds to support root cause analysis process.
   • Use JIRA defect tracking tool to track defects from QA testing to ensure defects are successfully manage throughout the testing life-cycle.
   • Manage software security assessment effort to identify products' security vulnerabilities throughout SDLC.
   • Manage all documentation and equipment require for QA to effectively complete testing tasks.
   • Replace a paper/pencil driven reporting process with a SQL database to automate data collection and reporting for entire customer facing organization.

   More manager, software quality assurance duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your manager, software quality assurance job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A manager, software quality assurance 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 manager, software quality assurance in Colorado may be lower than in California, and an entry-level manager, software quality assurance usually earns less than a senior-level manager, software quality assurance. Additionally, a manager, software quality assurance 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 manager, software quality assurance salary

   $122,736yearly

   $59.01 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level manager, software quality assurance salary

   $92,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 12, 2025

   Average manager, software quality assurance salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$158,702	$76
   2	Washington	$135,672	$65
   3	Oregon	$127,194	$61
   4	Nevada	$125,453	$60
   5	New York	$121,112	$58
   6	Arizona	$113,777	$55
   7	Massachusetts	$112,798	$54
   8	Texas	$111,147	$53
   9	North Carolina	$107,296	$52
   10	Michigan	$107,078	$51
   11	South Carolina	$105,110	$51
   12	Ohio	$102,969	$50
   13	Illinois	$102,418	$49
   14	Tennessee	$102,180	$49
   15	Arkansas	$100,387	$48
   16	Georgia	$100,180	$48
   17	Colorado	$99,895	$48

   Average manager, software quality assurance salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Google	$181,484	$87.25	438
   2	Apple	$168,923	$81.21	207
   3	8x8	$166,070	$79.84	1
   4	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	$162,398	$78.08
   5	NVIDIA	$160,228	$77.03	47
   6	Foundation Medicine	$159,814	$76.83	2
   7	Palo Alto Networks	$157,597	$75.77	12
   8	Alibris	$156,647	$75.31
   9	Fortinet	$155,583	$74.80	23
   10	Amazon	$154,548	$74.30	467
   11	PlayStation	$154,236	$74.15	12
   12	NetApp	$153,104	$73.61	23
   13	Starbucks	$151,929	$73.04	4
   14	Shutterfly	$151,179	$72.68	4
   15	VMware	$149,960	$72.10
   16	ServiceNow	$149,768	$72.00	18
   17	Tesla	$148,984	$71.63
   18	Nokia	$148,745	$71.51	18
   19	A10 Networks	$147,176	$70.76
   20	GoDaddy	$145,207	$69.81

4. Writing a manager, software quality assurance job description

   A job description for a manager, software quality assurance role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a manager, software quality assurance job description:

   Manager, software quality assurance job description example

   Culver City,California,United States
   
   Hardware
   
   + Expertise: Proven capabilities in leading interactive software product testing teams, ideally for experiential products that integrate software and hardware.
   
   + Customer-Focused: Passionate about the customer experience and delivering experiential products that inspire, surprise, and delight.
   
   + Team Player: Excellent cross-functional communication and influencing skills.
   
   + Team Builder: Proven track record demonstrating the ability to attract, hire, motivate and develop the best quality-minded individuals.
   
   + Priority Driven: Comfortable working in a continually changing and dynamic environment and driving top issues to resolution.
   
   + Technically Agile: Proven ability to drive QA success via integrated cross-functional teams involving deep collaboration with engineering and design.
   
   **Description**
   
   In the QA Manager role, you will: Build, establish, and manage the QA team/discipline for the business. Ensure the product achieves or exceeds the envisioned customer experience. Develop quality strategies for products and oversee the development and execution of software test plans and analysis of test results. Execute the activities of the software quality assurance function for maximum date and quality predictability, with effective risk awareness and management. Work closely with other functional disciplines, especially engineering and design.
   
   **Education & Experience**
   
   BS/MS, Computer Science/Engineering or relevant industry experience
   
   **Additional Requirements**
   
   **Apple Footer**
   
   Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple will not discriminate or retaliate against applicants who inquire about, disclose, or discuss their compensation or that of other applicants. United States Department of Labor. Learn more (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple is required to comply with a COVID-19 vaccination mandate issued by the New York City Department of Health. We will verify the vaccination status of all New York City team members who are working at an Apple Store, office, or partner store in New York City. New York City Department of Health Learn more (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law. If you're applying for a position in San Francisco, review the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance guidelines (opens in a new window) applicable in your area.
   
   Apple participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law. Learn more about the E-Verify program (Opens in a new window) .
   
   Apple is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants with physical and mental disabilities. Apple is a drug-free workplace. Reasonable Accommodation and Drug Free Workplace policy Learn more (Opens in a new window) .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right manager, software quality assurance for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with managers, software quality assurance they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit managers, software quality assurance who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your manager, software quality assurance job on Zippia to find and recruit manager, software quality assurance candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit managers, software quality assurance, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   Sometimes, it's not enough to interview manager, software quality assurance 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 manager, software quality assurance

   Once you've selected the best manager, software quality assurance 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new manager, software quality assurance first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a manager, software quality assurance?