Tester salaries

THE CONTENT OF THE ARTICLE:

Tester Salaries

Did you know that testers are the second largest category of IT specialists after developers? This is not only a prestigious and highly paid profession but also one of the most in-demand jobs – both in Ukraine and abroad. Companies regularly post new vacancies for QA MANUAL and QA AUTOMATION. In today's review, we will provide the results of the latest research on popular resources and tell you how much a tester earns in the Ukrainian IT industry. 

The average salary of a tester in Ukraine

According to the survey results of specialized IT resources, in the last six months of 2021, the salaries of Ukrainian testers of all specializations increased by 14%. The study indicates that a significant increase in income of QA specialists was noted in Lviv, as well as in smaller cities.

 

Analytical data on QA salaries for the first half of 2022 showed that they varied unevenly during this period. The median income for testers decreased by $100. Among the 4,600 respondents' questionnaires, there was an increase in income in Automation QA and General QA, while there was a decrease in Manual QA. The survey involved IT developers both staying in Ukraine and those who left the country after the full-scale invasion of russia. 

 

Another statistic is the salaries of QA testers, from Interns to Senior level. Their income increased by $38-100 and reached $1,900-2,000, while the earnings of qualified technical managers and project managers decreased by $300-500 to $4,300-$4,000. Bonuses don't affect the average salary of QA specialists, as only 25% of respondents receive them.

 

The slight decrease in QA salaries in 2022 is explained by the introduction of martial law in the country and staff reductions in some companies. However, surveys show that 79% of QA professionals did not feel a significant change in their jobs. The military conflict had a negative impact on the work of entry-level testers, of whom:

• 17% – lost their jobs;
• 29% – do not have permanent projects;
• 20% – are in search of a job. 

The reason for the increase in QA salaries is global digitization. It encourages businesses to move to user-friendly resources to increase sales of goods and services. Therefore, the tester profession will definitely be relevant in the next 10-20 years. 

 

Over the past 10 years, the income of testers has been changing unevenly. So, from 2011 to 2016, the average salary of a QA engineer decreased from $1,500 to $1,000, which is associated with the economic crisis and the outflow of specialists abroad. But from the beginning of 2017 to the second half of 2021, the salary of testers increased from $1,000 to $2,100. 

Differences in the salaries of testers in Ukraine by company type 

• Outstaffing companies are the leaders in terms of testers' pay. The average income in this segment is $2,500 versus $2,000 in the market. This amount has dropped by $100 in the last six months. Middle QA Engineer, Senior and Lead salaries have increased by $100 ($2,600), $200 ($3,600) and $400 ($4,100) respectively. These figures are generally higher than the overall market figure. 

• Outsourcing companies: the income of QA specialists in these companies stays at the level of about $2,100 per month, which corresponds to the average salary on the market. 

• Product companies: the median salary also reaches $2,100. Changes in the segment are proportional to the market and are in line with the average level. Junior salaries increased only by $50, while Middle and Senior salaries by $100.

• Startups: tester salaries are $1,300-$2,000, which is equal to the market average ($2,100). A premium was given to specialists at all levels. Junior and Middle earn an average of $2,000, and Senior and Lead earn $2,100, which exceeds the market values. 

Average salary of a tester by position  

Many companies are willing to pay 50% more to Automation QA and General QA specialists than to Manual QA. Compared to last year, the income of the first two categories increased by $215 and $200 to $3,215 and $2,800, respectively. But Manual QA tester's salary in 2022 decreased to $1,500, which is $70 less than in 2021.

 

There was an uneven growth in salaries in each specialty. For example, the earnings of General QA and Manual QA employees continue to increase, but they remain significantly lower than those of Automation QA specialists. Salaries for Middle-level testers are up $50-100, while Senior and Team Lead salaries stay the same as last year. Jobs requiring a good knowledge of English are paid higher.

Median salary of QA engineer by programming languages  

The most popular programming language is Java. It is used by 26% of testers, and 20% consider it the main language. Thus, according to the results of the last six months, the income of engineers in this direction was:

• C# /.NET – $3,200 (up $175 from 2021) at General QA;
• Java – $2,900. Those specializing in Automation QA and General QA had earnings of $3,400 and $2,775, respectively;
• TypeScript - $2,750;
• Python – $2,200, significantly lower than other testers;
• JavaScript – $50 drop.

