QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET: Roles, Skills, Tools, and Career Paths

Software quality is one of the most important parts of modern software development. A small bug in an application can create a poor user experience, cause financial losses, expose sensitive information, or damage a company’s reputation. That is why software teams need professionals who can test applications, improve development processes, automate repetitive checks, and help developers build more reliable software.

However, the quality assurance field has several job titles, and they can be confusing.

You may see positions such as QA Tester, QA Engineer, QA Automation Engineer, and SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test). Some companies use these titles differently, while others treat them as separate career levels or specializations.

So, what is the difference?

A QA Tester usually focuses heavily on testing software and finding defects. A QA Engineer generally has a broader role that can include test planning, process improvement, manual testing, and automation. A QA Automation Engineer focuses more strongly on building and maintaining automated tests. An SDET goes further into software engineering by developing testing frameworks, tools, and code while working closely with developers.

This guide explains QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET in simple language. It covers their responsibilities, technical and soft skills, common tools, testing approaches, career paths, salaries considerations, and the situations where one role may be more suitable than another.

What Is Software Quality Assurance?

Before comparing these roles, it is important to understand what QA actually means.

Quality Assurance is a broad approach to improving software quality. It is not limited to running test cases after developers finish writing code.

QA can involve reviewing requirements, improving development processes, planning tests, defining quality standards, performing reviews, testing software, reporting defects, analyzing risks, and continuously improving the way software is developed.

Software testing is one important part of QA.

For example, a tester might check whether users can successfully log in to an application. A broader QA activity might involve reviewing the login requirements before development begins, making sure the team has clear acceptance criteria, defining test coverage, and establishing a process for handling defects.

GeeksforGeeks describes software testing as product-focused and primarily concerned with identifying defects, while QA focuses more broadly on improving development processes and preventing defects throughout the software development life cycle. It also describes software testing as a subset of QA.

This distinction is important because the job titles discussed in this article can have different levels of responsibility within that larger quality process.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET: Quick Overview

Here is the simplest way to understand the three roles:

Role	Main Focus	Coding Level	Automation	Typical Responsibility
QA Tester	Finding defects and validating features	Low to moderate	Optional	Execute tests and report bugs
QA Engineer	Testing plus quality processes	Moderate	Common	Plan, design, execute, and improve testing
SDET	Software engineering and test automation	High	Core responsibility	Build automation, frameworks, and testing infrastructure

There is also an important role between a traditional QA Engineer and an SDET:

QA Automation Engineer

This professional specializes in automating software tests and building automation frameworks but may not have the same depth of software-engineering responsibility as an SDET.

These boundaries are not universal. A company may call someone a QA Engineer even when that person performs automation work that another company would assign to an SDET.

That is why it is better to understand the actual responsibilities of a job instead of judging a position only by its title.

What Is a QA Tester?

A QA Tester is primarily responsible for checking software to make sure it behaves according to requirements and identifying defects before users encounter them.

QA Testers may work mainly with manual testing, although some testers also use automation tools.

Their work often begins with understanding requirements and test scenarios. They then create or execute test cases, explore the application, identify unexpected behavior, document defects, and verify fixes.

A QA Tester may also think like a real user rather than simply following a checklist.

For example, imagine an online shopping website has introduced a discount-code feature.

A QA Tester might check:

A valid discount code
An expired discount code
An invalid code
A code below the minimum purchase amount
Multiple discount codes
Uppercase and lowercase input
Empty fields
Special characters
Discount calculations
Error messages

The goal is to discover situations that developers may not have considered.

The DEV Community article describes QA Testers as primarily focused on manual testing, including test execution, exploratory testing, regression testing, usability testing, and defect reporting.

QA Tester Responsibilities

Common responsibilities include:

Test Case Execution

The tester follows defined test cases to verify that software works as expected.

Defect Identification

When something does not work correctly, the tester documents the issue and provides enough information for developers to reproduce it.

Exploratory Testing

Exploratory testing allows testers to investigate the application without following only predefined test cases.

Regression Testing

After developers make changes, testers check existing functionality to ensure that the changes did not introduce new problems.

Usability Testing

The tester considers whether the application is understandable and convenient from a user’s perspective.

Test Documentation

QA Testers may maintain test cases, test results, defect records, and other testing documentation.

