The Entry-Level Quality Assurance Salaries That Bootcamp Grads Earn

Demand for quality assurance (QA) engineers_{How to Become a QA Engineer} is growing_{Is Quality Assurance a Good Career?} as software development and use not only increases but also becomes much more complex. 

But it’s not just stability that makes this job appealing for many. The work itself can be incredibly rewarding and creatively challenging. Not to mention, the salary potential_{QA Specialist: Career Opportunities and Salary Potential} is in line with, if not greater than, other tech roles out there — and yes, for entry-level folks, too. The best part is that anyone can break into QA engineering with the right training and mentality.

What is quality assurance, anyway?

QA engineer salaries by specialization

There are several routes you can take in QA engineering, all of which are lucrative_{3 Lucrative Careers Within the Quality Assurance Industry} in both the short and long term. Here are some of the most common entry-level jobs in the industry.

QA analyst

Average entry-level salary: $62,218 a year

QA analyst is many people’s starting point into the world of quality assurance, mainly because a lot of QA analyst roles don’t require knowing how to write code (although programming expertise can still be valuable for starting and moving along this path). Rather, QA analysts bring to the table a background in data analysis, research, problem solving, and/or analytical thinking, as well as a keen eye for detail.

Manual QA tester

Average entry-level salary: $56,984 a year

Manual QA testers do just as their name suggests — they manually test and debug code without the assistance of automated tools or systems. They can either conduct white-box testing, where they’re involved in the actual coding and backend development of the software, or black-box testing, where they experience the software for the first time, much like a user would. 

QA automation engineer

Average entry-level salary: $77,323 a year

QA automation engineers use and build tools to automate the testing and updating of software. As a result, they typically have a bit more experience with and knowledge of programming languages like Python or C#. They might also be familiar with tools such as Selenium for web applications, Appium for mobile app development, and Postman for APIs.

Cloud QA engineer

Average entry-level salary: $83,806 a year

Many companies work and develop software in the cloud for security, efficiency, and/or convenience — and they need quality assurance engineers to help them do so without issue. In addition to knowing how to write and test code, knowledge of cloud computing software and frameworks is key for this job.

Software development engineer in test (SDET)

Average entry-level salary: $104,157 a year

SDETs are the bridge between software developer and QA engineer, meaning they can write code but also test it for errors. They’re especially handy to have around because they know exactly how tech gets built and can apply that knowledge to improvements or new releases — and their unique skill set can command a hefty income. To become an SDET, you should focus on refining your programming expertise as well as your familiarity with automation tools and frameworks.

QA engineer salaries by industry

It may surprise you to know that QA engineers work across industries. This is because, for obvious reasons, tech permeates basically everything we do nowadays — and the more secure and seamless we can make that tech through quality assurance, the better we can be at, say, treating patients, solving climate change, or protecting people’s financial data.

Here are some examples of QA engineering work in action:

Education

Average entry-level salary: $66,044 a year

Educational institutions, from preschools to nonprofits to colleges, are increasingly using software to track student performance, delegate administrative tasks, accommodate disabilities or learning deficiencies, and elevate research. QA engineers can play a vital role in improving technology that helps people learn and grow.

Finance

Average entry-level salary: $72,159 a year

So many financial transactions today are done online, remotely, and across software platforms, whether we’re making a purchase at our local store, checking our credit card statement, or sending someone a virtual check. QA engineers for finance, financial services, and fintech companies ensure that these transactions happen smoothly, correctly (think: compliance regulation), and away from bad actors, hackers, or fraudsters.

Healthcare

Average entry-level salary: $71,476 a year

Our medical information is just as, if not more, valuable to us than our financial information. QA engineers ensure that software for doctors, hospitals, insurance providers, and other healthcare organizations protects people’s personal data and simultaneously makes it easy to pull important records or analyze scans. In addition, the work of QA engineers also sees to the smooth functioning of gathering test results, contacting physicians, and making crucial healthcare decisions.

Marketing

Average entry-level salary: $68,962 a year

Digital marketing, media, and communication today run on software — social media apps, email tools, ad platforms, you name it. And as we all know, these programs can break or cause chaos when overloaded or poorly constructed. QA engineers help tech companies build marketing software that’s reliable, accessible, and usable, and they ensure the tech functions as marketing companies leverage or adopt that software.

Getting specific: Our grads’ results

Our research shows that 87% of those who enroll in TripleTen’s QA bootcamp land a role within six months of graduating, and 91% of those positions are full time. When they enter the program, our students are making around $40,000 a year — that jumps to $67,000 upon completion, on average.

And our comprehensive skills_{The Top 5 Soft Skills Every QA Engineer Needs} training was something Pedro Fierros_{Refashioning a Career in IT: Pedro Fierros’s TripleTen Story} appreciated. He signed up for our Quality Assurance Bootcamp in the hopes of honing his coding expertise. It paid off with a new IT job, as well as a stronger grasp on automation, which helped in “saving a lot of time both from a technician perspective and an end-user perspective,” he said.

Is quality assurance right for you?

TripleTen’s QA Engineering Bootcamp can be completed in just five months, on a schedule that’s best suited to your lifestyle and learning ability. In our program, you’ll attend digestible lessons, apply your knowledge hands-on over a series of projects, gain access to tutors, coaches, and other industry experts, and come away with a portfolio of work to show off to dream employers.

If you’re still unsure whether you should pursue QA engineering, take our two-minute career quiz to discover the best tech profession for you!