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Job outlook for software testers in the United States
Software tester job and salary trends over time
Software tester jobs over time
Software tester job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 172,384 | 0.05% |
| 2020 | 164,997 | 0.05% |
| 2019 | 122,073 | 0.04% |
| 2018 | 79,834 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 66,112 | 0.02% |
Average software tester salary over time
Software tester salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $78,580 | $37.78 | +3.4% |
| 2024 | $75,991 | $36.53 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $74,270 | $35.71 | +2.0% |
| 2022 | $72,822 | $35.01 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $71,177 | $34.22 | +1.5% |
Software tester jobs by state
Most common states for software testers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 562 | 81% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 3,742 | 51% |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 2,806 | 41% |
| 4 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 431 | 41% |
| 5 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 1,147 | 37% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 3,067 | 36% |
| 7 | Delaware | 961,939 | 328 | 34% |
| 8 | Vermont | 623,657 | 215 | 34% |
| 9 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 2,008 | 33% |
| 10 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 1,381 | 33% |
| 11 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 1,594 | 28% |
| 12 | California | 39,536,653 | 10,612 | 27% |
| 13 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 367 | 27% |
| 14 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 1,371 | 25% |
| 15 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 261 | 25% |
| 16 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 639 | 22% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 168 | 22% |
| 18 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 127 | 22% |
| 19 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 1,907 | 21% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 2,088,070 | 442 | 21% |
Most common cities for software testers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Herndon | 3 | 12% | $80,422 |
| 2 | Fairfax | 2 | 8% | $80,462 |
| 3 | Manassas | 3 | 7% | $80,342 |
| 4 | Peachtree City | 2 | 6% | $71,273 |
| 5 | McLean | 2 | 4% | $80,543 |
| 6 | Redmond | 2 | 3% | $89,402 |
| 7 | Annapolis | 1 | 3% | $84,723 |
| 8 | Huntsville | 3 | 2% | $70,455 |
| 9 | Washington | 6 | 1% | $80,286 |
| 10 | Plano | 3 | 1% | $69,029 |
| 11 | Richmond | 2 | 1% | $80,071 |
| 12 | Rochester | 2 | 1% | $79,443 |
| 13 | Saint Louis | 2 | 1% | $74,278 |
| 14 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $97,838 |
| 15 | Alexandria | 1 | 1% | $80,600 |
| 16 | Indianapolis | 2 | 0% | $69,079 |
| 17 | Arlington | 1 | 0% | $80,608 |
Software Tester job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of software tester experts
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Texas A&M University San Antonio
Mount St. Joseph University
University of Hawaii at Hilo
Gannon University
Keiser University Latin American Campus.
Bucknell University
Eastern Washington University
Auburn University at Montgomery
University of New Haven
University of Central Missouri
Furman University
Murray State University
University of South Alabama
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Pittsburgh - Bradford
Montana State University
Allegheny College
Junping Sun Ph.D.
ProfessorNova Southeastern University
Computer Software And Media Applications
What Software Tester skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Junping Sun Ph.D.: Computer Science and its applications in various fields are very dynamic and constantly evolving, and anyone in the fields needs to prepare to be adaptive by lifelong learning.
What Software Tester skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Frank Mitropoulos Ph.D.: Maximizing your salary potential as a new graduate with a Computer Applications degree involves strategic positioning, skill enhancement, and effective negotiation. Following are a few strategies to help increase your salary now and in the future: Specialize in High-Demand Areas: Identify and specialize in high-demand areas that generally offer higher salaries. Build a Strong Portfolio: Develop a portfolio that showcases your skills. A compelling portfolio can strengthen your position during salary negotiations. Develop Soft Skills: While technical skills are essential, soft skills like problem-solving, communication, and leadership hold equal significance. Enhancing these skills can give you an edge in negotiations. Do your Homework and Negotiate: Some industries and locations offer higher salaries. Decide what type of industry you want to focus on and do the background research needed to determine whether your skills will help as leverage. Use your portfolio, certifications, and skill set to strengthen your position. Be ready to articulate your value and how you can contribute to the company's success.
What will help Software Testers increase their earning potential?
