What does a test manager do?

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

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. They also identify the resources according to quality standards and budget limitations. A test manager oversees the technical controls of the test processes and measures the quality of tools and applications for optimal automation.

On this page

Test manager responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real test manager resumes:

Lead test team in delivery of the NAS windows product within the project schedule.
Manage and implement a successful peer-base HIV counseling & testing program for gay/bisexual men.
Lead weekly integration testing status meetings with testing team, PMO, CIO, and CFO.
Manage execution of manual and automate test cases for functional, performance, load, integration, UAT and infrastructure testing.
Create XML billing input files for the expected products in UNIX environment.
Verify the requirements in JIRA and assign test cases to the team base on the release.
Design and develop selenium WebDriver programs with Java.
Develop and validate QA processes by establishing product specifications and metrics and documenting results.
Perform manual testing including user acceptance, GUI, functional, compatibility and integration/system testing.
Develop testing approach and procedure for new ETL application.
Perform validation on the XML format billing input file.
Develop UNIX shell scripts and execute scripts and validate output.
Report defects to the development team and track defects using ALM.
Work on STS application which includes technology like Perl, C++, Sybase, Unix.
Interface with DoD customers (WPAFB & EAFB) to provide logistic and sustainment support.

Test manager skills and personality traits

We calculated that 5% of Test Managers are proficient in QA, Project Management, and Java.

We break down the percentage of Test Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:

QA, 5%
Full administration, implementation and configuration of a QA Automation infrastructure at Johnston McLamb utilizing Enterprise licensing.
Project Management, 5%
Conducted daily testing progress meetings, prioritizing defects and communicated overall testing progress to project management office and client.
Java, 5%
Test Management of a Java based e-commerce application transforming existing test plans into automated test scripts using Mercury Interactive WinRunner.
Test Plan, 4%
Developed documentation in all aspects of operational test plan development, scope of test requirements, and identification of critical issues.
UAT, 4%
Managed UAT Process and maintained testing related documentation and contributed to hands on quality assurance efforts performing all aspects of testing.
Test Cases, 4%
Peer review test cases developed by other QA team members and advice/point/discuss possible scenarios and ensure requirements are completely covered.

Common skills that a test manager uses to do their job include "qa," "project management," and "java." You can find details on the most important test manager responsibilities below.

Most common test manager skills

The three companies that hire the most test managers are:

Choose from 10+ customizable test manager resume templates

Build a professional test manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your test manager resume.

Compare different test managers

Test manager vs. Senior quality assurance analyst

Senior quality assurance analysts are responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance standards within an organization. They collect and analyze data to reinforce proposed projects, systems requirements, and business cases. These will include writing scripts and test plans to monitor errors and fixes in product and software development, operational systems, and information systems. Besides, they are also responsible for several tasks, including preparing reports and recommendations, communicating with suppliers and vendors in assessing applications, and conducting internal audits.

We looked at the average test manager salary and compared it with the wages of a senior quality assurance analyst. Generally speaking, senior quality assurance analysts are paid $1,266 higher than test managers per year.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both test manager and senior quality assurance analyst positions are skilled in qa, java, and uat.

There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, test manager responsibilities require skills like "project management," "test plan," "test cases," and "client facing." Meanwhile a typical senior quality assurance analyst has skills in areas such as "manual test cases," "selenium web," "pl/sql," and "data warehouse." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.

Senior quality assurance analysts tend to make the most money working in the finance industry, where they earn an average salary of $99,710. In contrast, test managers make the biggest average salary, $105,461, in the automotive industry.The education levels that senior quality assurance analysts earn slightly differ from test managers. In particular, senior quality assurance analysts are 0.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a test manager. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about test managers vs senior quality assurance analysts.

Test manager vs. Quality assurance specialist

A quality assurance specialist is an individual who is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and proposing measures to correct and improve a company's product. Quality assurance specialists need to outline quality assurance policies and procedures, making sure that quality standards are assured. It is important that a quality assurance specialist should have strong attention to detail and is excellent in data collection. This work may require a minimum of bachelor's degree and certification to get certified.

On average, quality assurance specialists earn a $28,854 lower salary than test managers a year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Test managers and quality assurance specialists both require similar skills like "uat," "test cases," and "user acceptance" to carry out their responsibilities.

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, test manager responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "qa," "project management," "java," and "test plan." Meanwhile, a quality assurance specialist has duties that require skills in areas such as "gmp," "patients," "fda," and "capa." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Quality assurance specialists earn a lower average salary than test managers. But quality assurance specialists earn the highest pay in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $76,157. Additionally, test managers earn the highest salaries in the automotive with average pay of $105,461 annually.Average education levels between the two professions vary. Quality assurance specialists tend to reach lower levels of education than test managers. In fact, they're 10.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about test managers vs quality assurance specialists.

Test manager vs. Quality assurance analyst

Quality Administrators are responsible for managing the quality processes of an organization. Their duties include creating data collection processes, conducting data cleansing, tracks quality milestones, and develop training programs for internal teams. They undertake daily audits, work with the quality coordinator to determine root cause, and assist with feedback and complaints. Quality administrators also write daily reports for purchase orders that are overdue, open service jobs, quotations needing to follow up, unconfirmed hires, and processed sales orders.

On average, quality assurance analysts earn lower salaries than test managers, with a $18,765 difference per year.Using the responsibilities included on test managers and quality assurance analysts resumes, we found that both professions have similar skill requirements, such as "qa," "java," and "uat.rdquo;

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from test manager resumes include skills like "project management," "test plan," "test cases," and "client facing," whereas a quality assurance analyst is more likely to list skills in "manual test cases," "selenium webdriver," "pl/sql," and "data warehouse. "

Quality assurance analysts make a very good living in the retail industry with an average annual salary of $82,227. On the other hand, test managers are paid the highest salary in the automotive industry, with average annual pay of $105,461.Most quality assurance analysts achieve a lower degree level compared to test managers. For example, they're 6.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Learn more about test managers vs quality assurance analysts.

Test manager vs. Senior quality assurance analyst/lead

A senior quality assurance analyst/lead organizes and manages a lot of quality assurance testing procedures before the release of a product or service to the public. This is considered a skilled profession requiring prior quality assurance experience and industry-specific skills or certifications. The duties and responsibilities of senior quality assurance analysts/leads depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. The job requires core skills such as strong interpersonal communication skills, a keen eye for details, and excellent time and project management skills. Also, the education requirements to qualify for the position vary depending on the industry.

Senior quality assurance analyst/leads average a higher salary than the annual salary of test managers. The difference is about $15,983 per year.While both test managers and senior quality assurance analyst/leads complete day-to-day tasks using similar skills like qa, java, and uat, the two careers vary in some skills.While some skills are required in each professionacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities, there are some differences to note. "project management," "test plan," "client facing," and "selenium" are skills that commonly show up on test manager resumes. On the other hand, senior quality assurance analyst/leads use skills like selenium webdriver, api, data validation, and dev on their resumes.In general, senior quality assurance analyst/leads earn the most working in the retail industry, with an average salary of $123,698. The highest-paying industry for a test manager is the automotive industry.In general, senior quality assurance analyst/leads hold similar degree levels compared to test managers. Senior quality assurance analyst/leads are 2.1% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.5% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs