Occupation Summary

Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

O*NET 15-1253.00

Description:

Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.

Annual Wages:
$105,699.00
Employment Rate:
Employment is expected to increase by 40.82%.
Education Level:
Bachelor's Degree. According to O*Net, the majority of people employed in this occupation have this level of education.
Endorsement:
Business and Industry, Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM)

  1. Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
  2. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation.
  3. Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
  4. Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
  5. Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
  6. Monitor bug resolution efforts and track successes.
  7. Create or maintain databases of known test defects.
  8. Plan test schedules or strategies in accordance with project scope or delivery dates.
  9. Participate in product design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules, or potential problems.
  10. Review software documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, or completeness, or to mitigate risks.
  11. Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.
  12. Develop or specify standards, methods, or procedures to determine product quality or release readiness.
  13. Update automated test scripts to ensure currency.
  14. Investigate customer problems referred by technical support.
  15. Install, maintain, or use software testing programs.
  16. Provide feedback and recommendations to developers on software usability and functionality.
  17. Monitor program performance to ensure efficient and problem-free operations.
  18. Conduct software compatibility tests with programs, hardware, operating systems, or network environments.
  19. Install and configure recreations of software production environments to allow testing of software performance.
  20. Collaborate with field staff or customers to evaluate or diagnose problems and recommend possible solutions.
  21. Identify program deviance from standards, and suggest modifications to ensure compliance.
  22. Design or develop automated testing tools.
  23. Coordinate user or third-party testing.
  24. Perform initial debugging procedures by reviewing configuration files, logs, or code pieces to determine breakdown source.
  25. Visit beta testing sites to evaluate software performance.
  26. Evaluate or recommend software for testing or bug tracking.
  27. Conduct historical analyses of test results.
  28. Modify existing software to correct errors, allow it to adapt to new hardware, or to improve its performance.
  29. Recommend purchase of equipment to control dust, temperature, or humidity in area of system installation.
  30. Store, retrieve, and manipulate data for analysis of system capabilities and requirements.


National Industry Employment Patterns


Industry % of Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers employed Annual Growth Rate
Computer systems design and related services 32.3 2.29
Software publishers 9.8 2.19
Employment services 5.3 1.15
Insurance carriers 4.5 1.63
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services 3.3 1.94
Scientific research and development services 2.2 1.72


Labor Market Information


2024 Statewide average hourly wage $50.82
2024 National average hourly wage $53.01
2022 National employment 200,800
2022 Texas employment 17,352
Texas projected employment by 2032 24,435
Texas projected annual employment and Turnover openings through 2032 1,980




TEXAS COUNTY MAP BY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AREA
* Due to confidentiality rules, not all regions may have the data displayed. The sum of all the regions may not be equal to the state total.


Top 10 Relevant Knowledge Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Computers and Electronics
Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
88.20%
English Language
Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
75.80%
Mathematics
Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
65.80%
Engineering and Technology
Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
65.40%
Design
Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
60.00%
Education and Training
Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
57.60%
Customer and Personal Service
Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
53.40%
Administration and Management
Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
49.00%
Administrative
Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
48.20%
Telecommunications
Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
44.20%


Top 10 Relevant Skill Areas Relevant Importance Levels
Reading Comprehension
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
80.00%
Active Listening
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
77.60%
Speaking
Talking to others to convey information effectively.
77.60%
Critical Thinking
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
77.60%
Writing
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
75.00%
Monitoring
Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
72.40%
Programming
Writing computer programs for various purposes.
72.40%
Quality Control Analysis
Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
67.60%
Complex Problem Solving
Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
67.60%
Systems Evaluation
Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
65.00%


Top 10 Relevant Abilities Relevant Importance Levels
Problem Sensitivity
The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
80.00%
Deductive Reasoning
The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
80.00%
Inductive Reasoning
The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
80.00%
Oral Comprehension
The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
80.00%
Written Comprehension
The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
80.00%
Oral Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
80.00%
Written Expression
The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
77.60%
Information Ordering
The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
75.00%
Near Vision
The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
72.40%
Speech Recognition
The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
65.00%


  • Working with Computers
    -- Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Getting Information
    -- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
    -- Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Processing Information
    -- Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
    -- Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Other Activities


  • Achievement
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
  • Working Conditions
    - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.



