How To Become A Test Manager: What It Is and Career Path

What is a test manager and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

As a test manager, you will be responsible for planning, coordinating, and controlling various test activities. You will create a test or take a created test process and test the strategy and analyze which testing methods and tools are best for test activities.

Testing manager work on the testing program, software production, apps, and the internet. Test managers test software for functionality and usability. Before launching digital or any type of product, test managers are responsible for testing to ensure functionality and usability. Test managers act as the interface between project management, other testers, the developers, and the customers.

Test managers are part of the development process so they can find quality problems and solve them early in the process. No particular degree or specific training is listed to become a test manager. But test managers at IT companies need to have a degree in computer science or business informatics. You will need relevant experience in the industry where you work in order to be an efficient test manager. You can make an average salary of $80,000 per year.

ScoreTest ManagerUS Average

Salary

7.2

Avg. Salary $92,297

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

4.1

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%

Asian 11.99%

Black or African American 6.24%

Hispanic or Latino 8.82%

Unknown 4.70%

White 67.73%

Gender

female 28.26%

male 71.74%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress Level

5.1

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

6.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a test manager

Explore test manager education requirements

Most common test manager degrees

Bachelor's

65.2 %

Master's

20.6 %

Associate

9.3 %

Start to develop specific test manager skills

Skills	Percentages
QA	5.40%
Project Management	4.79%
Java	4.56%
Test Plan	4.45%
UAT	3.96%

Complete relevant test manager training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New test managers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a test manager based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real test manager resumes.

Research test manager duties and responsibilities

Lead test team in delivery of the NAS windows product within the project schedule.
Manage and implement a successful peer-base HIV counseling & testing program for gay/bisexual men.
Lead weekly integration testing status meetings with testing team, PMO, CIO, and CFO.
Manage execution of manual and automate test cases for functional, performance, load, integration, UAT and infrastructure testing.

Prepare your test manager resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your test manager resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a test manager resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Test Manager Resume templates

Build a professional Test Manager resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Test Manager resume.

Apply for test manager jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a test manager job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do test managers rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Test Manager reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2019

Pros

New field to work with compassion.

Cons

Low pay structure as compared to the efforts put in.