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What is Software Testing?
Software testing is the process of checking whether software meets customer requirements and ensuring that the software product is free from defects. It involves the execution of software components using manual and automated tools to evaluate various properties.
For example, when an app is launched, the developer sends a piece of software for software testing. During testing, the software is subjected to various kinds of tests while keeping the users in mind. Thanks to these testing methods, users can experience flawless software at the time of the launch of the app.
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What Does a Software Tester Do?
A software tester plays a crucial role in the process of a program being created for a client. The tester works as a part of the quality assurance department. The tester receives software programs at various stages of production and puts these programs through various tests, documenting the software programs’ response to those tests.
For example, a developer is making an application that handles customer payments. When the coding part of the application is completed, that code is sent to a software tester, who then runs various manual and automated tests on that application, ranging from checking if it runs in slower connections to checking if it is updating the account balance correctly. These tests are known as test cases. The application is sent to production only if it passes all the test cases set by the software tester.
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Software Tester Salary in India
The salary of a software tester in India depends on various factors. The main factor is a professional’s skills. If a professional is highly skilled and has good knowledge of software testing, then they can get paid well, even if they are just starting their career.
If a software tester wants to earn more than the basic pay, then they must have some experience. Working at a top-tier software company and the location of employment can also impact the salary of a software tester.
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Average Salary of a Software Tester
The average salary of a software tester is ₹3.5 LPA, according to PayScale. This figure can lie in the range of ₹1.80 LPA to ₹7.81 LPA, depending on the various factors mentioned above.
If you want to earn more with less experience, make sure you get an offer from a top software company in a location with a high cost of living.
Factors Affecting Software Tester Salary in India
The four main factors affecting software tester salary are:
- Company
- Location
- Experience
- Skills
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Software Tester Salary by Company
The top recruiters for the software tester role are HCL Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services, and Cognizant. The highest salary is reported at Accenture where the average pay is ₹7.41 LPA. Other companies that offer high salaries for this role are Infosys and Wipro at ₹5.27 LPA and ₹5.14 LPA respectively.
According to Glassdoor, the freelance software tester’s salary in India is between ₹2.14 LPA and ₹5.06 LPA.
| Company Name | Salary |
| IBM | ₹410,000 |
| Accenture | ₹741,000 |
| Tata Consultancy Services | ₹378,000 |
| Infosys | ₹527,000 |
| Wipro | ₹514,000 |
| HCL | ₹437,651 |
| Cognizant | ₹512,451 |
Are you wondering what the salary of a certified software tester is in different cities in India? We will discuss that in the next section.
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Salary by Experience
We are now going to take a look at how the average salary of a software tester varies based on experience.
| Experience | Salary |
| Entry-level (Less than a year) | ₹207,000 |
| Early Career (1–4 years) | ₹342,000 |
| Mid-career (5–9 years) | ₹615,000 |
| Experienced (10+ years) | ₹976,000 |
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Salary by Location
The salary of a software tester in India varies depending on the location. This is because the cost of living varies greatly in India. The following section discusses the salaries offered to software testers in various Indian cities.
| City | Experience | Salary |
| Bengaluru | Freshers | ₹207,000 |
| Experienced | ₹992,000 |
| New Delhi | Freshers | ₹147,000 |
| Experienced | ₹705,000 |
| Pune | Freshers | ₹189,000 |
| Experienced | ₹817,000 |
| Mumbai | Freshers | ₹158,000 |
| Experienced | ₹681,000 |
| Hyderabad | Freshers | ₹172,000 |
| Experienced | ₹571,000 |
| Chennai | Freshers | ₹178,000 |
| Experienced | ₹610,000 |
Now, coming to other cities, on average, a software tester in Chandigarh can earn 26 percent more than the national average. In Surat, the average salary of a software tester is 29 percent more than the national average. The average salary of a software tester in Coimbatore is 13 percent more than the national average. The salary of a software tester in New Delhi is 14 percent less than the national average. The salary of a software tester in Kochi is seven percent less than the national average.
For a clear picture of these facts, please refer to the image below:
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Salary by Skills
Software testers skilled in ETL have seen a 181 percent increase in their salaries. Similarly, software testers skilled in Python have seen a 127 percent increase in their salaries. Software testers with skills in quality assurance have seen a 64 percent increase in their salaries. Software testers with integration testing and database skills have seen less increase in their salaries when compared to other skills.
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Salaries as per Software Testing Skills
Skills in black box testing can offer a software tester an average salary of ₹3.67 LPA. Selenium automated test tool skills can fetch a software tester an average salary of ₹3.95 LPA. Skills in integration testing can offer a software tester an average salary of ₹3.93 LPA. The skills that pay less than other skills are system testing and acceptance testing.
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Forge a career in software testing by mastering relevant skills, gaining hands-on experience, industry trends to ensure software quality and reliability.
If you have some additional skills, apart from the above-mentioned skills, you can work in other job profiles as well, which can pay you similarly or even better. A software engineer can, on average, earn between ₹2.66 LPA and ₹10 LPA. A senior software engineer can, on average, earn between ₹4.9 LPA and ₹20 LPA. A QA Engineer can, on average, earn between ₹1.9 LPA and ₹8.65 LPA. A software developer can, on average, earn between ₹2.15 and ₹10 LPA. A senior software developer can, on average, earn between ₹4.36 LPA and ₹20 LPA.
The figures mentioned in the above image show the salary figures offered to software testers in India based on various factors. Now, coming to the United States, the average annual salary of a software tester is US$56,927; and the average annual salary of a software tester in the United Kingdom is £24,823.
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Conclusion
In this era, everyone is adopting some kind of software to make their day-to-day lives easier. To make this software bug-free, there is always a need for software testers. Some companies also introduce Bug Bounty Program from time to time. Therefore, you can enter or switch to this highly sought-after field. If you have good analytical skills, communication skills, testing skills, knowledge of tools, and great time management skills, then this job is meant for you.
If you are interested in learning software testing and the various tools used in it, then you can check out Intellipaat’s latest offering—Software Testing Course. If you are interested in earning a master’s certification, then go for the Test Architect Master’s Course from Intellipaat. You can get in-depth knowledge of software testing with these courses and start your career as a software tester.