A career in IT is highly valued in today’s job market. For those who want to enter the field without extensive programming skills, becoming a quality assurance professional, also known as a software tester, is an excellent option. This role often pays just as well as some similar-grade coding positions and is generally easier to learn.
However, getting the necessary introduction to the field from scratch still requires time and money for training courses and certifications. To make this investment worthwhile, aspiring QA specialists should aim to complete their training efficiently so that their future salary quickly offsets the initial costs. Below, we examine the key upfront expenses involved in QA training.
Quality Assurance as a Line of Work
Quality Assurance (QA) is a process of checking if a developing or finished product meets the agreed requirements and works properly. The main goal of QA is to test the program for bugs, unintended interactions, errors in code, and other issues. Good QA ensures happier customers, smoother workflow, and can often give a company an edge over its competitors.
QA is often confused with testing, but they are not the same. QA covers the entire development process, including reviewing requirements, planning tests, tracking issues, and reporting results. Testing is just one part of QA and focuses on checking the software itself for errors and problems.
Training Courses and Learning Platforms
Almost every career path, in IT and otherwise, is now accessible via online learning platforms. There is a wide range of providers offering online courses, and most of them have “Quality assurance specialist” or “Quality tester”. Beginner courses vary in length: from 20-30 hours to about 100 hours or more. There are also advanced courses and exercises to help more experienced or mid-level specialists improve their qualifications.
The cost of training depends on the platform, the time required, and the complexity level. Costs can range from $100 for a beginner online course to $1,000 or more for advanced training or a comprehensive program that includes practical job experience.
You may also need to obtain a formal certification if it isn’t included as part of the training course. QA tester certification costs can vary from around $100 for basic exams like ISTQB Foundation Level to several hundred dollars for advanced or specialized tests like CSTE ($350-$420).
Tools for QA Professionals and Their Pricing
To fully develop the skills and perform the actual job of QA testing, you need a set of utility tools. Those are used for running the programs you are testing, sometimes across different platforms, and for managing development and testing overall.
Some companies provide their employees with conditional but unlimited access to most of those essential tools. However, if you are still in the process of educating yourself to actually become a QA tester, you might need independent access. If you opt for a paid online training course, it should also offer at least the bare minimum of software needed. Always check whether access to the tools used in training is included in the course package; otherwise, you’ll need to pay for them separately on top of the initial cost.
Most of the tools required for QA practice are offered on a subscription basis. For example, Cypress, a popular choice, has a free plan, but the pro version costs $67/month. You may need one or more paid versions for your future projects.
Overall Costs for Beginner Essentials
The upfront costs of getting QA and testing skills for modern software development can vary. Even when using a platform with fixed access fees, you often need additional courses or must pay for advanced software. Approximate costs for the essential starting steps are as follows:
| Item | Price | Length (if applicable) |
| Beginner training course | $100-$200, sometimes less if a subscription-based service is used | 2-3 months |
| Advanced training / bootcamp | $500-$1000 | 1-4 weeks |
| Essential tools | About $50 a month for a pro-level program used (usually need several) | N/A |
| Certification | $100-$500 | Within 1-2 days |
To summarize, the costs vary depending on how deep you are willing to delve into the subject from the get-go, but they are noticeable even at the lowest level.
If you believe that QA testing is your thing, it might be a good idea to save up for a training course and the programs beforehand. Some beginners get help from family and friends, and others choose to work extra hours at their previous job. Some aspiring QA professionals choose early career money assistance to fund their training. Once you complete the courses and start working in QA, you can earn enough to repay anyone who helped you, recover the used savings, or pay off any loans within a relatively short time.
Free Opportunities for QA Beginners
In addition to paid courses, you can get some beginner skills for free. There is a lot of information available online, including: YouTube courses, roadmaps, forums like subreddits, and more. Exploring these resources is valuable for finding additional reading material and advice from fellow learners.
Some people even manage to acquire a profession almost entirely by using free courses and publicly available resources, but a formal certificate is still generally required to start working. If a paid training package includes certification, it can be worth the investment. At the same time, free resources remain a valuable way to learn.
Cost-Benefit Estimation for Entering Software Testing as a Profession
QA testing is a promising path to becoming an IT specialist without the steep skill requirements demanded by some other IT fields. Learning this profession is a great way to enter the world of IT without the necessity to code all day, every day. QA testing as a concept is easy to grasp for most PC or mobile users, since anyone who encounters bugs or unintuitive apps naturally wants them fixed. And as a trained professional, you can focus on enhancing user experience and get paid well for it.
The median salary for US QA specialists is about $70,000, with junior positions paying around $40,000-$50,000. With experience and advancement, salaries at larger companies can reach approximately $100,000. The cost of entry pales in comparison, with a beginner training course around $200 and an additional $200-$300 for software subscriptions.
Learning the QA profession is highly rewarding when approached with dedication. One more piece of advice is to keep your current day job in the beginning and dedicate evenings and weekends to training. This way, you will have more money, obviously, and something to fall back on while searching for your first QA tester job.
About the Author
James Hichens, an MIT graduate with a background in computer science, is a business consultant and expert in UI and customer satisfaction. He helps companies improve software quality, streamline product launches, and enhance the user experience. James uses his IT and consulting experience to guide beginners in building successful QA careers.
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