Learn more about the job titles, education requirements, career paths, and salaries of quality assurance (QA) analysts in India.
Quality assurance (QA) is vital for selling products, from software to medical devices. Specifically, with the proliferation of software products, the demand for QA professionals capable of assessing workflows and ensuring adherence to international regulatory standards continues to grow. Read on to take a closer look at what QA analysts do, the different career paths you can take, and how to get started.
Quality assurance analysts are responsible for testing, analysing, and ensuring the quality of software, products, and systems. They confirm that products or services meet the standards set by the company or the industry in which you work. QA has become synonymous with the software development process and technology products. However, jobs in quality assurance are available in various sectors in and out of the tech industry, including manufacturing, food and beverage, and health care.
In technical QA analyst jobs such as software quality assurance, you’ll develop and implement testing plans, create test cases and test scripts, and document your findings. You’ll also report defects and track resolutions. This may involve focus groups with customers and monitoring ongoing customer feedback to identify product issues. The main goal of quality assurance is to ensure products meet functional requirements before they reach the user.
Daily responsibilities can change depending on the industry or company you work for. Below are a few tasks you can expect to manage in most QA roles:
Planning and implementing product testing
Establishing procedures and scenarios for quality control
Reviewing products for defects and errors
Regression testing
Conducting software compatibility tests and software design reviews
Analysing test results
Assisting with product designs
Tracking progress on product issue resolutions
Ensuring that the final product is fit for its purpose
Evaluating software for release readiness and reporting defects to software developers
Driving product improvements
Analysing competitors and the current market
According to Glassdoor [1], the average base salary for a quality assurance analyst in India is ₹6,50,000 per year. The job outlook for this role remains promising. As of July 2024, Naukri lists over 22,000 job openings for QA analysts on its job platform.
Most QA analysts have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field. However, certain employers may prefer candidates with an advanced degree, which allows for higher pay. Examples of relevant degrees and graduate certificates for QA analysts to pursue include:
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of London
MBA in Business Analytics from the OP Jindal Global University
Whether you’re looking to transition into a new career or are graduating from college, certifications or certificates are a great way to enhance your resume and increase your earning potential. When considering your certification options, looking at the competencies required in your target jobs is a good idea, as well as determining which certifications best convey those skills. LinkedIn can be a good source of information and for networking.
The following are a few certificates that QA analyst employers may prefer:
Certified Scrum Master (CSM)
ISTQB Certified Tester Foundation Level (CTFL)
Certified Software Tester (CSTE)
Certified Instrumentation Specialist (CIS)
Software Testing and Automation Specialisation from the University of Minnesota
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
Certified Software Quality Engineer (CSQE)
Requirements Engineering: Secure Software Specifications Specialisation from the University of Colorado
You can develop various skills that help you perform well in a quality assurance role. Some key skills and traits for QA analysts to master include:
Expertise in a wide range of software applications as well as hardware and networking
Extensive experience in quality control
Strong programming skills
High regard for safety standards and quality control
A good understanding of business
Ability to think abstractly and see how small details relate to the bigger picture
Creative and innovative thinker
Interpersonal skills to collaborate with development teams
Knowledge of operating systems and network environments
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Strong IT skills
Keen attention to detail
Diligent and meticulous
Strong analytical skills
Problem-solving skills
A career in quality assurance can be rewarding for several reasons. The salary is above average, the job outlook is promising, and QA analysts play an essential role in businesses. Outlined below are five additional factors that underscore the significance of quality assurance:
Protecting your brand and reputation is the most important reason to invest in quality assurance. If your products or services don't meet customer expectations, it can damage your brand and make it harder to attract new business. Quality assurance can help ensure your products or services meet or exceed customer expectations.
Complying with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) is another vital reason to invest in quality assurance. ISO 9001 is the world's most widely used quality management system standard, and compliance can be a requirement for doing business in some sectors. Quality assurance can help you meet all relevant ISO standards, opening partnerships and sales opportunities.
Knowing what customers want is key to quality assurance. Understanding customer needs and expectations ensures that your company designs its products or services to meet them, which can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty and help increase sales.
By streamlining processes and eliminating waste, quality assurance can help boost efficiency and productivity levels across your organisation. This can save you time and money and free up resources for other priorities. Quality assurance can also help you develop training programmes, implement process changes, and identify areas where team members need improvement. By improving the performance of your teams, you can improve the quality of your product while reducing costs.
By investigating potential risks early in the product or project lifecycle, quality assurance can help you plan more efficiently for contingencies. Having a quality assurance plan, you can help efficiently and realistically allocate your resources to get the best results from your team.
QA analysts typically work in various industries, including health care, manufacturing, and software development. You’ll typically work in an office setting but may travel to different locations to conduct inspections or audits. You may also find work in these types of organisations:
Independent testing and QA consultancies
IT departments in large companies
Software development companies
Web development agencies
After working in a QA role and learning skills such as attention to detail and problem-solving, you may be able to move on to management positions or find opportunities in consulting or auditing. The following are some related roles and their average annual salaries:
Note: All salary information was sourced from Glassdoor in July 2024. It includes the average base salary and the reported annual additional pay. Additional pay may include profit sharing, bonuses, and commissions.
Project manager: ₹17,00,000
DevOps engineer: ₹8,80,000
Customer experience leader: ₹7,20,500
Enterprise architect: ₹34,00,000
IT manager: ₹14,50,000
Quality engineer: ₹5,80,000
Quality assurance manager: ₹20,97,698
Many job titles fall under the term quality assurance, each with its own responsibilities and requirements. Below are some additional QA roles and their average annual salaries:
Note: All salary information was sourced from Glassdoor in July 2024. It includes the average base salary and the reported annual additional pay. Additional pay may include profit sharing, bonuses, and commissions.
Quality assurance technician: ₹5,14,100
Quality auditor: ₹4,63,000
Quality assurance coordinator: ₹6,32,500
Quality assurance tester: ₹4,45,000
Quality control supervisor: ₹9,90,000
Quality analyst: ₹5,50,000
Quality assurance analysts, integral to product development, assess and prioritise trends and methodologies for enhancing product quality. Your skills as a quality assurance analyst directly impact customer satisfaction.
You can start building job-ready skills to enhance your resume today for free. Consider the Information Systems Auditing, Controls, and Assurance course through the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology on Coursera. You can learn about information security (INFOSEC), information technology (IT) management, auditing, risk management, and change management. The Google IT Support Professional Certificate teaches in-demand IT skills that can help lay the foundation for a job as a quality assurance analyst.
When products don’t meet customer expectations, or worse still, are defective, it can be costly and lead to: Unsold stock Wasted research and development (R&D) Recalls and refunds Loss of market share
It’s crucial that businesses meet industry and company standards to avoid profit loss.
Quality assurance analysts ensure that products meet customer expectations and requirements. To enjoy and thrive in quality-focused environments, you should ask yourself these questions: Do you like working with others in a team environment? Are you motivated by things being done correctly? Do you have strong communication skills? Are you detail-oriented? Do you have good analytical and problem-solving skills?
If you answered yes to these questions, this might be a career for you to pursue further.
Glassdoor. “Quality Assurance Analyst Salaries in India, https://www.glassdoor.co.in/Salaries/quality-assurance-analyst-salary-SRCH_KO0,25.htm.” Accessed 24 July 2024.
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