QA analyst: job description

QA analyst : Salaries | Employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills

Quality assurance analysts – also known as test analysts, software testers and games testers – test digital products to make sure they are reliable and fully functional before they are released to customers.

Typical duties include:

• creating test plans.
• using test plans to assess functionality, performance, reliability, stability and compatibility with other systems.
• testing that bespoke products meet clients’ requirements.
• diagnosing faults.
• using test plans to hunt down and fix software bugs.
• looking for ways to prevent bugs from occurring in the first place.
• checking for incorrect language usage and incorrect formatting.
• reporting findings of their assessments to developers so they can be addressed.

Some QA analysts are also involved in ensuring products are translated correctly and are culturally compatible with the target market.

Graduate salaries

According to the UK Government, starting salaries for QA analysts tend to be around £24,000. Earnings rise with experience and additional responsibility (such as managing others and leading teams): you could earn up to £50,000 in this role.

Typical employers of QA analysts

• Games developers.
• Travel companies and airlines.
• Entertainment companies.
• Publishers and media companies.
• Government departments.
• Banks and financial institutions.
• Retailers.
• Construction firms.

With experience, you could become self-employed and choose the clients, products or sectors you’d prefer to work for.

Jobs are advertised on targetjobs and via careers services. You’ll also see vacancies on specialist jobs boards.

Qualifications and training required

Both graduates and school leavers can become QA analysts. Graduates tend to need a degree in a STEM subject, although it does not have to be IT-related.

Key skills for working as a QA analyst

• Knowledge of a broad range of software applications and of hardware and networks.
• Strong programming knowledge.
• Mathematical skills.
• Problem-solving skills .
• A good understanding of business .
• Ability to think in the abstract and see how small details fit into the bigger picture.
• A creative mindset – and the ability to approach a problem creatively.
• Good communication skills , both written and verbal.
• Strong IT skills.
• A meticulous approach to work.
• Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of IT systems.