Quality Assurance Analyst jobs are found in various fields, from IT to Software Development and even human resources. A Quality Assurance Analyst is someone who ensures that the product that comes out of the development side is free of bugs, errors and other problems. They perform tests either manually or by automated software testing tools such as Selenium.
The average salary for a Quality Assurance Analyst is $51,000. A quality assurance analyst has to be highly organized and able to multitask in an environment with high pressure. This position requires knowledge of quality control, particularly in production processes and testing methods. The QA analyst tests procedures and products, preparing reports that include recommendations for improvement.
A Quality Assurance Analyst is responsible for providing statistical quality control, data collection and analysis that supports manufacturing process improvement. This position also analyzes customer complaints and performs statistical process control functions. A Quality Assurance Analyst can expect to earn a median annual salary of $52,744 as of May 2011.
Salary For Quality Assurance Analyst Overview
If you’re considering a career in quality assurance, it’s important to know what kind of salary to expect.
Quality assurance analysts are in high demand, and the salaries for entry-level positions can be quite competitive. According to PayScale, the average entry-level QA analyst makes $72,865 per year—but the range of salaries is wide, from $37,000 to $105,000 annually.
What factors affect how much a quality assurance analyst makes? The size of the company has a big impact on pay; companies with fewer than 100 employees tend to pay more than those with more than 1,000 employees. However, if you’re willing to work for a smaller company, there’s plenty of opportunity for growth because smaller firms often start with just one or two employees and then grow rapidly as their business expands.
In addition to location and company size, your education level also affects how much you’ll earn as an entry-level QA analyst. In general—and contrary to popular belief—a bachelor’s degree won’t always get you higher wages than an associate’s degree or even no college at all! It depends on what kind of work you do after graduation; if you choose an industry that requires more.
What Is The Average Quality Assurance Analyst Salary In Baltimore, MD?
The average quality assurance analyst salary in Baltimore, MD is $79,000 annually. The average hourly rate for a quality assurance analyst is $37.98/hr. This compares to the national average quality assurance analyst salary of $77,112. Below, we break down the average quality assurance analyst salary in Baltimore, MD by the highest paying companies and industries. You can also compare different types of quality assurance analyst salaries in and around Baltimore and a salary history chart that shows how the average salary for quality assurance analysts has changed over time in Baltimore.
What does a QA analyst do?
QA stands for quality assurance, which gives you a pretty big hint about the job duties that come with this career. QA analysts work to ensure high-quality, standard products in all sorts of industries, from food to medical devices. In the tech world, QA analysts typically focus their work on software testing.
“QA analysts are the specialists that assess the functionality of software and look for any bugs and issues,” says Vladlen Shulepov, CEO at mobile and web development company Riseapps.
Quality assurance is a stage that occurs many times in the software engineering process to ensure that the final product is free of errors. “The most common duty of a QA analyst would include running the code to see if it works correctly and is usable on various devices,” Shulepov says.
Any problems are then thoroughly documented and reported back to the development team to be fixed. This cycle is repeated until the product is ready for the end user. Other aspects of the quality assurance job description include developing testing procedures, maintaining databases of known defects, monitoring bug resolutions and providing feedback on overall functionality and usability.
Where do QA analysts work?
Tech companies that develop apps and other software have an obvious need for QA analysts, but they’re not the only industry making use of these detail-oriented professionals. We consulted data from Burning-Glass.com to find the top ten industries hiring for QA analysts:2
- Computer systems design services
- Restaurants
- Management, scientific and technical consulting services
- Software publishers
- Aerospace product and parts manufacturing
- Depository credit intermediation
- Insurance carriers
- Architectural and engineering services
- Scientific research and development services
Do some of these industries come as a surprise? Software is essentially just a tool, and those tools can be used in a huge variety of contexts. Quality assurance is needed in any field that uses software—which is just about all of them! That’s good news for aspiring QA analysts, who may have the opportunity to tailor their career toward fields that interest them.
How do you become a QA analyst?
You have a pretty good idea about what it means to be a QA analyst. Now you need to know how to become one!
Shulepov shares that it’s possible to enter this career by teaching yourself the necessary skills, but that route can come with considerable challenges. “It won’t be as easy to find a job afterward, unless the candidate is very determined.”
The data from Burning-Glass.com agrees. Our analysis of 78,944 QA job postings reveals that 81 percent of job postings were seeking candidates with a bachelor’s degree.3
But what kind of degree do you need to become a QA analyst? For those looking to go specifically into software testing, a degree in Computer Science can lead to a rewarding career as a QA analyst. A Computer Science degree program can help equip you with the skills needed to understand the fundamentals of software development while also building the competencies needed to effectively navigate a collaborative development environment.
What qualities do the best QA analysts possess?
“Attention to detail and excellent problem-solving skills are very important for any QA analyst,” Shulepov says. Without a sharp eye for detail, quality assurance workers could miss errors that lead to issues with the final products.
That’s not the only quality that comes in handy in this career. Take a look at the data from Burning-Glass.com for the top transferrable skills employers want to see in their QA analysts.
Top transferrable skills for QA analysts2
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Writing
- Planning
- Problem solving
- Troubleshooting
- Attention to detail
- Organization
- Research
Maybe you already recognize your own natural skillset in the list above. That’s a sign you could do well in this career field! However, some specific technical skills are also requirements for this position. “Domain knowledge and understanding of different technologies, frameworks, and libraries make a true quality assurance expert,” Shulepov says.
Pair those soft skills with these in-demand technical skills to check all the boxes of qualities that quality assurance pros need to possess.
Top technical skills and tools for QA analysts2
- Quality assurance and control
- Selenium
- SQL
- Java®
- Software development
- Software testing
- Atlassian JIRA®
- Automated testing
- Python®
- Scrum (project management strategy)
Quality Assurance Analyst’s Salary
| Percentile | Annual Salary | Monthly Salary | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| Average | $77,112 | $6,426 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
