Test manager salary comparison

Today is about globalization as a lot of software testing services, especially test management services are done across borders. This is why I think that sharing a list of the test manager salary might be a nice read for the members of our Test Manager School.

Before we proceed, please note that only 3 sources were queries for this statistics on the date of 6^th Sept 2019. Besides this, I only focused on extracting information from the following countries (where available):

• USA
• UK
• Germany
• France
• Netherlands
• Austria
• Romania
• South Africa
• India
• Poland
• Singapore

Test manager salary sources

The extraction used is only for yearly salary and I did the average between each of the platforms to generate the numbers listed below. Where I could not find test analyst I went for software testing engineer and where I could not find test manager I went for test lead or QA manager. The scope of the figures is to give you some comparison points which you should treat with a hefty margin of error (+/- 20%), but at least it would be better than not having anything to start with.

In case you want more detailed reports and you know that your country specific, industry specific, or you just know that for your location the most accurate data is on a specific platform, then please go right ahead and do your own advanced research. The sources that I used and that might help you are:

• https://www.glassdoor.com/
• https://www.payscale.com/
• https://www.salaryexpert.com/

Test manager salary averages

All amount have been converted to EUR in order to compare apples with apples even though we are comparing them across countries. Why EUR, because I am a European citizen.

The value of the software testing salary is based on yearly pay and it is gross (before taxes). You should not jump at it immediately and move from your home country, but you should always research the taxes in each so that you know what to expect as your net income. These figures usually do not include bonus or benefits, those have to come on top as this is just the fix amount.

Test manager salary jump

Based on the above statistics, we can find some interesting comparisons when jumping from a Senior Test Analyst/Test Engineer position to a Test Manager one.

There are 7 countries where the test salary jump is considerable when moving to a test manager role

If I would live here and act as a senior test analyst/software test engineer and liked to coordinate testing, then I would really look at a transition to Test Manager. Either by some software testing courses and certifications or by taking in more challenges within my own or by moving to another company.

If I would live in India, I would definitely consider this move as the jump will most likely double my pay.

And 4 countries where the test manager salary jump is considerable to a more senior role

If you are already a test manager in one of these countries, then the next step is to move to a more senior role in the organization. Some people achieve this via certifications and more difficult projects or by changing the organization and moving into a more senior opening.

If I would live in Singapore or India I would definitely consider doing all it takes to move up the seniority ladder as the pay difference for the average salary jumps by more than 75%.

Test manager salary across countries

This is not something new, but some countries pay more than other because there is a different economic state, but also a different cost of living. The below examples were compiles based on average software testing salary before taxes and without counting the cost of living.

Before considering a move to any other country to increase your pay, I would recommend that you check the taxes and cost of living in that country. If you are serious about moving, then I would recommend that you do the same exercise again of salary after taxes and cost of living in the actual city in which you want to move.

The highest test manager salary is in the Unites Stated and it is 77,000 EUR a year versus the lowest one in our list. The average salary across all markets is 57,000 EUR with Singapore and Western Europe countries above that live.

In order to properly put it in perspective, I have compared the capitals from each of these countries versus each other. To do this, I use Paris (France) as the baseline as the test manager salary is closest to the baseline in France and compile the cost of living by using Numbeo.

Cost of Living = What you would need in that city in order to have the same lifestyle as in Paris (used as baseline)
Buying power if in Paris = The equivalent amount you would need in Paris to have the same lifestyle you have in each capital for the listed salary.

Based on this, even though Austria and Germany are after the United States in the average salary range, you can get more for your money in Vienna or Berlin than in Washington DC even though the pay is less. Please do not forget, this is a theoretical calculation on the gross and I have not factored in any taxes on the net salary which may completely balance off the scale.

Test manager salary conclusion

This research has proven useful for me. At least now I know that based on the cost of living, it would not make such a big difference for a Test Manager to move from India to Romania or Poland or from Singapore to the United Stated.

The biggest jumps one can get on their salary and better said spending power can be one of the following:

• Test Manager to Senior Test Manager if you live in Singapore or India
• Test Analyst/Test Engineer to Test Manager if you live in India, Singapore, UK, US, Austria or South Africa
• Relocation from India, Romania or Poland to Austria, Germany or Netherlands

Because you read this far, here you have some info graphics and if you are looking for test manager jobs, click here.