Your work. Your records.
Software QA Workplace Records Guide
Software quality assurance work depends on the agreed test scope, environment and available build. A workplace disagreement about a missed defect is easier to assess when those conditions are distinguished from the release decision and later discoveries.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Test scope
List the scenarios assigned and any exclusions acknowledged before the release decision.
Blocked work
Record when an environment or dependency prevented a test and when access was restored.
Release ownership
Separate your reported test result from the person who approved shipping the software.
Start with the work you actually do
Develop and execute software tests to identify software problems and their causes. Test system modifications to prepare for implementation. Document software and application defects using a bug tracking system and report defects to software or web developers. Create and maintain databases of known defects. May participate in software design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, operational characteristics, product designs, and schedules.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (15-1253.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Identify, analyze, and document problems with program function, output, online screen, or content.Source task 14642 · updated 08/2022
- Document software defects, using a bug tracking system, and report defects to software developers.Source task 14641 · updated 08/2022
- Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.Source task 14640 · updated 08/2022
- Design test plans, scenarios, scripts, or procedures.Source task 14638 · updated 08/2022
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers (SOC 15-1253). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $37.75 | $48.80 | $62.65 | $101,500 |
| Arizona | $37.11 | $48.39 | $60.02 | $100,650 |
| Connecticut | $36.07 | $46.99 | $59.34 | $97,740 |
| Delaware | $42.50 | $50.99 | $63.35 | $106,060 |
| Florida | $36.91 | $48.18 | $60.23 | $100,210 |
| Georgia | $39.72 | $49.54 | $60.39 | $103,040 |
| Hawaii | $37.59 | $49.49 | $62.91 | $102,930 |
| Idaho | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Indiana | $34.76 | $41.84 | $50.87 | $87,020 |
| Iowa | $36.67 | $42.59 | $50.93 | $88,590 |
| Kansas | $34.98 | $45.43 | $50.52 | $94,490 |
| Kentucky | $29.96 | $38.03 | $49.15 | $79,100 |
| Louisiana | $19.15 | $32.12 | $40.58 | $66,810 |
| Maine | $32.72 | $41.37 | $48.36 | $86,050 |
| Michigan | $35.89 | $47.46 | $55.53 | $98,720 |
| Minnesota | $38.75 | $48.89 | $61.76 | $101,700 |
| Mississippi | $29.52 | $38.41 | $47.93 | $79,890 |
| Missouri | $34.22 | $41.12 | $52.59 | $85,530 |
| Montana | $40.41 | $49.97 | $64.74 | $103,930 |
| Nebraska | $37.94 | $47.12 | $57.67 | $98,010 |
| New Hampshire | $37.96 | $51.49 | $66.52 | $107,100 |
| New Mexico | $44.12 | $56.05 | $63.49 | $116,580 |
| New York | $41.47 | $58.29 | $73.88 | $121,240 |
| North Carolina | $35.70 | $48.27 | $61.63 | $100,390 |
| North Dakota | $37.75 | $40.35 | $42.01 | $83,920 |
| Ohio | $37.68 | $47.12 | $51.17 | $98,000 |
| Oklahoma | $29.30 | $37.36 | $46.20 | $77,700 |
| Pennsylvania | $33.52 | $44.73 | $54.42 | $93,030 |
| Rhode Island | $42.90 | $48.94 | $63.01 | $101,790 |
| South Dakota | $26.63 | $32.75 | $40.84 | $68,120 |
| Tennessee | $36.33 | $43.77 | $50.48 | $91,040 |
| Texas | $38.30 | $48.97 | $61.42 | $101,850 |
| Utah | $29.58 | $39.47 | $50.98 | $82,100 |
| Vermont | $31.28 | $36.82 | $50.08 | $76,580 |
| Virginia | $47.17 | $58.46 | $65.80 | $121,590 |
| West Virginia | $23.17 | $29.95 | $49.08 | $62,300 |
| Wisconsin | $31.62 | $42.98 | $57.05 | $89,400 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Record the testing boundary
Identify the build or release label, planned scenarios and time allocated for testing. Note unavailable environments, blocked accounts or dependencies reported before the deadline. Explain what could be tested rather than claiming coverage you did not complete.
Trace the defect decision
Describe when a defect was reported, its status and who decided whether it blocked release. Keep your reproduction finding separate from priority or acceptance decisions owned by others. Record changes to the requested retest after a fix arrived.
Protect development systems
Do not export repositories, credentials, production datasets or customer screenshots. Use permitted employment correspondence and nonsecret ticket references. Identify where the test plan and defect history are maintained for an authorized review.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
Call now(800) 800-5555Current service-state coverage
AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV, WY. Eligibility is evaluated individually; this list does not promise representation.
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