As of August 2026,
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers has an AI-exposure score of 78/100
(Very High exposure) on the AI-Safe Careers index. This is an estimate of task
exposure, not a prediction of job loss.
Score inputs for this role:
This role starts from O*NET 29.1 occupational descriptors and is empirically grounded by Penn/OpenAI GPTs are GPTs study, Anthropic Economic Index (June 26, 2026). BLS labor-market figures are separate context, not score inputs.
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
More exposed than 97% of the roles we track. Median pay ~US$104,300. About 14,000 projected openings a year (BLS 2024–34 - growth plus replacement).
Pay & demand figures are US medians (BLS, in USD) - your local figures will differ. Your exposure score applies broadly.
Will AI replace Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers?
No exposure score can predict whether AI will replace this role. The 78/100 score means our current model estimates very high task exposure from the sources listed on this page. It does not predict an employer decision, headcount, or an individual outcome. The task map below shows the work assessed and where human judgment remains important.
Early-career context (study ages 22-25)
This role is in the Very High exposure band, but its assessed task mix is not automation-heavy. The study found the decline concentrated where AI was more likely to automate rather than augment work, so the headline figure should not be applied directly.
The November 2025 revision reports a 16% relative employment decline for workers ages 22-25 in the most AI-exposed U.S. occupations, after firm-level controls, relative to workers in less-exposed fields and more experienced workers in the same occupations.
Use the task map to identify durable work and the skills worth building early.
Stanford Digital Economy Lab, Canaries in the Coal Mine - November 2025 revision
This is group-level U.S. payroll evidence, not a personal forecast. The authors do not claim that AI alone caused the change, and this context does not alter the exposure score.
How this role compares to similar Computer & Mathematical roles
What this role usually involves
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.
Broad guidance for this preparation level; exact requirements vary by role and employer.
Source: O*NET 29.1 exact occupation - Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers, SOC 15-1253.00. Context describes the role; the AI-exposure score remains a separate task-exposure estimate.
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers tasks, by AI exposure
- Perform initial debugging procedures by reviewing configuration files, logs, or code pieces to determine breakdown source.
- Monitor program performance to ensure efficient and problem-free operations.
- Develop testing programs that address areas such as database impacts, software scenarios, regression testing, negative testing, error or bug retests, or usability.
- Review software documentation to ensure technical accuracy, compliance, or completeness, or to mitigate risks.
- Develop or specify standards, methods, or procedures to determine product quality or release readiness.
No durable tasks identified for this role - its individually-assessed tasks split 55% augmentable / 45% automatable.
We analyzed all 20 Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers tasks - 9 automatable and 11 augmentable. The full task map - every task with exactly what to do about each - is in your Career Report.
Your report unlocks three concrete artifacts
Every task scored with what to automate, augment, or protect.
Related roles with exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability. Lower-exposure options appear only when the data supports them.
A keepable roadmap plus resume and LinkedIn repositioning.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate - not generic advice.
Adjacent career paths
Relatedness shows how reachable a move may be. A path is labeled lower exposure only when its score is at least 6 points lower; every row shows the measured difference.
Perform initial debugging procedures by reviewing configuration files, logs, or code pieces to determine breakdown source.
Your AI-Safe Career Report
Every task scored with what to do about it; adjacent paths with honest exposure deltas, salary, demand, and reachability; a skill-gap map; a 30/60/90-day roadmap; Agent Reality Check; plus a résumé and LinkedIn rewrite and professional PDF.
Grounded in O*NET-linked or curated role data, with Penn, Anthropic Economic Index, and AIOE signals where matched. BLS labor-market context is separate.
AI was the most-cited reason for U.S. layoffs through mid-2026 - the workers who adapt earliest fare best. - Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 2026The upside: Workers with AI skills earn a roughly 62% wage premium - adapting pays. - PwC Global AI Jobs Barometer, 2026
Generation starts after checkout; reports are typically ready within a few minutes.
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Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers - median pay by US state (BLS OEWS, USD)
Median annual wage, in USD. US national: US$104,300. More states are being added.