About QA Engineer Jobs in State College, PA
State College Qa Engineer Jobs Overview
In the tech world, QA stands for “quality assurance,” a specialization of software engineering that encompasses a few different roles. But the main objective of QA engineer jobs is to prevent defects. That means designing and implementing tests; creating guides for corrective tasks and documenting any testing; debugging and tracking QA metrics; and communicating with the rest of the developer team. Basically, QA engineers try everything possible to ensure any software issues are not seen by customers.
The job outlook for this career is highly optimistic too, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is projecting an employment growth rate of 22% for software developers, quality assurance analysts, and testers over the next decade—much faster than the average for all occupations. That should translate to about 189,200 openings each year. This surge can be attributed to the likely increase of software usage in various products and industries, from health insurance carriers to cryptocurrency and cybersecurity applications. Most companies are thus intent on staying on top of their software game, and they need QA engineers to do so.
You can expand your search for engineering jobs by checking out these similar positions:
About Working in State College, Pennsylvania
Home to Penn State’s main campus in central Pennsylvania, State College is inevitably defined by the hulking influence of university life. Beaver Stadium hosts the Nittany Lions football team, a major local attraction with several Big Ten Conference championship wins. Meanwhile, the sizeable Palmer Museum of Art features a permanent collection of over 10,000 objects—extending across many centuries and cultures—in addition to rotating exhibits. Densely populated (with the greater environs nicknamed Happy Valley), State College is full of quality-of-life assets, from loads of parks and walking trails to multiple libraries, good schools, friendly residents, cultural activities, and a bustling downtown district.
As for State College jobs, academia reigns supreme here, with work widely available in the education field. Other important sectors include food services, retail, construction, and government. Housing and the overall cost of living tend to be on the higher end, but well-paying jobs with upward mobility, low crime rates, and utilities and transportation expenses that are cheaper than the national average make up for this. If you need more options, take a look at Altoona and Harrisburg nearby, as well as Pittsburgh further west.
Update Your State College Qa Engineer Resume
Even if there’s a robust need for QA engineers, the competition within this field can be rather fierce. Your resume should make you stand out and be tailored to QA engineer jobs—and Monster can guide you here. Be as specific as possible and include any previous testing experience (such as exploratory testing, integration testing, performance testing, functional testing, alpha testing, beta testing, and the like). If you’re applying to cybersecurity firms, show that you have knowledge of both white-box and black-box testing, if applicable. And then review our entry-level QA software tester and experienced QA software tester resume samples.
A persuasive cover letter can give your application more prominence, so check out these cover letter examples and our expert writing tips too.
How Much Do Qa Engineer Jobs Pay in State College, Pennsylvania?
Got money on your mind? You should! Make sure you’re getting paid what you’re worth. Our Salary Tools can help you understand what you can expect to make in QA engineer jobs in State College, Pennsylvania, as well as the skills that can boost your value and what the next steps in your career might be. Right now, the median software qa engineer pay in State College is $72,020 per year, which is 28% lower than the national average.
Find Your Next State College Qa Engineer Job. Monster Can Help Get You Started
Are you prepared for a career in QA engineer? If so, set up your profile on Monster for free and begin clicking on those QA engineer jobs. When you sign up with us, you’ll receive custom job alerts and expert advice on how to negotiate your salary in State College, how to nail your job interview, and more.