How long does it take to become a Quality Assurance Lead?

It takes 6 years of professional experience to become a quality assurance lead. That is the time it takes to learn specific quality assurance lead skills, but does not account for time spent in formal education. If you include the normal education requirements to complete a college degree, then it takes 9 to 11 years years to become a quality assurance lead.

How much do QA leads make?

QA leads make around $86,000 a year, on average. This varies from a typical range of $70,000 to $100,000 for mid-career quality assurance leads. Salary for quality assurance leads does vary by experience and location, of course. Entry-level QA leads -- typically a role as a quality assurance tester, earn about $65,000 to $70,000 a year.

What degree do you need to work in quality assurance?

To work in quality assurance, you need at least a bachelor's degree. To become a quality assurance specialist, you will need at least a bachelor's degree in computer science or business management. These courses will help hone your troubleshooting and quality testing skills to discover possible flaws in a product.

What qualifications do you need to be a quality assurance manager?

The qualifications needed to be a quality assurance manager include educational credentials and on-the-job experience. A bachelor's degree in quality assurance and business statistics is preferable. For some managerial/higher positions, having a postgraduate degree or technical degree is much essential.

How To Become A Quality Assurance Lead: What It Is and Career Path

What is a quality assurance lead and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A quality assurance lead promotes the quality of a company's products or services. They oversee the development and implementation of quality control measures to meet customer expectations and regulatory requirements. A quality assurance lead collaborates with cross-functional teams to develop and maintain quality standards, provide training to employees, identify areas for improvement, and analyze data. They also conduct audits and inspections to identify non-conformances and implement corrective actions as needed.

ScoreQuality Assurance LeadUS Average

Salary

7.4

Avg. Salary $94,758

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 36.97%

male 63.03%

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

What are the pros and cons of being a quality assurance lead?

Pros

Offers a good salary and benefits
Develops leadership skills
High demand in the job market
Work can be challenging and interesting
Can help improve communication skills

Cons

Long hours and lots of overtime may be necessary
Can be stressful when deadlines approach
Requires patience, as progress may not be immediate
Can be monotonous and repetitive
Job may require working on weekends or holidays

Key steps to become a quality assurance lead

Explore quality assurance lead education requirements

Most common quality assurance lead degrees

Bachelor's

64.7 %

Master's

19.3 %

Associate

8.0 %

Start to develop specific quality assurance lead skills

Skills	Percentages
QA	7.92%
Test Cases	6.94%
Test Plan	5.63%
Java	4.33%
Status Reports	4.10%

Complete relevant quality assurance lead training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New quality assurance leads 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 a quality assurance lead based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real quality assurance lead resumes.

Research quality assurance lead duties and responsibilities

Develop the scenarios in the cucumber scripts and manage the execution through jerkins jobs.
Monitor QC lab techs data when need and advise leads of corrective actions to take to ensure help in production efficiency.
Maintain coordination between onsite and offshore very smooth with daily status calls and achieve timely and quality deliverable.
Create, design, and run test cases in JIRA as well as regression tests evaluating results of modifications.

Get quality assurance lead experience

Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a quality assurance lead. The most common roles before becoming a quality assurance lead include quality assurance analyst, test engineer team lead and quality assurance engineer.

Prepare your quality assurance lead resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your quality assurance lead 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 a quality assurance lead resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable quality assurance lead resume templates

Build a professional quality assurance lead 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 quality assurance lead resume.

Apply for quality assurance lead jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a quality assurance lead 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 did you land your first quality assurance lead job

Muaweiah Hijazin

Quality Assurance Lead

My journey to becoming a Quality Assurance Lead began after I graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Engineering from Yarmouk University. My initial role was as a Quality Assurance Analyst at AccuTech, where I focused on manual testing and learning the intricacies of software development cycles.

Over the years, I honed my skills in both manual and automated testing, and gradually took on more responsibilities.

My breakthrough came when I joined AccuTech, where I was given the chance to lead a small team of testers. This experience was invaluable as it allowed me to develop my leadership and project management skills. I learned the importance of effective communication, meticulous attention to detail, and fostering a collaborative environment to ensure the highest quality of product releases.

Eventually, my dedication and hard work paid off, and I was promoted to Quality Assurance Lead. In this role, I oversee a team of talented QA professionals, coordinate with various departments to streamline processes, and implement best practices to enhance our testing frameworks. The journey has been challenging but incredibly rewarding, and I’m passionate about continually improving our quality assurance processes to deliver the best possible products to our users.

How do quality assurance leads rate their job?

5/5

Based on 1 ratings

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Quality assurance lead 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.

5.0

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

New field to work with compassion.

Cons

Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Pros

Working on the construction site, independently with little supervision, learning about each phase of the construction project from the ground up and best of all working with the Subcontractors for all the different trades on the project and learning from them.

Cons

The lack of communication, involvement and support from my employer a General Contractor.

What is a quality assurance lead and how to become one

What are the pros and cons of being a quality assurance lead?

Quality assurance lead career paths

Key steps to become a quality assurance lead

Explore quality assurance lead education requirements

Most common quality assurance lead degrees

Start to develop specific quality assurance lead skills

Complete relevant quality assurance lead training and internships

Research quality assurance lead duties and responsibilities

Get quality assurance lead experience

Prepare your quality assurance lead resume

Choose from 10+ customizable quality assurance lead resume templates

Apply for quality assurance lead jobs

How did you land your first quality assurance lead job

Average quality assurance lead salary

How do quality assurance leads rate their job?

Quality assurance lead reviews

Quality assurance lead FAQs

How long does it take to become a Quality Assurance Lead?

How much do QA leads make?

What degree do you need to work in quality assurance?

What qualifications do you need to be a quality assurance manager?

Search for quality assurance lead jobs

Quality assurance lead jobs by state