Tools

Central processing unit CPU processors: Graphics processing unit GPU; Multi-core central processing unit CPU;

Computer servers: Application servers; Computer servers;

Desktop computers: Desktop computers;

Digital cameras: Digital cameras;

Flash memory storage card: Flash disks;

High end computer servers: Directory servers;

Integrated circuit testers: In circuit emulators ICE; Logic analyzers;

Mainframe computers: Supercomputers; Mainframe computers; Mainframe operating systems;

Network routers: Computer network routers;

Notebook computers: Laptop computers; Notebook computers;

Personal computers: Personal computers;


Technology

Access software: Citrix cloud computing software; PuTTY;

Accounting software: Tax software;

Administration software: Software distribution management software;

Analytical or scientific software: Simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis SPICE; SAS; StataCorp Stata; The MathWorks MATLAB; Data analysis software; Dynamic modeling software; IBM SPSS Statistics; MathWorks Simulink; Minitab;

Application server software: Oracle Application Server; GitHub; Docker; VMWare ESX Server; Spring Boot; Red Hat OpenShift; Red Hat WildFly; Oracle WebLogic Server;

Backup or archival software: Veritas NetBackup; Backup and archival software;

Business intelligence and data analysis software: IBM Cognos Impromptu; Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition; MicroStrategy; Tableau; Qlik Tech QlikView;

Cloud-based data access and sharing software: Slack; Microsoft SharePoint; Google Drive; Dropbox;

Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation; IBM WebSphere; Splunk Enterprise;

Clustering software: VMware;

Communications server software: IBM Domino;

Computer aided design CAD software: Autodesk AutoCAD; Bentley MicroStation; Dassault Systemes CATIA;

Computer based training software: Moodle;

Configuration management software: IBM Rational ClearCase; Deployment software; Chef; Configuration management software; Automated installation software; Visible Razor; Revision control software; Red Hat Ansible Engine; Puppet; Patch management software; Perforce Helix software;

Content workflow software: Twiki; Workflow software; Emerald Software Group Emerald Green Office;

Customer relationship management CRM software: Blackbaud The Raiser's Edge; Oracle Eloqua; Salesforce software;

Data base management system software: SAP Adaptive Server Enterprise; Relational database management software; Oracle PL/SQL; Talend Big Data Integration; Teradata Database; Structured Query Report SQR; NoSQL; MySQL; MongoDB; Microsoft transact-structural query language T-SQL; Apache Cassandra; Apache Flume; Apache Oozie; Apache Pig; Apache Solr; Apache Sqoop; Amazon Data Pipeline; Amazon DynamoDB; Amazon Kinesis; Apache Hadoop; Apache HBase; Elasticsearch; Computer Associates integrated data management system CA-IDMS; Data definition language DDL; Data manipulation language DML; Distributed database management software;

Data base reporting software: DataVision; Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services SSRS; Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer; Oracle Business Intelligence Suite; Oracle Reports; SAP Business Intelligence; SAP Crystal Reports;

Data base user interface and query software: Oracle JDBC; Structured query language SQL; Transact-SQL; Oracle Database; Microsoft SQL Server; IBM DB2; IEA Software Emerald; Microsoft Access; FileMaker Pro; Apache Hive; Amazon Redshift; Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2; Amazon Web Services AWS software; ADO.NET; Airtable; Blackboard software;

Data mining software: Google Analytics;

Desktop communications software: Skype;

Desktop publishing software: Microsoft Publisher; Adobe InDesign;

Development environment software: Adobe ActionScript; Ada; A programming language APL; ABC Compiler; American National Standards Institute ANSI C; Algorithmic language ALGOL; Apache Ant; Bigloo Scheme; Beginner's all-purpose symbolic instruction code BASIC; AWK; B-Method; Apache Kafka; Apache Maven; Apache Subversion SVN; Formula translation/translator FORTRAN; Forth; Gambit Scheme; Event-driven State-machines Programming; Embarcadero JBuilder; Embedded systems development software; Eclipse IDE; Computer On-line Real-time Applications Language CORAL 66; CruiseControl; Common business oriented language COBOL; C; Call-processing language CPL; Canu; Microsoft .NET Framework; Microsoft Visual Basic; Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications VBA; Microsoft Visual Basic Scripting Edition VBScript; Microsoft Visual SourceSafe; Microsoft Visual Studio; Microsoft Windows SDK; Microsoft Azure software; Microsoft ESP SDK; Microsoft PowerShell; National Instruments LabVIEW; MUMPS M; Go; Haskell; IBM Rational ClearQuest; List processing language LISP; Integrated development environment IDE software; Interface definition language IDL; IBM Rational Rose XDE; Interstate connection ICON; J; ICON programming language; JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA; Scheme; Restructured extended executor REXX; Ruby; Oracle Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition J2EE; Pascal; Programming language one PL/I; Prolog; Verilog; String oriented symbolic language SNOBOL; Symantec Visual Cafe; Xcode; XML Path Language XPATH; Web application software; Web service definition language WDSL;

