SOC 2136 Science, research, engineering and technology professionals

IT quality and testing professionals Salary

Median salary £44,973 per year (2025). Based on ONS ASHE data.

Gross pay, before deductions. See take-home pay on £45,000 after tax and National Insurance →

For it quality and testing professionals, £47,118 is the typical (median) pay. That is above the UK full-time median of £39,039 — +21% versus the national average. Experienced it quality and testing professionals (top 25%) earn over £55,000.

About this role

IT quality and testing professionals ensure software and systems meet requirements, perform correctly and are free from defects before release. They design test strategies, create test cases, execute manual and automated tests, and work with development teams to identify and resolve quality issues.

Key responsibilities

Designing test strategies, plans and test cases
Executing manual and automated testing across applications
Identifying, documenting and tracking software defects
Working with developers to diagnose and resolve issues
Reporting on quality metrics and release readiness

Qualifications and entry routes

Typically requires a degree in computer science, IT or a related field. ISTQB (International Software Testing Qualifications Board) certifications are the industry standard. Experience with test automation frameworks (Selenium, Cypress, Playwright) is increasingly expected.

Career outlook

Strong demand, particularly for automation engineers and performance testers. Shift-left testing practices and DevOps integration are expanding the role beyond traditional QA.

Key skills

Test automation Manual testing Test planning Defect management Agile testing practices

Common industries

Technology companies
Financial services
E-commerce
Healthcare IT
Consulting firms

Data coverage

SOC code 2136

Data source ONS ASHE

Years available 2021–2025

Estimated jobs 20,000

Median Salary

£44,973

Mean Salary

£46,738

Jobs (000s)

20k

Data Years

5 years

Salary Range (2025)

P25: £35,716Median: £44,973P75: £55,000

P10: £29kP25: £36kMedian: £45kP75: £55kP90: --

Estimated Career Progression

Based on salary percentile distribution for this occupation

Entry Level

£28,964

0-2 years

Mid Level

£35,716

3-7 years

Senior

£55,000

8-15 years

Potential career growth: +90% from entry to leadership

Salary Trend (2021-2025)

Adjust for inflation

Nominal growth: +20.1%Real growth: -2.9%

Gender Pay Comparison (2025)

Gender pay gap: 15.7%

Full-time vs All Employees (2025)

All Employees

£44,973

Full-time Only

£47,118

Full-time premium: +£2,145

IT quality and testing professionals salary: common questions

How much do it quality and testing professionals earn in the UK?

IT quality and testing professionals earn a median of £47,118 a year (ONS ASHE 2025). The middle half earn between £35,716 and £55,000.

Is £47,118 a good salary in the UK?

What is the starting salary for it quality and testing professionals?

Entry-level it quality and testing professionals typically start near the lower end of the range. The bottom 25% earn up to £35,716, and the lowest-paid 10% earn under £28,964.

Have it quality and testing professionals salaries kept up with inflation?

Since 2021, median it quality and testing professionals pay has risen from £38,649 to £47,118 — +22% in cash terms, or -1.0% after CPIH inflation. That is roughly in line with inflation over the period.

Is there a gender pay gap for it quality and testing professionals?

Male it quality and testing professionals earn a median £47,491 and female it quality and testing professionals £40,019 — a gap of +16% in 2025.

Figures: ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, gross annual pay. UK full-time median £39,039 (2025).