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Career comparison

QA engineer vs. Software engineer

Software engineers earn more: a median of $135,980, $31,680 (30%) above QA engineers at $104,300.

Software engineers have the stronger outlook: +10% projected growth through 2035, vs. +6%.

Getting in is faster for QA engineers: about 8 months vs. 16 months for someone with a bachelor's in another field.

QA engineerSoftware engineer
Median pay$104,300$135,980
Top 10% earn over$167,010$214,670
Growth to 2035+6%+10%
Openings per year10,70095,300
Jobs today187,6001,717,800
Typical entry educationBachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
Time to qualify*8 months16 months
Training cost*$0–$5.3K$0–$21K

* Starting from a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025. Outlook: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35.

Pay

QA engineer

$104,30010% earn under $61,440 · middle half $80,310–$133,180 · top 10% over $167,010

Software engineer

$135,98010% earn under $82,460 · middle half $105,210–$171,980 · top 10% over $214,670
Bar: middle 50% of workers. Line: 10th to 90th percentile. Dot: median. BLS OEWS, May 2025, national.

Switching from one to the other

Set your education and current pay. The calculator lays out the path, what it costs, and the year it starts paying off.

QA engineerSoftware engineer

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Getting in

QA engineer

Entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
None
Prior experience
None

Required: No license; ISTQB certification optional

Software engineer

Entry education
Bachelor's degree
On-the-job training
None
Prior experience
None

Required: No license; technical interviews are the gate

What the work is like

QA engineerSoftware engineer

Dealing with the public

Rarely
Constantly

Unpleasant or angry people

Rarely
Constantly

Time pressure

Rarely
Constantly

Cost of a mistake

Minor
Severe

Freedom to make decisions

Little
A lot

Repeating the same tasks

Rarely
Constantly

Time sitting

Rarely
Constantly

Time standing

Rarely
Constantly

QA engineer: 41% usually work over 40 hours a weekSoftware engineer: 8% usually work over 40 hours a week

Average worker ratings, 1 to 5. O*NET 31.0 work context survey.

QA engineer: core tasks

  • Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.
  • Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.
  • Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
  • Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.
  • Document test procedures to ensure replicability and compliance with standards.

Software engineer: core tasks

  • Analyze user needs and software requirements to determine feasibility of design within time and cost constraints.
  • Develop or direct software system testing or validation procedures, programming, or documentation.
  • Confer with systems analysts, engineers, programmers and others to design systems and to obtain information on project limitations and capabilities, performance requirements and interfaces.
  • Modify existing software to correct errors, adapt it to new hardware, or upgrade interfaces and improve performance.
  • Prepare reports or correspondence concerning project specifications, activities, or status.

Skills: what carries over

Both rely on: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Critical Thinking, Programming, Complex Problem Solving, Systems Evaluation.

New for a QA engineer moving to software engineer: Judgment and Decision Making, Active Learning, Systems Analysis, Technology Design.

New for a software engineer moving to QA engineer: Speaking, Writing, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis.

Interests (Holland codes): QA engineer: Investigative, Conventional, Realistic. Software engineer: Investigative, Conventional, Realistic.

Outlook to 2035, and AI

QA engineer

+6%

about as fast as average · 10,700 openings a year

Occupational substitution, capital/labor substitution - share decreases as some tasks move to software developers as companies increasingly integrate their testing into their software development processes, and as some testing tasks are automated by artificial intelligence (AI).

Software engineer

+10%

faster than average · 95,300 openings a year

BLS lists no specific factors, including AI, changing demand for this job.

Quoted notes: BLS Employment Projections, factors affecting occupational utilization (Table 1.12). Average growth across all jobs: +3.5%.

Questions people ask

Who makes more, a QA engineer or a software engineer?

Software engineers earn more: a median of $135,980, $31,680 (30%) above QA engineers at $104,300.

Which has the better job outlook?

Software engineers have the stronger outlook: +10% projected growth through 2035, vs. +6%.

How long does it take to become a software engineer?

For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 16 months, with tuition of roughly $0 to $20,500. Required: No license; technical interviews are the gate.

How long does it take to become a QA engineer?

For someone with a bachelor's degree in another field, about 8 months, with tuition of roughly $0 to $5,300. Required: No license; ISTQB certification optional.

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