Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Software QA Tester
What software QA testers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a software QA tester?
Join stand-up and review stories ready for testing. From there, the day usually includes review requirements and user stories, write test plans and test cases, and run manual tests. Most work full-time; release days can bring extra hours.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a software QA tester working full time.
- Join stand-up and review stories ready for testing.
- Write test cases for a new login feature.
- Test the feature on browsers and mobile devices.
- Log a bug with steps, screenshots and logs.
- Write an automated test with Playwright.
- Run the regression suite before release.
- Verify fixed bugs and update tickets.
Where software QA testers work
Testers work in offices or remotely at computers, often testing across devices and browsers.
Hours and schedule
Most work full-time; release days can bring extra hours.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Review requirements and user stories
- Write test plans and test cases
- Run manual tests
- Build and maintain automated tests
- Report and track defects
- Verify fixes and run regression tests
- Help improve quality processes
Tools you’ll use every day
- Selenium, Playwright or Cypress
- Jira
- Postman for API testing
- TestRail or similar tools
- Browser developer tools
- CI pipelines
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Entry point into software
- Detail-focused, problem-solving work
- Remote-friendly
- Automation skills pay well
What’s hard
- Repetitive manual testing
- Release-day pressure
- Being the bearer of bad news
- Must keep learning tools
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I notice small details
- I like breaking things to find problems
- I can explain problems clearly
- I’m patient with repetitive work
- I want to get into software
- I like learning tools
Not sure? Take the free Software QA Tester fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Use test data, not real customer data
- Protect test credentials
- Take screen breaks
- Follow release procedures