Skills a QA Tester Needs

A QA Tester does not necessarily need advanced programming skills, particularly in a manual testing position.

However, technical knowledge is still valuable.

Important skills include:

Understanding software testing concepts
Test case design
Defect reporting
Exploratory testing
Regression testing
Functional testing
Basic database knowledge
Basic SQL
Understanding requirements
Attention to detail
Problem-solving
Communication
Analytical thinking
User-focused thinking

Test Pro notes that QA testers can work with manual or automated testing, and manual testing does not necessarily require strong programming skills. It also highlights knowledge of databases, bug reporting, troubleshooting, test environments, quality standards, and user experience.

QA Tester Tools

QA Testers commonly work with tools for test management, defect tracking, communication, and documentation.

Examples include:

Jira
Bugzilla
Mantis
TestRail
Zephyr
Quality Center
Confluence
Trello
Slack

The DEV Community example also shows how a tester might use TestRail for test cases and Jira for defect tracking.

The exact tools vary from company to company.

What Is a QA Engineer?

A QA Engineer generally has a broader technical and process-oriented role than a traditional QA Tester.

A QA Engineer may still perform manual testing, but the role can also include test planning, automation, test strategy, process improvement, API testing, test environment management, and collaboration with developers and product teams.

Instead of only asking:

“Does this feature work?”

a QA Engineer may also ask:

“How should we test this feature?”

“What risks should we consider?”

“How can we improve our testing process?”

“Which tests should be automated?”

“How can we get faster feedback from the development pipeline?”

This broader perspective makes QA Engineers valuable throughout the software development process.

The DEV Community article describes QA Engineers as professionals who design test plans, create test cases, combine manual and automated testing, improve QA processes, and collaborate with developers and stakeholders.

QA Engineer Responsibilities

A QA Engineer may be responsible for:

Creating test strategies
Developing test plans
Designing test cases
Executing manual tests
Creating automated tests
Performing API testing
Reviewing requirements
Managing test environments
Tracking defects
Improving testing processes
Supporting regression testing
Working with developers
Communicating with product managers
Monitoring test results
Supporting CI/CD testing

The role is often more technical than a traditional manual QA position.

Skills a QA Engineer Needs

A strong QA Engineer usually needs a mixture of testing, technical, analytical, and communication skills.

Testing Knowledge

They should understand different testing levels and techniques, such as:

Functional testing
Regression testing
Integration testing
System testing
Acceptance testing
Exploratory testing
API testing
Performance testing
Security testing

Technical Skills

Depending on the job, useful technical skills include:

SQL
APIs
HTTP
JSON
Basic programming
Version control
Test automation
CI/CD
Databases
Linux or command-line basics

Soft Skills

QA Engineers also need:

Communication
Collaboration
Critical thinking
Problem-solving
Planning
Time management
Attention to detail

A QA Engineer often acts as a bridge between business requirements, development, and quality.

QA Engineer Tools

A QA Engineer may work with a wider toolset than a manual QA Tester.

Common examples include:

Test Management

TestRail
Zephyr

Defect Tracking

Jira

API Testing

Postman

Automation

Selenium
Cypress
Playwright

CI/CD

Jenkins
GitLab CI
CircleCI

Version Control

The DEV Community article specifically gives examples such as Selenium WebDriver, Postman, Jenkins, and GitLab CI for QA engineering work.

What Is a QA Automation Engineer?

A QA Automation Engineer specializes in automating software testing.

Instead of manually repeating the same test every time a developer changes the application, the automation engineer creates scripts that can perform those checks automatically.

For example, a manual tester might repeatedly check:

Open the login page.
Enter a username.
Enter a password.
Click Login.
Verify the dashboard appears.

An automation engineer can write a test that performs these actions automatically.

This becomes especially useful when a team has hundreds or thousands of regression tests.

QA Automation Engineer Responsibilities

Common responsibilities include:

Writing automated test scripts
Maintaining automation suites
Building automation frameworks
Creating reusable test components
Integrating tests with CI/CD
Increasing automated test coverage
Analyzing failed automated tests
Reducing flaky tests
Improving test execution speed
Supporting regression automation
Working with developers
Maintaining test environments

The DEV Community article describes QA Automation Engineers as specialists who develop and maintain automated test scripts, build frameworks, integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines, and improve automated coverage and efficiency.

