QA Tester job description in the United States
Duties, requirements, interview questions, and a ready-to-use template so you can post your job today.
Job summary
A QA tester checks that software does what it is supposed to do before customers find out that it does not. The role designs test cases from requirements, runs manual and automated tests, reports defects with enough detail for developers to fix them, and verifies each release. For the business, a thorough tester means fewer production failures, fewer support tickets, and releases that go out with confidence.
Main duties
- Analyze requirements and user stories to identify gaps, ambiguities, and testable acceptance criteria
- Design and maintain test plans and test cases covering functional, edge, and negative scenarios
- Run manual tests on web and mobile applications across browsers, devices, and screen sizes
- Report defects with reproduction steps, expected and actual results, evidence, and severity
- Retest fixed bugs and run regression suites before each release
- Build and maintain automated tests with tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright
- Test APIs with Postman or similar tools and validate data directly in the database
- Take part in sprint planning and refinement to raise quality risks early
- Track quality metrics and report the status of each release to the team
Typical requirements
- Degree or technical training in computer science or a related field, or equivalent experience
- One or more years of experience in software testing
- Experience writing test cases and using a bug tracker such as Jira
- Basic SQL for validating data and knowledge of API testing
- Familiarity with agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban
- ISTQB Foundation Level certification is a plus
- Knowledge of a test automation framework for roles that include automation
Key skills
Salary in the United States
Based on jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months. This is a market benchmark, not an official figure.
Job posting template ready to copy
Replace the fields in brackets with your company's details.
Market benchmark: $7,915 per month (median of the jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months).
QA Tester — [Company name]
At [Company name], we are looking for a QA tester to join our product team in [City]. The person in this role will design and run tests, report defects clearly, and work side by side with developers so that every release reaches our users in good shape.
Responsibilities
- Analyze requirements and user stories to identify gaps, ambiguities, and testable acceptance criteria
- Design and maintain test plans and test cases covering functional, edge, and negative scenarios
- Run manual tests on web and mobile applications across browsers, devices, and screen sizes
- Report defects with reproduction steps, expected and actual results, evidence, and severity
- Retest fixed bugs and run regression suites before each release
- Build and maintain automated tests with tools such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright
- Test APIs with Postman or similar tools and validate data directly in the database
- Take part in sprint planning and refinement to raise quality risks early
- Track quality metrics and report the status of each release to the team
Requirements
- Degree or technical training in computer science or a related field, or equivalent experience
- One or more years of experience in software testing
- Experience writing test cases and using a bug tracker such as Jira
- Basic SQL for validating data and knowledge of API testing
- Familiarity with agile methodologies such as Scrum or Kanban
- ISTQB Foundation Level certification is a plus
- Knowledge of a test automation framework for roles that include automation
What we offer
- Salary: [Salary]
- Benefits: [Benefits]
- Location: [City]
Interested in this job? Apply today.
How to hire a QA tester
Say manual, automation, or both
Manual testing and test automation are different skill sets. A posting that asks for both without saying the proportion draws candidates who are strong in one and uncomfortable in the other.
Have candidates test something real
Twenty minutes with a simple screen, such as a login or checkout form, and the instruction to find problems shows curiosity and method. Strong testers go beyond the happy path immediately.
Read a bug report they wrote
A defect report is the main output of the job. A sample should let a developer reproduce the issue without asking questions; vague reports cost the team hours.
Look for a questioning mindset
Good testers question requirements before a line of code is written. It helps to hand the candidate a short user story and count how many clarifying questions they raise.
Avoid treating QA as a stepping stone
Some candidates apply only as a way into development. That is legitimate, but it is worth asking about career plans to know whether the role will be vacant again within a year.
Interview questions for QA tester candidates
How would you test a login form with email and password fields?
What to look for: Coverage beyond the obvious: invalid inputs, limits, security, lockouts, usability, and different browsers.
Could you describe the most important bug you found and how you reported it?
What to look for: A clear report with steps and impact, and persistence in getting it prioritized.
What would you do if a developer said the defect you reported was not a bug?
What to look for: Returning to the requirement, providing evidence, involving the product owner, and keeping the discussion professional.
How did you decide what to test when there was not enough time to test everything?
What to look for: Risk-based prioritization: critical flows, recent changes, and areas with a history of defects.
What is the difference between severity and priority, and could you give an example?
What to look for: A correct distinction between technical impact and business urgency, illustrated with a realistic case.
Which test cases would you automate first, and which would you leave manual?
What to look for: Automating stable, repetitive regression flows and leaving exploratory or frequently changing areas manual.
How did you test a feature when the requirements were incomplete?
What to look for: Asking questions, documenting assumptions, exploratory testing, and confirming expected behavior with the product owner.
What would you check when testing an API endpoint?
What to look for: Status codes, response structure, validation, authentication, error handling, and data persisted correctly.
Screen better with the Saplic ATS
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Open QA tester jobs in the United States
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Quality Assurance Specialist🏢 U.S. Army Joint Munitions Command💰 $8,189/month📍 United States💼 On-site⏰ Full Time📋 Permanent Contract🏷️ Research and Quality
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a QA tester make in the United States?
The median of the jobs posted on Saplic over the last 6 months is $7,915 per month, and the typical range runs from $6,668 to $10,341. This is a market benchmark, not an official figure.
What requirements are typical for a QA tester in the United States?
The most common ones in job postings are: degree or technical training in computer science or a related field, or equivalent experience; one or more years of experience in software testing; experience writing test cases and using a bug tracker such as Jira.
When does a software team need a dedicated QA tester?
When developers are spending significant time on bugs reported by customers, or when each release requires long manual verification that nobody owns. A dedicated tester brings method and an independent view, since people who wrote the code tend to test what they expect to work rather than what might fail.
Does a QA tester need to know how to code?
For purely manual and exploratory testing, no, although basic SQL and an understanding of how web applications work are very useful. For automation roles, programming is essential, usually in JavaScript, Python, or Java. Many teams hire a strong manual tester and support their growth toward automation over time.
How much does it cost to post QA tester jobs on Saplic?
Nothing. Posting the job is free and no credit card is required. The recruiting system for organizing the people who apply is free too.