By QualityAssuranceJobs.com Team · Published February 24, 2026
Quality assurance engineering is one of the most accessible and rewarding paths into the tech industry. Whether you’re switching careers, graduating with a tech degree, or looking to formalize skills you’ve picked up on the job, learning how to become a QA engineer is a practical goal you can achieve in months — not years.
This guide on how to become a QA engineer walks you through every step: what QA engineers actually do, the skills you need, which certifications matter, and how to land your first role.
A QA engineer ensures that software works correctly before it reaches users. That sounds simple, but the role spans a surprisingly wide range of responsibilities:
QA engineers sit at the intersection of development and product. You need to think like a user, communicate like a product manager, and troubleshoot like a developer. It’s a role that rewards curiosity and attention to detail.
What does the work actually look like? Here’s a realistic picture of a typical day:
Morning: You review the latest pull requests and check which features are ready for testing. You pull up your test management tool, update your test cases for a new checkout flow, and run your automated regression suite.
Midday: The automation suite flagged two failures. One is a real bug — a currency formatting issue on the payment page. You document it with screenshots, browser details, and reproduction steps, then file it in Jira. The other failure is a flaky test you need to fix.
Afternoon: You join a sprint planning meeting where the team discusses upcoming features. As the QA engineer, you ask clarifying questions about edge cases and acceptance criteria. After the meeting, you start writing test cases for next sprint’s work.
End of day: You run a quick exploratory testing session on the mobile app, poking at areas that automated tests don’t cover well. You find a minor UI glitch on smaller screens and log it.
The mix of manual exploration, automation, collaboration, and problem-solving is what makes QA engineering engaging day after day.
If salary is motivating you to become a QA engineer, the numbers are encouraging. The demand for QA engineers remains strong heading into 2026. As software becomes more complex and release cycles accelerate, companies need skilled testers more than ever. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects steady growth for software quality assurance roles through 2030.
Here’s what QA engineers earn in the United States:
| Experience Level | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (0–2 years) | $55,000 – $75,000 |
| Mid-level (3–5 years) | $80,000 – $110,000 |
| Senior (6+ years) | $110,000 – $145,000 |
| QA Lead / Manager | $125,000 – $165,000 |
Salaries vary significantly by location, industry, and whether the role focuses on manual testing, automation, or both. Engineers with strong automation skills consistently command higher compensation.
One of the first questions people ask when figuring out how to become a QA engineer is what skills they need. Here’s what hiring managers look for:
Software testing fundamentals. Understand the core testing types: unit testing, integration testing, system testing, regression testing, performance testing, and user acceptance testing. You don’t need to master all of them immediately, but you should understand what each one is and when it applies.
Manual testing proficiency. Before you automate anything, you need to know how to test manually. This means writing clear test cases, executing them methodically, and documenting results. Manual testing builds the foundation that makes you a better automation engineer later.
At least one programming language. Python and JavaScript are the most common choices for QA automation. You don’t need to be a full-stack developer, but you should be comfortable reading code, writing scripts, and debugging.
Test automation frameworks. Employers want to see experience with tools like Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress for web testing. For API testing, learn Postman and REST-assured. Pick one framework and learn it deeply rather than skimming several.
Version control with Git. You’ll be working alongside developers, committing test code, and reviewing changes. Git fluency is non-negotiable.
SQL basics. Many bugs live in the data layer. Knowing how to query a database to verify test results or investigate issues is a skill you’ll use daily.
CI/CD familiarity. Understanding how continuous integration and continuous deployment pipelines work — and how automated tests fit into them — sets you apart from entry-level candidates.
Attention to detail. QA engineering is fundamentally about noticing what others miss. This skill matters more than any tool on your resume.
Communication. You’ll write bug reports that developers need to act on, explain testing strategies to product managers, and advocate for quality in sprint meetings. Clear communication is essential.
Critical thinking. Great QA engineers don’t just follow test scripts — they think about what could go wrong, explore edge cases, and question assumptions.
Curiosity. The best testers are naturally curious. They wonder “what happens if I do this?” and then actually try it.
Now let’s break down the actionable path. If you’re researching how to become a QA engineer from scratch, here’s a structured roadmap you can follow.
Start with the theory. Understand what testing is, why it matters, and the different methodologies:
Free resources like the ISTQB syllabus, YouTube tutorials, and blogs from companies like Google and Microsoft cover these fundamentals well.
Before touching automation, spend time doing manual testing. Pick any web application — an open-source project, a public demo site, or even your favorite app — and practice:
This builds your testing instinct, which is the hardest skill to teach and the most valuable one to have.
