CareersQA Engineer

QE

Verified Career Path

QA Engineer: Facts, Skills, and Next Paths

A QA Engineer designs and executes tests to find defects before software reaches users. Day-to-day work involves creating test plans, running manual and automated tests, documenting bugs, and verifying fixes. They collaborate with developers and business analysts to understand requirements and ensure the product meets quality standards.

QA Engineers are embedded in agile teams, working alongside developers and testers throughout the development cycle. At SAIC, they analyze complex testing problems and review work products for correctness. At NTT DATA, they define test strategies for Salesforce solutions, execute test cases across environments, and manage defect resolutions. They also use SQL for data validation and REST APIs for integration testing, and they document processes and test results.

The median salary for QA Engineers is approximately $140,000. The most requested skills in current job postings are Agile/Scrum and Quality Assurance & Testing (both 70%), followed by Automation (60%).

$110,000 – $150,800

8 resume skills

61 adjacent paths

QE

SQ

QL

TA

TW

BS

$110,000 – $150,800

Avg. Salary

18 paths

Adjacent Paths

57% avg. match

Avg. Match Score

19.6 shared skills

Shared Foundation

Live market pulse· updated 3d ago

Salary (live)

$110,000 – $150,800

median $140,000

Hiring now

10+ recent postings

Who's hiring

SAIC, GAP SOLUTIONS INC, NTT DATA, Europe & LATAM, Branch in USA, Inc.

The Skill Blueprint for QA Engineer

The core competencies employers ask for. Use them to strengthen your resume, spot gaps, and compare related career options.

In demand right nowAgile/Scrum · 70%Quality Assurance & Testing · 70%Automation · 60%Test Automation · 40%Documentation · 40%Process Improvement · 40%DevOps · 30%Unit Testing · 30%

Where Else Can QA Engineer Skills Take You?

Build toward this role and you may be building toward several others. Explore the paths that share the same foundation.

Adjacent Paths from QA Engineer

Sort by:

1

Senior QA Engineer

29 shared skills · Engineering

79%

−$25kLateral shift

2

QA Lead

28 shared skills · Engineering

75%

−$42kLateral shift

3

Test Automation Engineer

29 shared skills · Engineering

68%

−$5kLateral shift

4

Technical Writer

18 shared skills · Content

61%

−$37kCareer change

5

Business Systems Analyst

21 shared skills · Business

59%

−$21kCareer change

6

Chief Innovation Officer

1 shared skills · Executive

56%

+$204kCareer change

7

Senior Data Engineer

23 shared skills · Data

54%

+$36kCareer change

8

Business Analyst

24 shared skills · Business

54%

−$35kCareer change

9

Senior DevOps Engineer

25 shared skills · Engineering

54%

+$45kCareer change

10

Quality Assurance Manager

16 shared skills · Operations

53%

−$21kCareer change

11

Senior Technical Writer

18 shared skills · Content

53%

−$4kCareer change

12

Computer Vision Engineer

10 shared skills · Engineering

52%

+$93kCareer change

13

ABM Manager

12 shared skills · Marketing

52%

−$8kCareer change

14

Research Scientist

18 shared skills · Research

51%

−$60kCareer change

15

Continuous Improvement Manager

16 shared skills · Operations

51%

−$40kCareer change

16

Staff Software Engineer

22 shared skills · Engineering

51%

—Career change

17

Operations Analyst

21 shared skills · Operations

51%

−$35kCareer change

18

Junior Software Engineer

22 shared skills · Engineering

51%

−$8kCareer change

Showing the top 18 of 61 transitions — explore the rest via the Network map.

Why People Explore QA Engineer

High Impact Visibility

QA Engineers sit at a critical intersection in the organization. Your work directly ties to key business metrics — making your impact visible across teams and to leadership.

Resume Signal

The skills behind QA Engineer — Quality Assurance & Testing, Test Automation, Unit Testing — give you concrete language for resumes, interviews, and adjacent roles.