Software tester demographics and statistics in the US
Software tester demographics research summary. Zippia estimates software tester demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our software tester estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about software testers after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 172,384 software testers currently employed in the United States.
- 37.9% of all software testers are women, while 62.1% are men.
- The average software tester age is 43 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of software testers is White (67.7%), followed by Asian (12.0%), Hispanic or Latino (8.8%) and Black or African American (6.2%).
- Software testers are most in-demand in Huntsville, AL.
- The technology industry is the highest-paying for software testers.
- Sunnyvale, CA pays an annual average wage of $97,838, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women software testers earned 96% of what men earned.
- 11% of all software testers are LGBT.
- Washington is the best state for software testers to live.
- Software testers are 50% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Software tester demographics by:
Software tester gender statistics
37.9% of software testers are women and 62.1% of software testers are men.
- Male, 62.1%
- Female, 37.9%
Software tester gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 62.1% |
| Female | 37.9% |
Software tester gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$78,343
Female income
$75,474
Software tester gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in software tester positions over time. Currently, 37.9% of software testers are female.
Software tester gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 75.70% | 24.30% |
| 2011 | 73.80% | 26.20% |
| 2012 | 75.42% | 24.58% |
| 2013 | 77.07% | 22.93% |
| 2014 | 75.22% | 24.78% |
| 2015 | 75.36% | 24.64% |
| 2016 | 77.03% | 22.97% |
| 2017 | 76.10% | 23.90% |
| 2018 | 64.45% | 35.55% |
| 2019 | 62.34% | 37.66% |
| 2020 | 63.32% | 36.68% |
| 2021 | 62.13% | 37.87% |
Software tester related jobs gender ratio
We compared software testers with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, dell certified systems expert and software applications architect have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Informatics Nurse Specialist | 13% | 87% |
| Clinical Support Specialist | 22% | 78% |
| Clinic Administrator | 23% | 77% |
| Software Tester | 62% | 38% |
| Senior Data Center Engineer | 98% | 2% |
| Software Applications Architect | 98% | 2% |
| Dell Certified Systems Expert | 99% | 1% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Software tester demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among software testers is White, which makes up 67.7% of all software testers. Comparatively, 12.0% of software testers are Asian and 8.8% of software testers are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 67.7%
- Asian, 12.0%
- Hispanic or Latino, 8.8%
- Black or African American, 6.2%
- Unknown, 4.7%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Software tester race
| Software tester race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 67.7% |
| Asian | 12.0% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8.8% |
| Black or African American | 6.2% |
| Unknown | 4.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Software tester race and ethnicity over time
See how software tester racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Software tester race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 70.09% | 9.39% | 10.78% | 7.43% |
| 2011 | 70.82% | 9.26% | 10.08% | 6.76% |
| 2012 | 68.23% | 9.76% | 11.84% | 7.55% |
| 2013 | 68.24% | 9.08% | 13.31% | 7.03% |
| 2014 | 68.30% | 8.60% | 13.45% | 6.77% |
| 2015 | 69.40% | 8.46% | 11.85% | 7.58% |
| 2016 | 68.76% | 7.94% | 12.50% | 7.70% |
| 2017 | 68.46% | 8.03% | 12.72% | 8.01% |
| 2018 | 72.30% | 6.27% | 11.30% | 7.41% |
| 2019 | 71.06% | 6.68% | 11.46% | 8.08% |
| 2020 | 68.88% | 6.11% | 11.53% | 8.82% |
| 2021 | 67.73% | 6.24% | 11.99% | 8.82% |
Software tester wage gap by race
According to our data, asian software testers have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american software testers have the lowest average salary at $76,399.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $77,613 |
| White | $78,059 |
| Black or African American | $76,399 |
| Asian | $82,780 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $77,026 |
Average software tester age
See how the average age of software testers varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female
Software tester age by race and gender
| Race | Male age | Female age |
|---|---|---|
| Black or African American | 43 | 45 |
| Unknown | 42 | 42 |
| Asian | 42 | 41 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 41 | 41 |
| White | 44 | 44 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 44 | 46 |
Software tester age breakdown
The average age of software testers is 40+ years years old, representing 62% of the software tester population.