Device drivers or system software: Microsoft DirectX;

Document management software: Document management system software; Adobe Acrobat;

Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook; Microsoft Exchange; IBM Notes; Google Gmail;

Enterprise application integration software: IBM InfoSphere DataStage; Jenkins CI; Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services SSIS; Atlassian Bamboo; Enterprise application integration EAI software; Extensible markup language XML; Oracle Fusion Middleware; SAP NetWeaver;

Enterprise resource planning ERP software: SAP software; SAP Business Objects; Oracle Hyperion; Oracle PeopleSoft; Oracle PeopleSoft Financials; Oracle JD Edwards EnterpriseOne; Enterprise resource planning ERP software; Microsoft Dynamics; Microsoft Dynamics GP; NetSuite ERP; Oracle Fusion Applications;

Enterprise system management software: IBM Power Systems software;

Expert system software: Ansible software;

File versioning software: Git; Version control software;

Filesystem software: File server software;

Financial analysis software: Oracle E-Business Suite Financials; Delphi Technology;

Geographic information system: ESRI ArcGIS software; Geographic information system GIS software;

Graphical user interface development software: Graphical user interface GUI builder software; Graphical user interface GUI design software; Salesforce Visualforce;

Graphics or photo imaging software: SmugMug Flickr; Trimble SketchUp Pro; GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP; JamBoard; Open Graphics Library OpenGL; Adobe Creative Cloud software; Adobe Photoshop; Adobe Illustrator;

Human resources software: Human resource management software HRMS;

Industrial control software: Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software;

Information retrieval or search software: LexisNexis; Apache Avro;

Instant messaging software: Blink; GroupMe;

Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox; Microsoft Internet Explorer; Apple Safari; Web browser software;

Internet protocol IP multimedia subsystem software: Voice over internet protocol VoIP system software;

Medical software: Epic Systems;

Metadata management software: Talend Data Fabric; Quest Erwin Data Modeler;

Network conferencing software: LogMeIn GoToWebinar;

Network monitoring software: Nagios; Wireshark;

Network operation system software: IBM z/OS operating systems;

Network security and virtual private network VPN equipment software: Network intrusion detection software; Firewall software; Virtual private networking VPN software;

Object or component oriented development software: Swift; R; Python; Oracle Java; Perl; Smalltalk; Scala; Simple API for XML SAX; SAP PowerBuilder; Distributed component object model DCOM software; Eiffel; E++ pattern language; Embarcadero Delphi; Document Object Model DOM Scripting; C#; C++; Collaborative Application Markup Language CAML; Common Lisp Object System CLOS; Component object model COM software; Component-based Scalable Logical Architecture CSLA; Apache JMeter; Apache Groovy; Apache Spark; Apple Cocoa; Advanced business application programming ABAP; ABC: the AspectBench Compiler for AspectJ; Acresso InstallAnywhere; Modula; Objective C; Objective Caml; Oberon; Microsoft ActiveX; Microsoft Visual Basic.NET; Microsoft Visual C# .NET; jQuery; Jupyter Notebook;

Object oriented data base management software: Hibernate ORM; PostgreSQL;

Office suite software: LibreOffice; Microsoft Office software;

Operating system software: Microsoft Windows Server; Microsoft Windows; Operating system shells; KornShell; Linux; Magellan Firmware; Job control language JCL; IBM AIX; Hewlett Packard HP-UX; Apple macOS; Bash; Cisco IOS; Disk operating system DOS; Postman; QNX; Red Hat Enterprise Linux; Real time operating system RTOS software; Oracle Solaris; Shell script; VMWare Workstation; Ubuntu; UNIX; UNIX Shell; Win CE; Wind River Systems VxWorks; Wind River VxWorks;