Total Junior earnings (for all languages) also increased by $200 to $900. The drop in median salary in Automation QA also provoked a decline in JavaScript.

Average QA salary by specialty – Manual vs Automation

The question of how much a tester earns in Manual QA and Automation QA has an unambiguous answer. Of course, the labor of specialists in the second category is valued higher. At the same time, their pay differs at all stages of their careers. In contrast to Manual QA, the salary of Automation QA with experience of 6 months or more is 15-25% higher. If such a specialist works for 10-15 years, their income is doubled. 

Thus, Automation QA salaries are equal to the developers' income, while Manual QA salaries are 6% lower. This difference in salaries can be explained by the fact that Automation QA specialists account for 28%, and Manual QA – 52%, which means that high salaries reflect the labor market offer to a greater extent.

Average salary of QA Engineer by city

83% of testers work in the five largest cities of Ukraine. During the war, only 36% of them continued to work at home, and 12% went to Europe and America. Currently, 24% of QA specialists have returned to their cities, and 27% have moved to other places in Ukraine. 

 

The leader in median salaries for testers is Kyiv, even though in 2022, their income decreased by $100. If you compare the categories of specialists, the capital QA Junior salary is slightly more than $800 than in Lviv, Dnipro, and Ivano-Frankivsk (just more than $800, but it is $755). The highest QA Tech Lead salary is $4,500. 

 

The second place at the top is shared by the Lviv and Rivne regions, where the average income of specialists rose by $200. Thus, most earn Senior QA Engineers, whose salary is $3,500 (Lviv). The following cities in the ranking are Dnipro and Odesa. Earnings in Dnipro remain at the same level of $2,000, and in Odesa – they increased by $200.

 

Salaries of QA testers in Kharkiv show a negative trend. Their income is only $1,500 now, and it is $500 less compared to December 2021. Median salaries have also decreased in Zhytomyr (-$450, to $1,550) and Vinnytsia (-$500, to $1,700). These changes are related to forced migration within the country. The relocation of specialists from Kharkiv stimulated the growth of wages in Poltava, where the average income increased by $560.

 

QA salaries based on English proficiency

It is no secret that knowledge of a foreign language is welcomed in the IT sphere. The testing results over the past year have shown that the level of English proficiency among QA specialists has not changed much. The salary of Junior testers with Pre-Intermediate and Elementary levels of English is $600-$700. 

 

41% of respondents estimate their knowledge of the language as Intermediate. Thus, the income of Junior, Middle, and Senior on this indicator is $800, $1,900, and $3,175, respectively. Another 45% estimated their level as Upper-Intermediate and Advanced. The average salary at different levels ranges from $800 to $3,500. 

 

Quite naturally, the median salary of specialists with a high level of English is almost twice as high as that of their colleagues in similar positions, but with English B1 and B2. 

 

What is the salary of a male and a female QA engineer, and why is there a difference

Among test engineer respondents, 64% of men and 34% of women work in the profession. What is the salary of a QA engineer depending on gender? In fact, this factor is not of paramount importance; the employee's qualifications are much more important. The higher they are, the greater the salary gap.

For example, the salary among beginners is almost the same regardless of gender. But in the case of more experienced workers, the difference can reach $600. But do not forget that the proportion of women in Senior QA is 8% lower than men (27% vs. 35%). In contrast, 38% of Junior QA workers are women.

QA Manual salaries differ between genders: $1,600 vs $1,500. The average salary for men working in Automation QA and General QA is $3,000-$3,363, and for women, it is $2,500-$2,900. The difference in salaries also depends on the position held. For example, Automation QA and General QA have more male Team Leaders, so the average pay for men here is higher than for women. Manual QA does not have such a large variation by position, which is why the difference between the income of male and female testers is minimal.

Conclusion

Analyzing the salaries of testers in Ukraine for 2022, we can say that the median income in QA decreased on average by $100. The average income of testers depends on the city, company, specialization, and position, as well as knowledge of programming languages and level of English. The situation in the IT labor market remains stable, but the war in the country has had a negative impact on the work of young professionals.