QA Automation Engineer Skills

Programming becomes much more important at this level.

Useful languages include:

Java
Python
JavaScript
C#

A QA Automation Engineer should also understand:

Object-oriented programming
Automation frameworks
Web technologies
APIs
Git
CI/CD
Databases
Debugging
Test architecture

They do not necessarily need to be full-stack developers, but they need enough programming knowledge to create reliable and maintainable test automation.

QA Automation Tools

Popular tools can include:

Web Automation

Selenium
Cypress
Playwright

Mobile Automation

Appium

Test Frameworks

JUnit
TestNG
Mocha
NUnit

CI/CD

Jenkins
GitLab CI
CircleCI

Version Control

The appropriate tool depends on the technology stack, application type, programming language, and requirements of the project.

What Is an SDET?

SDET stands for Software Development Engineer in Test.

An SDET is a highly technical quality professional who combines software development skills with deep testing knowledge.

The key difference is that an SDET does not simply automate existing manual test cases.

An SDET may design and build the automation framework itself.

They may also develop internal testing tools, create test infrastructure, improve application testability, work with developers on code quality, and build large-scale automated testing systems.

Test Pro describes an SDET as a combination of a developer and test engineer who can be involved from the beginning of a project and focuses heavily on designing, developing, and maintaining automated testing systems.

SDET Responsibilities

An SDET can be responsible for:

Designing test frameworks
Developing automation infrastructure
Writing complex automated tests
Creating testing tools
Building API and integration tests
Working with developers
Improving code testability
Supporting TDD and BDD practices
Integrating tests into CI/CD
Managing test environments
Supporting performance testing
Testing distributed systems
Investigating complex failures
Improving overall engineering quality

The role can extend well beyond traditional QA testing.

SDET Skills

SDETs generally require strong programming and software engineering knowledge.

Important skills can include:

Programming

Java
Python
C#
JavaScript or TypeScript

Software Engineering

Object-oriented programming
Data structures
Design patterns
Debugging
Version control
Code reviews
Software architecture

Testing

Automation
Integration testing
API testing
Unit testing
End-to-end testing
Performance testing
Regression testing
TDD
BDD

Infrastructure

Depending on the organization, SDETs may also work with:

Docker
Kubernetes
Cloud platforms
CI/CD systems
Test environments

The DEV Community article gives examples of SDETs using development environments such as IntelliJ IDEA and VS Code, testing frameworks such as JUnit and TestNG, automation tools such as Selenium and Appium, and infrastructure technologies such as Docker, Kubernetes, and AWS.

SDET vs QA: The Core Difference

The biggest difference is the depth of software engineering involved.

A QA Tester may ask:

“Does the application work correctly?”

A QA Engineer may ask:

“How can we test the application effectively and improve the quality process?”

A QA Automation Engineer may ask:

“How can we automate these tests reliably and run them continuously?”

An SDET may ask:

“How can we build the automation architecture and engineering systems that make high-quality testing scalable?”

This does not mean one role is better than another.

They simply have different responsibilities and technical expectations.

Test Pro identifies the core distinction as the focus of the roles: QA professionals concentrate on evaluating software against user and quality requirements, while SDETs are more deeply involved in developing automated testing scripts and frameworks.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET

Factor	QA Tester	QA Engineer	SDET
Main focus	Software testing	Testing + quality engineering	Software engineering + testing
Manual testing	High	Medium to high	Lower
Automation	Optional	Common	Core responsibility
Programming	Basic or optional	Moderate	Advanced
Test cases	Executes and creates	Designs and manages	Automates and engineers
Framework development	Rare	Sometimes	Common
CI/CD	Basic awareness	Common	Strong knowledge
Coding	Limited depending on role	Moderate	Strong
Development involvement	Usually testing-focused	Cross-functional	Deep engineering collaboration
Test infrastructure	Limited	Some	Significant
Process improvement	Some	Strong	Strong
Strategic role	Usually limited	Moderate	Often broad
Best fit	Testing-focused career	Balanced QA career	Engineering-focused testing career

These distinctions are general rather than universal. Job descriptions can overlap, and companies may use the same title for different responsibilities.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET: Example

Imagine a company develops a mobile banking application.

The application includes:

Login
Account balance
Money transfer
Bill payment
Transaction history

Now consider how the three roles might contribute.