Ahmed Imteaj PH.D.: Research Salary Trends: Before entering the job market, research salary trends for entry-level positions in your field and location. Websites like Glassdoor, PayScale, and LinkedIn Salary can provide valuable insights into typical salary ranges for different roles.
Acquire In-Demand Skills: Identify in-demand skills and technologies in your field and focus on acquiring them through coursework, certifications, internships, or personal projects. Skills such as machine learning, cloud computing, cybersecurity, and data science are highly valued and can command higher salaries.
Gain Relevant Experience: Prioritize gaining relevant experience through internships, co-op programs, part-time jobs, or freelance projects. Practical experience can significantly increase your market value and make you more attractive to employers.Customize Your Resume and Cover Letter: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant skills, experiences, and achievements that align with the job requirements. Highlighting your unique qualifications can increase your chances of landing interviews and negotiating a higher salary.
Prepare for Salary Negotiations: Before entering salary negotiations, research the typical salary range for the position and location, considering factors such as cost of living and industry standards. Practice articulating your value proposition and be prepared to negotiate confidently for a salary that reflects your skills, experience, and market value.
Consider Additional Benefits: In addition to salary, consider other benefits and perks offered by employers, such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, and bonuses. These benefits can add significant value to your overall compensation package.
Izzat Alsmadi
Associate ProfessorTexas A&M University San Antonio
Computer Science
What will help Software Testers increase their earning potential?
Izzat Alsmadi: The market is very large, make your deep analysis on top trending jobs, their pays and requirements, unlikely to have high paying jobs for fresh graduates with extra skills, certificates, etc.
Rebecca Allen
Mount St. Joseph University
Special Education And Teaching
What general advice would you give to a Software Tester?
Rebecca Allen: AI, for sure. I have heard it said that AI might not replace humans, rather humans who know how to use AI well may replace humans who don't.
What will help Software Testers increase their earning potential?
Rebecca Allen: I'd suggest that you hop in to coding and just get started. Even a tiny bit helps. Python is a very popular language, and free to download (Python.org). Once you download, there are some many ways to start learning coding. My personal favorites are Mimo and LearnPython.org. You can also ask ChatGPT for suggestions-remember that ChatGPT can often help your write and explain simple code. Don't understand something? Ask ChatGPT!
Travis Mandel Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorUniversity of Hawaii at Hilo
Department of Computer Science
What soft skills should all Software Testers possess?
Travis Mandel Ph.D.: Although computer science seems like a highly technical field, soft skills are really what differentiates software engineers. One of the most important qualities of any software engineer is explaining their code clearly at various levels of technical depth and explaining why certain design decisions were made. You could write code that does amazing things, but if that code consists of snippets you pasted from StackOverflow without really fully understanding them, it will be a huge headache for anyone who needs to come into the codebase later and maintain or update it.
Another one is asking the right questions. Imagine you are dropped into a huge codebase and asked to add a new feature (very common!). There's no time to understand everything that is going on, but on the other hand, you need to understand enough of the code to do your task effectively, which involves asking questions. A failure to ask questions will likely result in you wasting a huge amount of time working on something that is ultimately not useful, for instance, re-implementing a complex function that already exists somewhere in the codebase.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Software Testers to find work opportunities?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Computing is ubiquitous, and with more industries moving to remote work, location is becoming less critical. If the internet reaches a place reliably, computing jobs can be located there.
How do you envision technology impacting Software Testers in the next 5 years?
Dr. Stephen Frezza Ph.D.: Breadth and depth: Computing is becoming more like engineering; where the value of the product, its lifetime risks, costs, and benefits are more critical than just it's roll-out. So the engineering competencies that have always been a part of computing will become more central. Computing is also expanding; the role of data and the shift of once-research technologies (like machine learning) into production applications will continue to require computing graduates to broaden their base and continue as learners. This will cause shifts in what is considered 'fundamental' and the need for professionals to continue to hone and redevelop their technical skill sets.
Elio Rivas
Department Chair – Software Engineering & MIS Keiser University Latin American CampusKeiser University Latin American Campus.
Software Engineering and Management Information Systems (MIS) Department
What soft skills should all Software Testers possess?
Elio Rivas: All the graduates should have customer services-oriented, teamwork, emotional intelligence, patient, persistency, audacity. Negotiation skills to get better paid.
What technical skills for a Software Tester stand out to employers?
