Money · 1 of 5

What software testers make

Median

$104,300

Junior tester

$61,440

Senior automation or lead

$167,010

The national median is $104,300 a year, and the bottom tenth start near $61,440. The federal survey counts quality assurance analysts and testers as a separate occupation from developers, and it pays somewhat less at every level, which is the honest trade for a slightly easier way in.