QA Tester

The QA Tester may manually verify:

Login with valid credentials
Login with invalid credentials
Balance display
Money transfers
Bill payments
Error messages
User interface behavior

They document defects and verify that fixes work.

QA Engineer

The QA Engineer may:

Create the overall test plan
Design test cases
Perform API testing
Execute manual tests
Automate selected regression tests
Work with developers
Manage test environments
Integrate tests into CI

SDET

The SDET may:

Build the automation framework
Create reusable test libraries
Develop API and integration tests
Create test data systems
Integrate tests into the CI/CD pipeline
Build scalable test environments
Investigate automation failures
Improve application testability

All three contribute to the same goal: delivering reliable software.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET Career Path

There is no single career path that everyone must follow.

However, a common progression can look like this:

QA Intern / Junior Tester
          ↓
      QA Tester
          ↓
     QA Engineer
          ↓
QA Automation Engineer
          ↓
       SDET
          ↓
Senior SDET / QA Architect / Test Architect

This is only one possible path.

A person can also move from development into SDET work.

Another person may prefer manual testing and move toward:

QA Tester
    ↓
Senior QA Tester
    ↓
QA Lead
    ↓
QA Manager
    ↓
Head of QA

Someone who enjoys automation may choose:

QA Tester
    ↓
Automation Engineer
    ↓
Senior Automation Engineer
    ↓
SDET
    ↓
Senior SDET
    ↓
Test Architect

Career progression depends on technical skills, company structure, experience, and personal goals.

How to Become a QA Tester

QA testing is often one of the more accessible ways to enter the software industry.

Start by learning:

Software testing fundamentals
SDLC and STLC
Test cases
Test scenarios
Bug life cycle
Functional testing
Regression testing
Exploratory testing
Basic SQL
API testing basics
Defect tracking tools

You should also practice testing real applications.

Do not only study theory.

Take a website or application and create your own:

Test scenarios
Test cases
Bug reports
Test summary
Regression checklist

A practical portfolio can demonstrate your ability better than a list of theoretical terms.

How to Become a QA Engineer

If you are already comfortable with manual testing, the next step is to expand your technical skills.

Learn:

SQL
API testing
Postman
Git
Basic programming
Test automation
CI/CD
Test frameworks
Browser developer tools
Basic command-line skills

You should also learn how software is built.

Understanding development concepts makes it easier to communicate with developers and identify problems earlier.

How to Become a QA Automation Engineer

If automation interests you, choose one programming language first.

For example:

Java + Selenium

Python + Playwright

JavaScript/TypeScript + Playwright

Do not try to learn every automation tool at the same time.

Build small projects.

For example:

Automate login
Automate registration
Automate search
Automate checkout
Automate API tests
Generate test reports
Run tests through CI/CD

Once you understand the fundamentals, learn framework design and maintainability.

Automation is not simply about writing scripts. Good automation should be reliable, reusable, readable, and easy to maintain.

How to Become an SDET

Becoming an SDET generally requires deeper software engineering knowledge.

You should be comfortable with:

Programming
Object-oriented design
Data structures
APIs
Databases
Git
CI/CD
Test architecture
Automation frameworks
Debugging
Software design

You should also understand how developers work.

Learn how to:

Read source code
Review pull requests
Write clean code
Create reusable libraries
Design scalable test systems
Work with containers
Understand cloud environments

An SDET should be able to think like both a tester and an engineer.

Do QA Testers Need Coding Skills?

Not always.

For a traditional manual QA role, strong programming skills may not be required.

A tester can perform many valuable activities without writing production-level code.

However, learning some coding can significantly expand career options.

Basic coding can help with:

Test automation
Data generation
API testing
Test utilities
Debugging
Log analysis
Database queries
CI/CD tasks

As you move toward QA Automation Engineer or SDET positions, programming becomes increasingly important.

Test Pro specifically distinguishes manual QA work, where coding may not be required, from automation and SDET roles where programming proficiency becomes essential.

Manual Testing vs Automation in These Roles

It is tempting to think:

QA Tester = manual

SDET = automation

But the reality is more flexible.

QA Testers can use automation.

QA Engineers can perform manual testing.

Automation Engineers may investigate problems manually.

SDETs may perform exploratory testing when necessary.

The difference is usually the primary focus and technical depth, not whether someone ever performs a particular type of testing.

