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Profession JRI–32 / Technology

Will AI replace qa testers?

The exposure and the outlook pull hard against each other. The usage data shows one of the most automation-heavy profiles among the roles we track, automation about 76% of observed use, as code-generating models and test frameworks write and run suites at scale.

The risk spectrum — where QA Tester sits
QA Tester vs the 83 other jobs
Risk rank32 / 84
Automation timeline2-5 years
Median salary$104,300
Projected growth+10.0% (2024–34)
01 / Your plan

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What you'll learn
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Updated Sep 21, 2026

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02 / Job market

Official outlook: still growing.

Within the 84 professions
Salary$104,300
$31k$171k
Growth+10.0% (2024–34)
-25.9%33.5%

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a +10.0% change in employment for this occupation between 2024 and 2034, from a current base of 186,740 people employed earning a median of $104,300 a year.

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–34 & OEWS May 2025.

03 / Real salaries

QA Tester salaries by city

Median pay from real records (H-1B filings and tech job postings), across the cities with most observations.

Austin$105,602Plano$92,275Irving$89,440San Jose$144,000Atlanta$100,000Charlotte$95,000

Range shows p25–p75; the dot is the median. Sources carry a documented bias — see the full salary page.

See real salaries →

04 / How to enter

How to become a qa tester.

Typical preparation

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Education

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations.

Job training

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Getting in is one thing — the day-to-day runs on a specific set of tools and skills:

Foundations
Core skills
Tools

Full skill path with courses →

07 / FAQ

What people ask.

01Will AI replace qa testers?
Automation currently accounts for 76% of observed use in this profession, yet employment is still set to rise 10.0% by 2034. The high risk level signals that manual, repetitive testing is most exposed, while strategy and complex-systems work remain for humans, with median pay at $104,300.
02How soon or how fast could that happen for QA Testers?
The shift is expected to unfold over 2-5 years, with assessed risk sitting at 65. Pressure will concentrate on manual and repetitive testing, as code-generating models and test frameworks write and run suites at scale. Roles that own quality for complex systems are less exposed.
03What skills keep QA Testers relevant?
To stay relevant, focus on test-automation architecture and AI-assisted test design, both listed with high demand. Quality strategy and risk analysis are medium-demand skills. These areas let a tester design test plans and probe failures that automated suites cannot reason about on their own.
04How does someone become a QA Tester, or what preparation is needed?
A four-year degree is the usual expectation, but some employers accept other backgrounds. Entry-level strength in reading comprehension, active listening, and critical thinking is rated high, and these skills support the tasks of designing test plans and documenting defects.
05What related roles could QA Testers pivot to?
Related roles include Software Engineers, with risk score 30, and Programmers, with risk score 40. Other titles in the same family are Solutions Architect, Technical Support Engineer, Implementation Specialist, and Quality Analyst.
06Is QA Tester a good career to start in 2026?
Starting in 2026 involves both promise and caution. Median salary sits at $104,300, and the employment count is expected to rise 10.0% by 2034 across 186,740 workers. Yet automation exposure is high — 76% of observed use is already automated — so new entrants should prioritize skills like test-automation architecture.
07What tools and tasks do QA Testers use?
Day-to-day work spans designing test plans, scripts, or procedures and documenting software defects using a bug tracking system. Common tools include Selenium, C#, JavaScript, Microsoft Azure software, and Amazon Web Services (AWS) software.