Software tester age breakdown
| Software Tester Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 62% |
| 30-40 years | 29% |
| 20-30 years | 9% |
Software tester educational attainment
The most common degree for software testers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of software testers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 12%.
- Bachelor's, 68%
- Master's, 14%
- Associate, 12%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
Software testers by degree level
| Software tester degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 68% |
| Master's | 14% |
| Associate | 12% |
| Diploma | 3% |
| Other Degrees | 3% |
Software tester jobs you might like
Software tester wage gap by degree level
According to the data, software testers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $88,707 annually. With a Master's degree, software testers earn a median annual income of $88,344 compared to $81,661 for software testers with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $88,344 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $81,661 |
| Doctorate Degree | $88,707 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $71,821 |
Software tester employment statistics
Most software testers work for a private in the technology industry.
Company size where software testers work
Below, you can see the size of companies where software testers work.
Software tester jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 3% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 8% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 14% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 22% |
| > 10,000 employees | 45% |
Software tester jobs by company type
Employees with the software tester job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most software testers prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Software tester jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 1% |
| Public | 48% |
| Private | 50% |
| Government | 2% |
Software tester jobs by industry
The most common industries for software testers are technology, finance and professional.
Software tester industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Technology | 31% |
| Fortune 500 | 20% |
| Finance | 8% |
| Professional | 7% |
| Health Care | 6% |
| Telecommunication | 5% |
| Insurance | 4% |
| Media | 3% |
| Manufacturing | 3% |
| Pharmaceutical | 2% |
| Retail | 2% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Non Profits | 1% |
| Education | 1% |
| Energy | 1% |
Software tester turnover and employment statistics
Software tester unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for software testers between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Software tester unemployment rate by year
| Year | Software tester unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 6.08% |
| 2011 | 4.28% |
| 2012 | 4.87% |
| 2013 | 3.52% |
| 2014 | 3.32% |
| 2015 | 3.15% |
| 2016 | 2.86% |
| 2017 | 2.28% |
| 2018 | 2.52% |
| 2019 | 2.66% |
| 2020 | 3.94% |
| 2021 | 3.69% |
Average software tester tenure
The average software tester stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 5,481 software testers resumes in Zippia's database.
Software tester tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 35% |
| 1-2 years | 44% |
| 3-4 years | 8% |
| 5-7 years | 8% |
| 8-10 years | 3% |
| 11+ years | 3% |
Software tester LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of software testers that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Voice Engineer | 7.31% | 3,084 |
| Principal Systems Analyst | 8.42% | 191,436 |
| Junior Developer | 8.46% | 259,820 |
| Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 104,421 |
| NOC Engineer | 9.03% | 64,038 |
| Software Tester | 10.54% | - |
| Data Migration Specialist | 10.88% | 110,642 |
Similar software tester jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Voice Engineer | 7.31% | 3,084 |
| Principal Systems Analyst | 8.42% | 191,436 |
| Junior Developer | 8.46% | 259,820 |
| Information Assurance Engineer | 8.59% | 104,421 |
| NOC Engineer | 9.03% | 64,038 |
| Data Migration Specialist | 10.88% | 110,642 |
Foreign languages spoken by software testers
The most common foreign language among software testers is Spanish at 31.2%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is French at 12.2% and German is the third-most popular at 11.2%.
- Spanish, 31.2%
- French, 12.2%
- German, 11.2%
- Russian, 8.3%
- Chinese, 4.9%
- Other, 32.2%
Software tester languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spanish | 31.2% |
| French | 12.2% |
| German | 11.2% |
| Russian | 8.3% |
| Chinese | 4.9% |
| Other | 32.2% |