Good testers understand that automation does not replace human thinking.

Automated tests are excellent for repetitive and predictable checks.

Humans are still valuable for exploratory testing, usability evaluation, unusual scenarios, and understanding how real users may interact with software.

What Tools Should You Learn?

You do not need to learn every QA tool available.

Instead, build a practical toolkit.

For Manual QA

Start with:

Jira
TestRail or Zephyr
SQL
Postman
Browser developer tools

For QA Engineering

Add:

Git
Selenium or Playwright
API testing
Jenkins or GitHub/GitLab CI
Basic programming

For QA Automation

Focus on:

Selenium
Playwright
Cypress
Appium
JUnit/TestNG/NUnit/Mocha
Git
CI/CD

For SDET

Go deeper into:

Programming
Automation frameworks
APIs
Docker
Kubernetes
Cloud platforms
CI/CD
Performance testing
Test architecture

The right tool depends on your target job. Learning a small number of tools deeply is generally more useful than knowing the names of dozens of tools.

QA Tools by Category

Category	Examples
Bug Tracking	Jira, Bugzilla, Mantis
Test Management	TestRail, Zephyr, Quality Center
Web Automation	Selenium, Playwright, Cypress
Mobile Automation	Appium
API Testing	Postman
Test Frameworks	JUnit, TestNG, NUnit, Mocha
CI/CD	Jenkins, GitLab CI, CircleCI
Version Control	Git
Development IDEs	VS Code, IntelliJ IDEA
Containers	Docker
Container Orchestration	Kubernetes
Cloud	AWS and other cloud platforms
Collaboration	Slack, Confluence, Trello

The tools listed across the source material illustrate how responsibilities tend to become more technical as professionals move from testing-focused positions toward automation and software-engineering roles.

What Role Should You Choose?

The best role depends on what you enjoy.

Choose QA Tester If:

You enjoy:

Finding bugs
Exploring applications
Thinking like users
Manual testing
Writing test cases
Detailed documentation
Learning software quality fundamentals

This can be a good starting point for people entering the technology industry.

Choose QA Engineer If:

You enjoy:

Testing and technology
Test planning
Process improvement
API testing
Some programming
Automation
Working closely with developers

This role offers a balance between testing and technical engineering.

Choose QA Automation Engineer If:

You enjoy:

Programming
Writing test scripts
Building automation
Reducing repetitive work
CI/CD
Test frameworks

This path is suitable for testers who want to become more technical.

Choose SDET If:

You enjoy:

Software development
Programming
Test architecture
Building frameworks
Automation
APIs
Infrastructure
Solving complex technical problems

SDET is often a strong fit for people who enjoy both software engineering and quality engineering.

Which Role Has the Best Career Potential?

There is no single role that is automatically best.

Career growth depends on:

Your technical skills
Experience
Communication
Industry
Company
Location
Specialization
Ability to solve problems
Leadership skills

However, technical QA skills can open additional career opportunities.

For example, someone who begins with manual testing can learn automation, then move into QA engineering or SDET work.

Similarly, an experienced SDET may eventually move into:

Senior SDET
Test Architect
QA Architect
Quality Engineering Lead
Engineering Manager
QA Manager
Software Engineer

The important thing is to build skills rather than chase job titles.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET: Pros and Challenges

QA Tester

Advantages

Easier entry point for many beginners
Strong foundation in testing
Less programming required for manual roles
Develops excellent defect-finding skills
Good understanding of user behavior

Challenges

Repetitive manual work can become tiring
Some roles offer limited technical growth
Automation skills may become increasingly important
Career growth may require expanding into technical areas

QA Engineer

Advantages

Combines testing and technology
Broader responsibilities
Opportunities to work with automation
Strong collaboration with development teams
Good foundation for advanced QA roles

Challenges

Requires more technical knowledge
Must understand multiple testing approaches
Can involve both manual and automation work
Requires continuous learning

SDET

Advantages

Strong software engineering experience
Advanced automation skills
Opportunities to build frameworks and tools
Deep technical career path
Close involvement with development

Challenges

Requires strong programming
Framework maintenance can be complex
Debugging can be time-consuming
Requires knowledge beyond traditional testing

Why QA and SDET Roles Overlap

One reason people find these positions confusing is that companies do not use job titles consistently.

