How to hire a test program manager

How to hire a test program manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step test program manager hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a test program manager job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new test program manager
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your test program manager job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a test program manager for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A test program manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, test program managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of test program managers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Test Program Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Test Program Manager		$38-67
   Quality Analyst	Pumpers are individuals who take responsibility for setting the pumping system controls for product maximization. Their job requires them to set density, concentration, rate, and pressure... Show more	$26-44
   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... Show more	$27-44

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Life Cycle
   • SQL
   • Test Coverage
   • Status Reports
   • QA
   • Various Testing
   • Test Strategy
   • Java
   • End-To-End Testing
   • End Testing
   • Mobile Testing
   • SharePoint
   • Test Cases
   • QTP

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead development of custom quoting tool build in Salesforce from requirements definition to implementation.
   • Utilize Unix shell scripting to maintain the bug tracking database.
   • Conduct vendor audits for performance, process issues, and ROI.
   • Assist in creation and testing of programs using Java, HTML and C++ languages.
   • Plan & track regression testing, system and performance testing for worldwide development efforts.
   • Create and modify FRB & BRD in SharePoint and provide support during document sign off cycle.

   More test program manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your test program manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A test program manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, test program managers' average salary in oklahoma is 36% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level test program managers earn 43% less than senior-level test program managers.
   • Certifications. A test program manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a test program manager's salary.

   Average test program manager salary

   $107,287yearly

   $51.58 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level test program manager salary

   $81,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 19, 2026

   Average test program manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$141,602	$68
   2	District of Columbia	$117,411	$56
   3	Washington	$113,377	$55
   4	Massachusetts	$112,244	$54
   5	Texas	$109,633	$53
   6	Nevada	$109,465	$53
   7	Maryland	$109,174	$52
   8	New Hampshire	$107,909	$52
   9	New Jersey	$106,946	$51
   10	Connecticut	$106,873	$51
   11	Oregon	$105,731	$51
   12	New York	$104,376	$50
   13	Ohio	$101,999	$49
   14	Georgia	$100,986	$49
   15	Louisiana	$100,354	$48
   16	Wyoming	$99,492	$48
   17	Illinois	$99,242	$48
   18	Minnesota	$97,303	$47
   19	North Dakota	$93,299	$45
   20	Nebraska	$92,572	$45

   Average test program manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$150,341	$72.28	314
   2	Square	$132,767	$63.83
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$131,305	$63.13	147
   4	URBN	$127,683	$61.39	2
   5	Fairview Health Services	$126,562	$60.85	1
   6	Intuit	$124,188	$59.71	23
   7	Alight Solutions	$118,203	$56.83
   8	Allison Transmission	$116,272	$55.90	3
   9	Obsidian Solutions Group	$115,136	$55.35	6
   10	PEAK6	$114,791	$55.19
   11	Block and	$112,685	$54.18	7
   12	R3 Strategic Support Group	$110,203	$52.98
   13	Blue Origin	$108,862	$52.34	54
   14	CDC Foundation	$107,704	$51.78	5
   15	SQS USA Inc.	$106,867	$51.38
   16	Northrop Grumman	$105,632	$50.78	260
   17	Intel	$102,549	$49.30	4
   18	Princeton University	$101,606	$48.85
   19	Lockheed Martin	$98,661	$47.43	384
   20	DISH Network	$97,462	$46.86

4. Writing a test program manager job description

   A test program manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a test program manager job description:

   Test program manager job description example

   NVIDIA is leading the way in groundbreaking developments in Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing and Visualization. The GPU, our invention, serves as the visual cortex of modern computers and is at the heart of our products and services. Our work opens up new universes to explore, enables amazing creativity and discovery, and powers what were once science fiction inventions from artificial intelligence to autonomous cars. NVIDIA is looking for extraordinary people like you to help us accelerate the next wave of artificial intelligence.
   
   We are now looking for a motivated Garage & Test Track Build Program Manager to use your creativity to work on the autonomous vehicle program with the highly inventive and knowledgeable team. We are looking for your expertise in garage facility, IT, or track design to complement our team.
   What you'll be doing:
   Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including facilities, operations, engineering, external vendors, and other partners to successfully build garages and test tracks Gather and consolidate requirements on garages and test tracks, including capacity, equipment, infrastructure, and IT from stakeholders Monitor, measure, and communicate project progress, risks / issues, and schedule updates
   
   What we need to see:
   Bachelor's degree in construction science and management, engineering architecture, business administration, civil or structural engineering, or a related degree (or equivalent experience) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) preferred6+ years of construction or IT experience
   
   Ways to stand out from the crowd:
   Experience and ability to work in a fast-paced environment with high quality performance Familiarity with construction, IT infrastructure, and development of proving grounds Must be able to travel - within the US and internationally Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) Working knowledge / experience using Microsoft Office
   
   NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers. We have some of the most brilliant and talented people in the world working for us. If you're creative and autonomous, we want to hear from you.
   
   NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right test program manager for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   To find test program manager candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit test program managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   If your interviews with test program manager applicants aren't enough to make a decision, you should also consider including a test project. These are often the best, most straightforward, and least bias-prone ways of determining who will likely succeed in the role. If you don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new test program manager

   Once you've found the test program manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new test program manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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