How much should an ideal above average software engineer should earn in India and how much should he
First of all, the question ‘What’s the average salary of Software Test Engineer’ is like asking ‘What’s the average house rent in Bengaluru, India?’ You tell me…Can’t? Yeah! You need some more filters to arrive at the rent – the house type (whether it’s a 1BHK/2BHK/Villa/etc.), the locality, furnishing status, society amenities, etc. In the same way, the pay scale for Software Testing domain (in fact for any technology) varies depending on multiple factors. But before looking into each factor – don’t believe the general myth that ‘Test professionals are paid less than developers’ – it all depend on,
Skill set
The most important factor – after all it is the skills that get you the money, be it any service sector. General perception is – Software Testing doesn’t require technical skills. Result – Every Tom, Dick & Harry is pursuing a career in Software Testing. Hence there is the horde of Manual Software Testers in the market (it’s a job market after all). Going by the general ‘Demand & Supply’ economics, whenever the supply is surplus, there will be a resulting price drop. Hope you got the point ;-)
When deciding on your career, keep in mind that now-a-days there are very few “pure” manual testing opportunities. Even if it is – there are practically thousands of candidates competing for it. Then where is the opportunity? It’s “Hybrid”. The jack of all manual test concepts (nothing can ever replace Manual tests, automated testing is to extend the reach of tester’s work, not to replace it) and master of at least one – automation or any other specialized testing type (Mobile, Cloud, Selenium, Performance, Security, IoT, etc.)!
Experience
Experience is one thing you can’t get for nothing. It’s one of our best teachers, growing knowledgeable with every experience. And it literally ‘pays’ to be knowledgeable, that too practical knowledge. In this service industry the #years of experience determine your capabilities with respect to different roles – Software Tester, a Test Lead, Test Manager, Test architect, Senior Manager, Director, etc. And obviously as you grow the ladder of different roles – the responsibilities increase – & so does your ‘Salary’!
Employer (Company)
This is obvious. Apple or Google will obviously have higher pay scale when compared to Infosys or Wipro. Why? Due to the ‘kind of work’ involved, workforce count, profitability, overall turnover, etc. The catch – you need to build a strong skill set & rich experience to get an offer!
Location
Why everybody in India want to go onsite? Haha! Yeah, money! What’s the difference? Location! Not location actually, but the economy & currency strength. Within India too, Salary might depend on the location – Bengaluru has grown more competitive over the years (Why do you think it’s called The Silicon Valley of India?).
Interview
This is the last stage which decides your pay scale – how did the interview go, were you confident enough, negotiation capabilities, offers already in hand, etc.
Considering the growth in the present days, software test professionals have enormous potential and opportunities. Just that now you know your pay scale depends on above criteria, start working on it ;-)
Note: Generally, professionals with a combination of rich experience, industry certification & advanced training will get the best and highest-paying testing jobs. As an answer, Software Test professional salary can start at 2.5L per annum, and then progress based on the above factors. As a general rule, you are on-track if Pay Scale = 2 * Work Experience, i.e. If you are 3 years experienced, pay scale should at least be 6+Lacs, & so on. Else pull up your socks, & start working ;-)
