The salary gap between manual and automation testers
An introduction to manual and automated testing
Manual testing means checking software by hand, without automated tools. Automated testing means writing and running scripts and tools that check the software for you. Both approaches have their strengths and weaknesses, but one factor that can decide which profession you choose is the salary.
What determines a tester's salary
Several factors shape what manual and automation testers earn:
- Education and experience: a degree and a track record both matter when a salary is set.
- Location: pay varies widely between countries and cities.
- Specialisation and skills: people with rare or sought-after skills can command more.
How to raise your salary as a tester
If you want to earn more as a tester, consider the following:
- Training and certification: raising your qualifications and earning professional certificates makes you more valuable in the market. Building programming skills — learning languages and automation technologies — will help you move into an automation role or become a more versatile specialist.
- Professional communities: taking an active part in testing communities and exchanging experience with colleagues can open new routes to career growth and better pay.
- Communication skills: communicating well helps you work more effectively in a team and can lead to a more senior, better-paid role.
The PASV QA Automation course
The QA Automation course at PASV trains you in testing for work at US companies. It runs for six to eight months, takes a few hours a day and consists of five classes a week. Students who complete it successfully can expect a starting salary of around $100,000 a year. Join the programme and pick up a new profession from scratch, studying in small groups with mentors to support you.
The PASV QA Manual course
The QA Manual course at PASV offers thorough training aimed at preparing software testers. It requires no experience, no technical education and no other background, and students can start looking for work as soon as two months in. The course runs for four months with classes five times a week. The programme includes practice on a commercial American project, where students learn to monitor product quality, find defects and write bug reports. By the end of the course students are fully ready to interview.
Students who complete it successfully can expect a starting salary of around $80,000 a year. Join the programme and pick up a new profession from scratch, studying in small groups with mentors to support you.
