Career comparison
Software Developer vs. Software QA Tester
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Software developers earn more at the median ($135,980 vs. $104,300), while software QA testers usually get to work faster (6 months–4 years of training). Software developers design, build and improve the apps and systems people use every day. Software QA testers find bugs before users do by testing software thoroughly.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Software Developer | Software QA Tester | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $135,980 ($65.38/hr) | $104,300 ($50.14/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $82,460 – $214,670 | $61,440 – $167,010 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +10.2% (much faster than average) | +5.7% (faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 95,300 | 10,700 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Bachelor's degree |
| Training time | 4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio | 6 months–4 years |
| Key credential | AWS Certified Developer – Associate | ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level |
| Work setting | Developers work in offices or remotely, mostly at computers, collaborating through chat, video and code review tools.. | Testers work in offices or remotely at computers, often testing across devices and browsers.. |
What each job does
Software Developer
- Gather requirements and design software features
- Write clean, maintainable code
- Write and run automated tests
- Debug and fix defects
- Review code and collaborate in version control
Software QA Tester
- Review requirements and user stories
- Write test plans and test cases
- Run manual tests
- Build and maintain automated tests
- Report and track defects
How they’re similar
Both careers involve working with information, desk work, problem-solving, and working independently. Both are part of the technology field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose software developer if…
- I love solving puzzles
- I enjoy building things with code
- I can focus for long periods
Choose software QA tester if…
- I notice small details
- I like breaking things to find problems
- I can explain problems clearly
Still torn? Take the Software Developer fit quiz and the Software QA Tester fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, software developer or software QA tester?
Software Developers earn more at the median: $135,980 versus $104,300 for software QA testers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Software QA Testers typically train faster (6 months–4 years) than software developers (4 years or bootcamp plus portfolio).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects software developers to grow +10.2% from 2025–35, compared with +5.7% for software QA testers.