Software Tester Salary
£27,186
Job profile for a Software Tester
esting plays an important role in development of new IT programmes and many every day products, like cars, games consoles and electronic goods. There's a saying in the industry that behind every great software developer is an equally great tester. This is because once a product reaches a certain point in its development the developers must hand it over to the tester to see if it works (or doesn't work) as it's meant to. It's your job to work as hard as you can to 'break' the new product to help the design process. You'll work closely with software designers and programme managers to understand more about what each product is meant to do, its key features and who will use it. Then you'll run functional tests, customer scenario testing, stress testing, performance testing, scalability testing and international testing. The ultimate goal is to iron out any bugs and improve the quality of the finished product. Hours and environment You'll often be working on more than one project at a time, one product in first phase testing and another in its second or final phase. This means you'll work around the demands of the project rather than the clock. If you're documenting the tests your typical working hours will be a 9am to 5pm day, but if you're running tests then it might be longer. Skills and interests Software experience and knowledge is a given to work as a software tester. You'll also need to be tactful and diplomatic to maintain a good working relationship with the software developers whose months of hard work you'll be picking apart. Other skills that employers will look for include: * A natural curiosity * A good understanding of the software development process * A good understanding of the business approach * Good judgment skills * Good writing skills (for documenting the process) * Good communications and consultancy skills * The ability to work in a team and as an individual * Good presentation skills * The ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines Entry There aren't many testing courses out there so anyone interested in getting into software testing must come from a software development background. That could be straight from university or from a relevant previous job. Employers will expect you to have excellent technical knowledge of as many programming languages and platforms as possible and have a good understanding of the software testing lifecycle. Training What training you need will depend on the technical products you are testing, and where you want to take your career in the future. Opportunities It's a buoyant market and good testers are in constant demand. There are various levels within the testing field that you can work up to - these include software test lead, software test manager, software test architect and software test designer.
- Software Tester Job Profile
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Software Tester Salary Comparison
In 2008, the average salary for this job was £21,250.The average salary in 2009 was £25,379, based on 33 respondents (a difference of 19% from the 2008 figure.
The average salary in 2010 was £28,242, based on 30 respondents (a difference of 11% from the 2009 figure.
The average salary in 2011 was £27,140, based on 35 respondents (a difference of -4% from the 2010 figure.
The average salary in 2012 was £26,395, based on 19 respondents (a difference of -3% from the 2011 figure.
The median salary for a Software Tester based on all salary survey responses is: £25,000
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About the Salary Survey Data in this survey is based on over 368,000 individual salary records. The date period for which job information was gathered varies, but is usually between 2008 - 2012. For precise date related information, custom reports may be ordered with greater granularity. Working 8 hours a day, 250 days of the year, the data suggests the hourly rate for Software Tester is £13.59.
Assorted Software Tester Salary Information
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Software Tester Salary By UK Region
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With regard to age and impact on salary for a Software Tester, a statistical average weighting (that is based on how salary varies by age and not for a specific job which may vary considerably) suggests these figures: £20,390 for a worker in their 20s, £26,643 (30s), £31,536 (40s) and £31,536 (50s).
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