QA lead vs QA manager vs test lead: what the titles mean
561 lead-level QA postings compared by title: tools asked, years, remote work and posted US pay for QA lead, QA manager and director.
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Insights / PassRidge Research
The QA market, measured.
18 analyses of QA hiring, pay, tools and Flex work. Every number is computed from 3,863 public job postings, posted pay ranges and PassRidge's own task data, with the sample size next to it.
- Public postings analysed
- 3,863
- Posted pay ranges
- 3,686
- Countries covered
- 50
- Data snapshot
- 20 Oct 2026
All analyses
Browse by topic
Manual tester to automation engineer: pay jump and skills
What changes when a manual QA tester becomes an automation engineer: posted pay, tool lists and skills, from 1,379 manual and 1,023 automation postings.
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QA tester vs QA engineer vs QA analyst: what titles mean
What the word in a QA job title really signals: role, tools, remote work and posted US pay for tester, engineer, analyst and SDET in 3,098 postings.
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QA resume keywords: the tools 3,863 job postings name
The tools that QA postings name most, by role, level, country and industry, from 3,863 public postings. A keyword list for a QA engineer resume.
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AI evaluation work: skills, tools and pay
96 public QA postings are AI evaluation roles and 149 mention AI in the title. Where they are, what they ask for, and what Flex tasks and posted ranges pay.
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Which countries post the most QA roles? A count of 3,863 postings
United States has 29% of 3,863 public QA postings; the top five countries hold 61%. Countries, regions, cities and the most common role.
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Playwright vs Selenium vs Cypress: demand in 3,863 QA job postings
Playwright, Selenium and Cypress compared across 3,863 public QA job postings: share by role, level, industry and country, and how often they overlap.
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Remote vs on-site QA roles by country: 3,863 postings compared
22% of 3,863 QA postings are remote. See the remote, hybrid and on-site split by country, role, level and contract type, with sample sizes.
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Flex work for QA: how 3-4 hours a day works, and what it pays
PassRidge Flex tasks run 3-4 hours a day for 1-8 weeks, $15-110 an hour by type. How the hours add up, what is paid, and who it fits.
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Moonlighting policies: what to check before taking Flex tasks
A five-clause checklist for taking side QA tasks next to a job, and the weekly-hours arithmetic: a 40-hour job plus Flex is 55-60 hours.
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Accessibility testing careers: demand, skills and pay
Only 13 of 3,863 public QA postings name accessibility in the title. What drives demand, the skills to learn, Flex audit pay and a route in.
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Pay transparency laws and QA job ads: who publishes a range?
Only 16% of 3,863 QA postings publish a pay range: 31% in the US and 9% elsewhere. How the laws differ and what to do.
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How to hire a QA engineer in 14 days: a day-by-day plan
A 14-day plan from brief to signed offer for a QA automation hire, with the 1,381 competing postings, tool counts and pay budgets from public data.
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QA outsourcing models compared: five options, one table
Five QA outsourcing models side by side: starting rates from $34 an hour, start times of 7-21 days, minimum terms and when each one fits.
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SDET interview process: what to expect, stage by stage
The five stages of a typical SDET interview and what 358 SDET job postings ask for, with a four-week preparation plan and common mistakes.
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Junior QA jobs: how many entry-level roles exist?
Only 7% of 3,863 public QA postings are junior. See entry-level roles by role and country, the real experience asked for and the tools to learn.
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SDET vs QA automation engineer: titles, stacks and pay
How 358 SDET and 1,023 QA automation postings differ in titles, tool stacks, seniority, work mode and posted US pay, with sample sizes.
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By topic
Six topics, one method
Career 7
Entry routes, interview stages and specialist paths for QA engineers.
- QA lead vs QA manager vs test lead: what the titles mean
- Manual tester to automation engineer: pay jump and skills
- QA tester vs QA engineer vs QA analyst: what titles mean
- QA resume keywords: the tools 3,863 job postings name
- Accessibility testing careers: demand, skills and pay
- SDET interview process: what to expect, stage by stage
- Junior QA jobs: how many entry-level roles exist?
Salary 2
Posted pay ranges, transparency rules and what the numbers can and cannot say.
Hiring 2
Plans, budgets and models for teams that need QA capacity.
Tools 2
Frameworks, stacks and the titles employers use for automation work.
Flex 3
Task-based QA work in 3-4 hour windows, and what to check first.
Market 2
Where QA jobs are, and whether they are remote.
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03 / Method
How we write these
Every figure is computed at build time from the data on this site. We show the sample size, say what the data cannot tell you and exclude PassRidge's own pipeline roles from market statistics.
Read the methodology04 / Data
Where it comes from
Public employer job boards and feeds, harvested 20 Oct 2026. Pay ranges are only those the employer published. We convert currencies at dated indicative rates.
QA salary guides05 / Corrections
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