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What is a software quality engineer and how to become one
Software quality engineers ensure that a company's software products meet the required quality standards. Their work mainly involves software testing, and they are responsible for developing and documenting testing procedures. They make sure the software products are functioning properly and are usable, and they earn a median annual salary of $95,000 or $46 per hour.
Software quality engineers may work with smartphones, but most of their work is accomplished with desktop computers. They document findings, analysis, and summary recommendations. They may hold meetings with software developers and other workers to discuss particular product development. They typically work full-time and may sometimes work off-hour and during the weekends.
Software quality engineers mostly have a bachelor's or a master's degree in computer science or a related field. Although the requirements vary considerably by state, some work may require a special certification. Solid analytical, communication and interpersonal skills are well appreciated in this field with a keen eye for detail.
What general advice would you give to a software quality engineer?
Andrea Welker Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Engineering Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Villanova University
Avg. Salary $99,902
Avg. Salary $59,228
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%
Genderfemale 32.74%
male 67.26%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
Software quality engineer career paths
Key steps to become a software quality engineer
Explore software quality engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific software quality engineer skills
Skills Percentages Software Quality 7.37% Java 6.53% Python 6.31% Software Development 6.01% Test Cases 4.70% Complete relevant software quality engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New software quality engineers 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 software quality engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real software quality engineer resumes.Research software quality engineer duties and responsibilities
- Manage logging issues, defects in JIRA and provide status reports to the management in status meetings and weekly status report.
- Work with scrum master and developer leads to optimize resource allocation for accelerating user story delivery process.
- Perform backend testing and write SQL queries for the validation purpose.
- Perform test for functionality, GUI, end-to-end, system, configuration and backend utilizing web server.
Prepare your software quality engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your software quality engineer resume.
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Choose from 10+ customizable software quality engineer resume templates
Build a professional software quality engineer 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 software quality engineer resume.
Apply for software quality engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a software quality engineer 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 software quality engineer job
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Average software quality engineer salary
The average software quality engineer salary in the United States is $99,902 per year or $48 per hour. Software quality engineer salaries range between $73,000 and $136,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do software quality engineers rate their job?
Software quality engineer reviews
Problem solving and cutting edge technology - always learning and evolving my skill set
Still have to deal with people :)
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.
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.
I enjoyed working on creative problems that dealt with the user interface
I didn't like how technical it could become
Updated January 8, 2025