One company may call an automation specialist a QA Engineer.

Another may call the same person a QA Automation Engineer.

Another may use SDET.

The actual responsibilities may overlap significantly.

Therefore, when looking at a job advertisement, do not focus only on the title.

Read the requirements.

If the job asks for:

Manual test execution
Test cases
Bug reporting

it is probably closer to a traditional QA Tester role.

If it asks for:

Test strategy
Automation
API testing
CI/CD

it may be closer to QA Engineering.

If it asks for:

Advanced programming
Framework architecture
Development practices
Test infrastructure
Code reviews

it may be closer to an SDET position.

QA Tester vs QA Engineer vs SDET: Final Comparison

The easiest way to remember the difference is to look at the direction of growth:

TEST SOFTWARE
     ↓
QA TESTER
     ↓
DESIGN + IMPROVE TESTING
     ↓
QA ENGINEER
     ↓
AUTOMATE + ENGINEER TESTS
     ↓
QA AUTOMATION ENGINEER
     ↓
BUILD SOFTWARE + TEST SYSTEMS
     ↓
SDET

Again, this is not a mandatory career ladder. Professionals can enter these roles from different backgrounds and move in different directions.

Conclusion

The difference between a QA Tester, QA Engineer, and SDET is mainly about responsibility, technical depth, and the way each professional contributes to software quality.

A QA Tester focuses heavily on testing software, executing test cases, exploring applications, finding defects, and verifying fixes.

A QA Engineer takes a broader approach. They can design test strategies, create test cases, perform manual and automated testing, work with APIs, improve QA processes, and collaborate closely with developers and stakeholders.

A QA Automation Engineer specializes in turning repetitive testing activities into reliable automated tests and integrating those tests into development pipelines.

An SDET combines software development and testing. This role generally involves strong programming, automation architecture, framework development, test infrastructure, and close collaboration with software engineers.

None of these roles is automatically better than the others.

If you enjoy discovering bugs and understanding how users interact with software, QA testing may be a good starting point. If you want a balance between testing and technical work, QA Engineering may be a better fit. If you enjoy programming and automation, QA Automation Engineering can be a strong direction. If you want to build software, testing frameworks, and engineering systems, SDET may be the right long-term path.

The most important lesson is simple:

Do not choose a QA career based only on the job title. Choose it based on the skills you want to develop and the kind of problems you enjoy solving.

As your technical knowledge grows, you can move between these roles, specialize in automation, become a quality engineering leader, or even transition into broader software engineering positions.

The QA field is not one fixed career path. It is a collection of opportunities that can grow with your skills.

FAQs:

What is the difference between a QA Tester and a QA Engineer?

A QA Tester generally focuses on executing tests, finding defects, and validating software. A QA Engineer usually has broader responsibilities that can include test planning, automation, API testing, process improvement, and technical collaboration with developers.

Is an SDET a QA Engineer?

An SDET can be considered part of the broader quality engineering field, but the role generally has a stronger software engineering focus. SDETs often build automation frameworks and testing infrastructure rather than only executing tests.

Is QA Tester easier than SDET?

For many beginners, a manual QA Tester role can have a lower programming barrier. SDET positions usually require stronger programming and software engineering knowledge.

Does a QA Tester need to know programming?

Not necessarily. Manual QA roles may not require significant programming. However, learning programming can help testers move into automation and more technical QA positions.

Does an SDET do manual testing?

An SDET can perform manual or exploratory testing when appropriate, but the role generally focuses more heavily on automation, engineering, frameworks, and technical testing.

Which programming language is best for SDET?

There is no single best language. Java, Python, C#, and JavaScript/TypeScript are common choices. The best option depends on the company’s technology stack and the automation tools used.

Can a QA Tester become an SDET?

Yes. A QA Tester can move toward SDET work by developing programming, automation, API, Git, CI/CD, framework design, and software engineering skills.

What tools should a beginner QA Tester learn?

A beginner can start with a defect tracking tool such as Jira, a test management platform such as TestRail or Zephyr, SQL, Postman, and browser developer tools. After learning testing fundamentals, they can add an automation framework.

Is QA still a good career?

Yes. Software quality remains important because applications continue to become more complex. However, the skills expected from QA professionals are changing. Automation, API testing, programming, CI/CD, and broader quality engineering skills can make a QA professional more versatile.