Choose Python or JavaScript. Both have excellent testing ecosystems and are beginner-friendly.
Focus on: - Variables, loops, conditionals, functions - Working with data structures (lists, dictionaries) - File I/O and basic error handling - Object-oriented programming basics
You don’t need to become an expert programmer. Aim for enough fluency to write and maintain test scripts confidently.
Once you’re comfortable coding, learn a test automation framework:
Build a small portfolio project: automate tests for a public website. Cover login flows, form validation, search functionality, and error handling. Push your code to GitHub so employers can see it.
Many applications are API-driven, and testing APIs is a critical skill for any QA engineer. Learn:
API testing is often faster and more reliable than UI testing, and it catches bugs that front-end tests miss.
Ready to put your skills to work? Browse hundreds of QA engineer openings — including entry-level and remote positions — on QualityAssuranceJobs.com.
Certifications aren’t mandatory, but they signal commitment and baseline knowledge to employers — especially if you’re changing careers.
Recommended certifications for QA engineers:
| Certification | Provider | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| ISTQB Foundation Level (CTFL) | ISTQB | Universal baseline — widely recognized globally |
| ISTQB Agile Tester | ISTQB | Teams working in Scrum/Kanban environments |
| AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner | Amazon | QA roles in cloud-native environments |
| Certified Selenium Professional | Various | Automation-focused roles |
The ISTQB Foundation Level certification is the most universally recognized. It covers testing principles, test design, test management, and tool support. Many job postings list it as preferred or required.
Employers want to see what you can do, not just what you’ve studied. Create a testing portfolio that includes:
A strong portfolio compensates for lack of professional experience and gives you concrete things to discuss in interviews.
When you’re ready to apply, focus your job search:
Expect the interview process to include a mix of testing theory questions, a practical testing exercise, and possibly a coding challenge for automation roles.
Beyond the ISTQB Foundation Level, here are certifications that can accelerate your career as you gain experience:
Prioritize certifications that align with your target roles. If most jobs you’re applying to mention Agile, get the Agile Tester cert. If they emphasize automation, focus on automation-related credentials.
Understanding how to become a QA engineer is just the beginning. Once you land the role, several career paths open up:
QA Engineer â Senior QA Engineer â QA Lead. The traditional progression. You deepen your testing expertise, mentor junior engineers, and eventually lead a QA team.
QA Engineer â SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test). If you enjoy coding more than manual testing, the SDET path focuses on building test frameworks, infrastructure, and developer tools. SDETs typically earn higher salaries — check our SDET Salary Guide for current figures.
QA Engineer â QA Manager / Director. For those who enjoy leadership, this path moves toward managing QA teams, setting quality strategy, and working with leadership on engineering culture.
QA Engineer â DevOps / Platform Engineer. Many QA engineers transition into DevOps, where their experience with CI/CD pipelines, automation, and systematic thinking translates directly.
QA Engineer â Product Manager. QA engineers develop deep product knowledge and user empathy — two qualities that make strong product managers.
A key part of learning how to become a QA engineer is understanding the core testing types:
Unit testing verifies individual functions or components in isolation. Developers typically write unit tests, but QA engineers should understand them to review coverage and identify gaps.
Integration testing checks that different modules or services work together correctly. This catches issues that unit tests miss, like data format mismatches between components.
System testing validates the complete application against requirements. This is where QA engineers spend much of their time — testing the full product as a user would experience it.
Performance testing measures how the application behaves under load. Tools like JMeter, k6, and Gatling help simulate thousands of concurrent users.
Regression testing ensures that new code changes don’t break existing functionality. This is where automation pays the biggest dividends — running hundreds of tests automatically with every deployment.
User acceptance testing (UAT) is the final validation before release, typically performed by stakeholders or end users. QA engineers often facilitate UAT by preparing test scenarios and environments.
Mobile testing covers platform-specific concerns like screen sizes, OS versions, gestures, and offline behavior. If your target company has a mobile app, mobile testing experience is a significant advantage.