Platform interconnectivity software: Migration software;

Portal server software: Apache HTTP Server;

Presentation software: Microsoft PowerPoint; Google Slides;

Process mapping and design software: Microsoft Visio;

Program testing software: Migration testing software; Mutation testing software; NUnit; Hewlett Packard LoadRunner; Hewlett-Packard HP QuickTest Professional; Hewlett-Packard HP TestDirector for Quality Center; Hewlett-Packard HP WinRunner; IBM Rational PurifyPlus; IBM Rational Robot; Interoperability testing software; Integration testing software; JUnit; Load testing software; Borland SilkTest; Bugzilla; Debugview; Defect tracking software; Dynamic analysis software; ej-technologies JProfiler; FitNesse; FileMon; Functional testing software; Fault testing software; Watir; YourKit Java Profiler; Usability testing software; Unit testing software; System testing software; Test design software; Test implementation software; TestNG; Stress testing software; Static analysis software; Security testing software; Selenium; SmartBear Software AutomatedQA TestComplete; Source code editor software; RegMon; Regression testing software; Recovery testing software;

Project management software: Oracle Primavera Enterprise Project Portfolio Management; Atlassian Confluence; Atlassian JIRA; Microsoft Team Foundation Server; Microsoft Teams; Microsoft Project;

Requirements analysis and system architecture software: IBM Rational RequisitePro; Requirements management software; Unified modeling language UML;

Spreadsheet software: Google Sheets; Microsoft Excel;

Storage networking software: Amazon Simple Storage Service S3; Storage area network SAN software;

Transaction security and virus protection software: Anti-spyware software; Antivirus software; Encryption software; NortonLifeLock cybersecurity software; McAfee;

Transaction server software: IBM Middleware; Object Management Group Object Request Broker; Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS); Customer information control system CICS; Web server software;

Video conferencing software: Zoom; Cisco Webex; FaceTime; Google Meet; LogMeIn GoToMeeting;

Video creation and editing software: Loom; Flipgrid; Adobe After Effects; YouTube; Screencastify;

Web page creation and editing software: Social media sites; Adobe Dreamweaver; LinkedIn; Google Sites;

Web platform development software: Google Angular; Hypertext markup language HTML; LAMP Stack; Microsoft Active Server Pages ASP; JavaScript; JavaScript Object Notation JSON; Microsoft ASP.NET; Microsoft ASP.NET Core MVC; Node.js; Adobe Flex; AJAX; Allaire ColdFusion; Backbone.js; Apache Tomcat; Apache Struts; Extensible stylesheet language transformations XSLT; Ext JS; Extensible hypertext markup language XHTML; Enterprise JavaBeans; Cascading style sheets CSS; Dynamic hypertext markup language DHTML; Drupal; Django; RESTful API; Ruby on Rails; Oracle JavaServer Pages JSP; PHP; React; Spring Framework;

Word processing software: Evernote; 3M Post-it App; Microsoft OneNote; Microsoft Word; Google Docs;


Related O*NET occupational titles for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers include:
  • 15-1299.07 Blockchain Engineers
  • 17-2061.00 Computer Hardware Engineers
  • 15-1251.00 Computer Programmers
  • 15-1211.00 Computer Systems Analysts
  • 15-1299.08 Computer Systems Engineers/Architects
  • 15-1243.00 Database Architects
  • 15-1299.05 Information Security Engineers
  • 15-1299.04 Penetration Testers
  • 15-1252.00 Software Developers
  • 17-2112.02 Validation Engineers


Sources of Additional Information
  • For more information about software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers, visit: Association for Computing Machinery
  • Association for Software Testing
  • IEEE Computer Society
  • Computing Research Association
  • CompTIA
  • For information about opportunities for women pursuing information technology careers, visit: National Center for Women & Information Technology
  • For career videos on software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers, visit: Software developers, applications
  • Software quality assurance analysts and testers
  • Software Developers
  • Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

  • Contact Texas Workforce Commission
    Labor Market and Career Information  |  101 E. 15th Street, Annex Room 0252  |  Austin, Texas 78778
    Official Website  |  1-800-822-PLAN (7526)  |  512.936.3200

    ** The information in this report may be derived from many sources like O*NET, BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics), OOH (Occupational Outlook Handbook), and Career One Stop.