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QA Engineer

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April 11, 2024 Updated April 18, 2025 19 minute read

The World of Quality Assurance Engineering

A Quality Assurance (QA) Engineer plays a crucial role in the software development lifecycle. They are the guardians of quality, responsible for ensuring that software products meet specified requirements and perform reliably before reaching end-users. QA Engineers participate in every stage, from initial planning to final deployment, meticulously searching for defects, inconsistencies, and potential problems.

Working as a QA Engineer can be deeply engaging. It involves a satisfying blend of analytical thinking, technical skill, and collaborative problem-solving. QA Engineers get to delve into complex systems, design clever test strategies, and ultimately contribute to delivering products that delight users. The constant evolution of technology also means there's always something new to learn and master in the field.

Core Responsibilities of a QA Engineer

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Salaries for QA Engineer

City
Median
New York
$111,000
San Francisco
$137,000
Seattle
$134,000
See all salaries
City
Median
New York
$111,000
San Francisco
$137,000
Seattle
$134,000
Austin
$154,000
Toronto
$117,000
London
£60,000
Paris
€70,000
Berlin
€67,000
Tel Aviv
₪306,000
Singapore
S$116,000
Beijing
¥160,000
Shanghai
¥340,000
Shenzhen
¥687,000
Bengalaru
₹600,000
Delhi
₹965,000
Bars indicate relevance. All salaries presented are estimates. Completion of this course does not guarantee or imply job placement or career outcomes.

Path to QA Engineer

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We've curated 24 courses to help you on your path to QA Engineer. Use these to develop your skills, build background knowledge, and put what you learn to practice.
Sorted from most relevant to least relevant:

Reading list

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A classic in the CI/CD field, this book explores the principles and practices of continuous delivery, emphasizing the importance of automating the entire software delivery pipeline to improve quality and reduce risk.
A comprehensive guide to CI/CD and DevOps, this book provides in-depth coverage of the principles, practices, and tools involved in modern software delivery.
This recent book focused specifically on Playwright, a modern web automation framework. Given the increasing popularity of Playwright as an alternative to Selenium, this book is highly relevant for contemporary web testing. It covers various aspects of Playwright, including end-to-end, API, accessibility, and visual testing.
Provides a comprehensive view of BDD and its application throughout the software development lifecycle. It goes beyond just the tools and explains the collaborative aspects of BDD, which are essential for successful web testing in an agile environment. The second edition includes integration with DevOps and large-scale Agile systems, making it highly contemporary.
Provides a comprehensive overview of domain-driven design, including best practices, tools, and techniques for designing software. It is particularly relevant for software developers who want to learn how to design better software.
Explores the DevOps movement and its impact on software delivery performance, providing insights from a study of high-performing technology organizations.
Provides a classic overview of software engineering, including essays on the challenges of building software. It is particularly relevant for software developers who want to learn how to build better software.
Provides a comprehensive overview of software construction, including best practices, tools, and techniques for building software. It is particularly relevant for software developers who want to learn how to build better software.
Practical guide specifically for web test automation using Selenium WebDriver and Java, a common combination in the industry. It's highly relevant for those looking to gain hands-on experience with automating web tests. It covers both basic and advanced concepts, making it suitable for different skill levels.
Provides a comprehensive overview of design patterns, including best practices, tools, and techniques for using design patterns in software. It is particularly relevant for software developers who want to learn how to design better software.
Another practical guide focused on Selenium WebDriver, this book provides a comprehensive approach to automating web application tests. It offers clear explanations and practical examples, making it a valuable resource for beginners and those looking to deepen their understanding of Selenium.
Provides a hands-on approach to using Selenium WebDriver with Java for developing end-to-end web tests. It covers core features and explores advanced topics such as using Docker containers with Selenium. This practical guide for those who prefer a deep dive with code examples.
Performance critical aspect of web applications. provides an excellent conceptual overview of performance testing specifically for web-based applications. It covers various types of performance testing, key indicators, and the steps involved, making it highly relevant for ensuring the responsiveness and scalability of web solutions.
Is essential for understanding how web testing fits into a modern DevOps and continuous delivery pipeline. It covers the importance of automated testing for achieving reliable and frequent software releases. While not solely focused on web testing, the principles and practices discussed are directly applicable to automating web application deployments and testing within a CI/CD workflow.
Combines Test-Driven Development (TDD) principles with web development using Python, Django, Selenium, and JavaScript. It's a practical guide for developers and testers who want to apply TDD to web application development and testing. It directly incorporates Selenium, a key tool mentioned in the course titles.
Key resource for understanding and implementing Behavior-Driven Development (BDD), a methodology often used in conjunction with web testing automation. It explains how to write executable specifications using Gherkin and Cucumber, which is directly relevant to several of the listed courses.
Given the mention of Python in several course titles, this book on pytest is highly relevant for web testing using Python. Pytest popular testing framework for Python that can be used for various levels of testing, including web application testing. serves as both a tutorial and a reference for using pytest effectively.
Offers insights into the testing practices at Google, a company known for its large-scale web applications. It provides a perspective on how testing is approached in a large, complex environment, offering valuable lessons applicable to web testing at scale. It's more suited for those with some existing testing knowledge.
Given that web development often follows agile methodologies, this book is highly relevant. It focuses on the role of testing within agile teams and how testers can effectively contribute throughout the development lifecycle. It provides practical guidance on integrating testing activities into agile sprints, which is crucial for web testing in an agile context.
Provides a detailed guide to code review best practices, including how to conduct effective code reviews, how to provide constructive feedback, and how to use code review tools. It is particularly relevant for software developers who want to improve the quality of their code reviews.
Offers a comprehensive guide to test automation, covering various techniques, practices, and design patterns. While not limited to web testing, the principles and patterns discussed are highly applicable to building maintainable and scalable web test automation frameworks. It's a valuable resource for deepening understanding of test automation architecture.
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