Alan Cheville Ph.D.: Technical skills stand out to employers if they are the ones their organization needs. So understanding an employer and their needs is quite important - internships are a good way to gain such understanding and build relationships. More generally being able to show that you understand the underlying theory but also have the skills to put that theory into practice along with a demonstrated capability to continue to learn on one's own are highly sought after in technical areas that are changing rapidly.
Christian Hansen Ph.D.
Professor and Department ChairEastern Washington University
Department of Mathematics
What's a day at work look like for a Software Tester?
Christian Hansen Ph.D.: In the post-pandemic era, a typical workday for a recent graduate will likely involve some form of remote work. I predict that many businesses will benefit from the reduced cost of remote infrastructure compared to the cost of maintaining brick and mortar office space. Many new graduates will continue to spend their day on a computer while collaborating in teams via Zoom and other teleconference tools. People working in disciplines that have traditionally been "on the ground" will move towards more hybrid modes of work, reducing the need for travel and participating in face-to-face meetings and training.
What experience really stands out on Software Tester resumes?
Dr. Semih Dinc: According to my experience, most companies are not looking for "straight A" students. Instead, they look for someone with real world experience in their field. A recent graduate will most likely stand out if he/she has somehow contributed real projects. This can be achieved through internships. For many students, who do not have this option, they can still stand out by sharing their "good" school projects to platforms like GitHub. This way they can show companies that they are aware of these tools, and they will be ready to adopt the new company environment.
What's a good job out of college for Software Testers?
Christopher Martinez Ph.D.: The best job you can have out of college is a job you have passion for and will set you up to advance your career. If you have always wanted to work in aerospace, then you should seek out that field from the start. I hate to see students settle for a job because of pay or because they feel they can move to their dream field later.
Dr. Phoebe McLaughlin
Professor of Statistics & Mathematics Assistant Chair of Mathematics Programs Actuarial Science and Statistics Program CoordinatorUniversity of Central Missouri
School of Computer Science and Mathematics
What technical skills for a Software Tester stand out to employers?
Dr. Phoebe McLaughlin: Most employers we work with look for candidates with experience in programmings such as Excel/VBA, Access/SQL, and others such as R and SAS. It is noted that life insurers are more likely to use SQL and SAS since their data is much bigger, while health insurers typically rely mostly on Excel and VBA.
What's a day at work look like for a Software Tester?
Kevin Treu Ph.D.: I'm least confident about answering this question. I have talked to alums about this, however, so I'll give it a go. Recent Computer Science and Information Technology grads might be surprised about the flexibility that they'll find in a typical day working a tech job. The classic 9-to-5 expectation isn't predominant any more. You'll be assigned to a team that is responsible for multiple projects. For the most part, you'll be expected to deliver those completed projects by a deadline while working and communicating effectively with your team. If you can do that best on a non-traditional schedule - working evenings, perhaps, or powering through in a marathon session and then taking some time off - most jobs are going to be fine with that. Expect to use your verbal and written communication skills! There will be lots of team meetings.
Dr. Matthew Tennyson Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Computer ScienceMurray State University
Computer Science and Information Systems
What certifications/licenses/courses can have the biggest impact for Software Testers?
Dr. Matthew Tennyson Ph.D.: A bachelor's degree in computer science is extremely valuable. It has been and continues to be one of the most valuable college degrees a student can pursue. I really think all areas of computing are in demand, but web and mobile computing might be one of the strongest. Some employers do like to see extra certifications in addition to the bachelor's degree. There are literally hundreds of certifications available in the computing industry. They all vary in the required amount of time, effort, and money. I think anything that can set a candidate apart from other candidates is valuable, and that includes any certification. I would not recommend investing thousands of dollars into additional certifications after completing a bachelor's degree, but I don't think it's a bad idea for students to pursue one of the free or lower-cost certifications that are available - especially those students who might not have strong internship experience, extracurricular activities, projects, etc. to put on their resumes. I think anything DevOps related or cloud-based like Amazon's AWS or Microsoft's Azure are especially valuable right now.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Software Testers?
Bob Sweeney Ph.D.: I don't think so but I can't predict the future. The job market in this area seems to be solidifying and there are numerous local, regional, and national employers participating in our University's career fair this semester.