The QA tooling landscape evolves quickly. Here are the tools that matter most right now:
Test Automation: - Playwright — the fastest-growing automation framework. Supports Chrome, Firefox, and Safari out of the box with excellent debugging tools. If you want to become a QA engineer with strong automation skills, Playwright should be high on your list. - Cypress — popular for front-end testing with an intuitive interface and real-time reloading - Selenium — the most widely adopted framework with support for virtually every language and browser
API Testing: - Postman — the standard tool for manual API exploration and automated collections - REST-assured — Java-based API testing library popular in enterprise environments - Bruno — a lightweight, open-source alternative to Postman gaining traction in 2026
Performance Testing: - k6 — modern, developer-friendly load testing written in JavaScript - JMeter — the established choice for enterprise performance testing - Gatling — Scala-based tool popular for CI/CD-integrated performance tests
Test Management: - TestRail — dedicated test case management with strong reporting - Zephyr — Jira-integrated test management - qase.io — modern alternative with a clean UI and API-first design
Bug Tracking and Collaboration: - Jira — the industry standard for issue tracking and sprint management - Linear — increasingly popular at startups for its speed and simplicity - GitHub Issues — sufficient for smaller teams already on GitHub
CI/CD Platforms: - GitHub Actions — free for public repos, tightly integrated with GitHub - Jenkins — the most flexible and widely deployed CI server - GitLab CI — strong choice for teams using GitLab for source control
You don’t need to master all of these. Focus on one tool in each category, learn it well, and expand from there as your career grows.
If you’re transitioning from another field and wondering how to become a QA engineer without a traditional tech background, here’s what works:
Leverage your domain knowledge. Coming from healthcare? Finance? Retail? Your industry expertise is valuable. Companies in those sectors need QA engineers who understand the business context.
Start with manual testing roles. They have a lower technical barrier to entry and let you build testing fundamentals while learning automation on the side.
Network intentionally. Join QA communities on LinkedIn, Reddit (r/QualityAssurance), and local meetup groups. Many entry-level QA roles are filled through referrals.
Don’t undersell your transferable skills. Project management, documentation, analytical thinking, and communication are all directly relevant to QA engineering. Frame your experience in testing terms.
Consider a bootcamp. Several bootcamps now offer QA-specific programs that condense the path to become a QA engineer into 8 to 16 weeks. They provide structured learning, mentorship, and often career placement support. Research reviews carefully — quality varies widely.
Knowing how to become a QA engineer means also knowing what to avoid. Watch out for these common pitfalls:
Skipping manual testing fundamentals. Jumping straight to automation without understanding testing principles is like trying to write a novel before learning grammar. Manual testing builds the analytical mindset that makes your automation meaningful.
Learning too many tools at once. Pick one automation framework, one programming language, and one API testing tool. Master those before branching out. Depth beats breadth when you’re starting out.
Ignoring soft skills. Many aspiring QA engineers focus exclusively on technical skills. But the ability to write a clear bug report, communicate risk to stakeholders, and collaborate with developers is what separates good testers from great ones.
Not building a portfolio. Studying without producing tangible artifacts makes it hard to stand out in applications. Every week, push something to GitHub — test scripts, documentation, or practice projects.
Applying only to “QA Engineer” titles. Cast a wider net. “Software Tester,” “Test Analyst,” “QA Analyst,” and “Quality Engineer” are all titles that describe similar roles. Some companies use unique titles — don’t let naming conventions limit your search.
Waiting until you feel “ready.” Imposter syndrome hits hard when you’re changing careers. The truth is, most successful QA engineers felt underqualified when they applied for their first role. Apply when you’ve completed the fundamentals and have a portfolio to show — you’ll learn the rest on the job.
Do I need a computer science degree to become a QA engineer? No. You can absolutely become a QA engineer without a CS degree. Many successful QA engineers come from non-traditional backgrounds. Bootcamps, self-study, and certifications are all viable paths. What matters most is demonstrating practical skills.
How long does it take to become a QA engineer from scratch? With focused effort, you can be job-ready in 3 to 6 months. This assumes you’re studying and practicing several hours per day. Part-time learners should plan for 6 to 12 months.
Is manual testing still relevant in 2026? Absolutely. Automation handles repetitive checks, but exploratory testing, usability evaluation, and edge case discovery require human judgment. The best QA engineers combine both manual and automation skills.
What’s the difference between a QA engineer and a QA analyst? The titles are often used interchangeably. In some organizations, QA analysts focus more on test planning and documentation, while QA engineers are more hands-on with automation and technical testing. Check our QA Engineer Salary Guide for compensation comparisons.
Should I learn Selenium or Playwright first? In 2026, we recommend starting with Playwright. It’s faster, has better documentation, and handles modern web applications more reliably. However, Selenium remains widely used, so knowing both is ideal.
You now know how to become a QA engineer — the roadmap is clear. The hard part is taking action. Pick one step from this guide and start today. Learn the fundamentals. Write your first test case. Automate something small. Every expert QA engineer started exactly where you are now.
The QA engineering field is growing, the pay is strong, and the work is genuinely interesting. If you’re methodical, curious, and care about building software that actually works, this career is waiting for you.