QA career roadmap: from your role to your next one
Choose where you are and where you want to be. The roadmap shows the route, the skills and tools to add, a project that proves them and what the move pays.
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About the QA Career Roadmap
The QA Career Roadmap compares your current role with the one you want. It lists the skills and tools you are missing, orders the learning into stages, suggests a portfolio project and certificate options, and shows pay by level.
- Route across 15 roles with skills gap
- Tools to learn, from our learning paths
- Pay by level for the target role in your country
Three steps
- 1
Set the start and the target
Choose your current role and level and the role you want.
- 2
Read the stages
Each stage lists what to learn and what to produce as evidence.
- 3
Compare pay
See the target role's pay by level in your country and the uplift.
How the numbers are built
Gaps are the skills and tools defined for the target role that the current role does not list. Routes follow the moves we see most between roles, and time estimates assume 6 to 8 hours a week of study and practice.
It is a planning aid. Individual pace, employer and market change the real timeline, so use the stages as a checklist, not a promise.
QA Career Roadmap FAQ
How long does it take to move roles?
Typically 4 to 9 months for an adjacent move, with 6 to 8 hours a week, and longer if the roles share few skills. Moving up a level takes more time on the job than study.
Do I need certificates?
Rarely required. They help when you lack experience or an employer asks. A project and clear results usually carry more weight.
Is pay shown for my country?
Yes. Choose a country and pay is scaled by our model. For exact figures, see the salary pages.
Can I change direction later?
Yes. Most QA skills carry across roles, and the roadmap shows what to add each time.
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