What general advice would you give to a Software Tester?
Dr. Tao Ju: They are not in this alone. The opportunities are out there, but it is up to them to be proactive and take ownership of their career. They should become familiar with and use all of the resources available to them-alumni, faculty and career advisors, job search sites, mentoring programs, career fairs, professional associations, and networking events. Take advantage of their existing network and seek out ways to make further connections. Keep an eye on trends, follow news, and research companies. Dream big but be flexible. In this time of constant transition and change, graduates who can shift their plans to the conditions of the job market will have less stress and more success. Talk with companies they've never heard of and explore careers they've never considered. They might be surprised at what they find and where it leads them. Lastly, remain confident and positive. They've worked hard to get to this point and they can be rest assured that their choice to pursue engineering will pay off in the short and long run.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Software Tester job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Y. Ken Wang: The major impact on our students is the shrink of internship opportunities. Students, especially those living in rural areas are more difficult to find internships. Online internships are insufficient in terms of quantity or quality. The lack of internship opportunities a challenge to both students and their families. Students from resourceful families are less affected. But those from first generation, rural, and minority families often feel frustrated and helpless.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Software Tester job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Brock LaMeres Ph.D.: Businesses that do primarily computer-based work have not been impacted by COVID as much as trade-based businesses. They have figured out how to continue operations with the majority of their employees working from home. I feel like the types of jobs that people will hire into will have a significant "work-at-home" component. There will also be a surge in businesses trying to provide the resources for work-at-home employees.
Oliver Bonham-Carter Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorAllegheny College
Department of Computer Science and Affiliated Faculty in Integrative Informatics
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Software Tester job market given the pandemic?
Oliver Bonham-Carter Ph.D.: Pandemic has accelerated social connectivity trends using technology, including technology for remote work, and e-learning, and technology to make e-commerce more comfortable and faster. I foresee these accelerated technology trends to continue, even after the pandemic, and therefore job markets in these areas to continue to grow. Another big surge we have seen is in data analytics, which has been increasing over the last decade, and COVID-19 has spotlighted this field. I expect data analyst jobs to continue to be in demand and to grow. Also, the pandemic showed us the interconnectedness of technology with other areas. As the need to develop better solutions to fight various diseases heightens, for example, I expect jobs in biotech to grow.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Software Testers in the next 5 years?
Oliver Bonham-Carter Ph.D.: More technology and expertise to use online productivity, development, and communication technologies, is now needed to build and maintain online infrastructures to bring people together in a smaller world. The increase in demand for graduates in the areas mentioned above will result from the current dependence that the pandemic has forced upon Internet-based technologies for communications and productivity. For instance, more will likely be done online after the pandemic since companies have grown used to the convenience of organizing online meetings, working in the cloud, and completing development and scheduling tasks, using freshly-minted, online productivity technologies from GitHub, Zoom, Google Meet, and similar organizations.
In academia, conferences used to be in-person only, and so if you wanted to meet colleagues in your research area, you had to attend in person. Due to the lessons learned from conducting meetings during the pandemic, participants are encouraged to attend conferences virtually, give presentations, develop collaborations, and become involved in new and exciting projects without leaving their living rooms.
These events have grown used to this freedom to organize events, without physical boundaries, when getting people together to meet, think, and work. It is logical to perform more online work now, to be done so conveniently to include more people and more productivity, with less travel and hotels to worry about. It would seem that those who design technological innovations, permitting better communication, development, and productivity for online users will be the creators of the collaboration spaces of tomorrow.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Software Testers in the next 3-5 years?
Oliver Bonham-Carter Ph.D.: In the next few years, technologies related to artificial intelligence, data analytics, cloud computing, container-orchestration systems, and cybersecurity will continue to become more important and prominent. These technologies have the foundation to improve the quality of life in terms of health, education, fighting misinformation, creating better connections, fighting climate change, etc. IoT with smart devices connected online will continue to rise, thus producing more data, which will necessitate AI, data analytics, and security solutions. Additionally, I foresee 5G technology to play an essential role in the next few years, as e-commerce expands into autonomous delivery services. In the software engineering field, to enable fast, secure, and connected software development, technologies allowing to automate a part of that process, such as version control, containerization, and Kubernetes, will also become increasingly important.