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QA Engineer

A QA Engineer makes sure software works as intended before it reaches users. They design test plans, write manual and automated tests, and hunt for defects, edge cases, and regressions. The role protects quality and user trust, giving teams the confidence to release quickly by catching problems early and clearly documenting them.

Responsibilities

Design test plans and cases from requirements
Run manual and exploratory testing
Write and maintain automated tests
Report, track, and verify defects
Test across devices, browsers, and edge cases
Advocate for quality throughout development

Must-have skills

Strong testing methodology and attention to detail
Test automation (Selenium, Cypress, Playwright)
Bug tracking and clear defect reporting
Understanding of the software development lifecycle
Basic scripting or programming

Nice-to-have skills

API and performance testing
CI/CD integration of tests
Mobile testing
Security testing basics

Average Salary

Typical US base salary for an HR Generalist by experience level.

Junior

0–2 yrs experience

$70,000 – $92,000
US annual salary (USD)

Intermediate

0–2 yrs experience

$92,000 – $120,000

US annual salary (USD)

Senior

0–2 yrs experience

$120,000 – $160,000

US annual salary (USD)

Figures are annual US market estimates for orientation, not offers. Actual pay varies by location, company stage, and equity.

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Frequently asked questions

What does a QA Engineer do?
They test software to find defects before release, using a mix of manual testing and automated tests, and work with developers to get issues fixed.
Is QA a good entry point into tech?
Yes, it is a common entry path. Many QA engineers later move into automation, development, or product roles.
Manual vs automated testing: which matters more?
Both. Automation handles repetitive checks efficiently, while manual and exploratory testing catches issues automation misses. Strong QA engineers do both.
Do QA Engineers need to code?
Increasingly yes, at least enough to write automated tests. Pure manual roles still exist but automation skills raise your value.

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