Software Developers vs Software QA & Testers
Median pay is about $32k higher for Software Developers. Both usually start with the same education: bachelor's.
marks the higher pay or growth. Education, difficulty and the AI rows depend on what you want, so they are not marked.
| Measure | Software Developers | Software QA & Testers |
|---|---|---|
| Pay | ||
| Median pay | $135,980, higher | $104,300 |
| Entry pay 25th percentile | $105,210, higher | $80,310 |
| Experienced pay 75th percentile | $171,980, higher | $133,180 |
| Outlook, 2025 to 2035 | ||
| Projected growth | +10% Growing fast, higher | +5.7% Growing fast |
| Openings a year | 95,300 | 10,700 |
| Getting in | ||
| Typical education | Bachelor's | Bachelor's |
| Difficulty modeled | 2.2 / 5 | 2 / 5 |
| AI | ||
| Displacement risk modeled | Very high | Very high |
| AI exposure modeled, percentile | 99th pct | 100th pct |
Where the skills differ
Only Software Developers
- Active Learning
Only Software QA & Testers
- Monitoring
Both lean on critical thinking, reading comprehension, active listening, writing, speaking.
More comparisons
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Pay and outlook: BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills: O*NET 30.3. Difficulty, displacement risk and AI exposure are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.