Software Test Engineer Entry Salary?
rtd
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Hello all, I have a quick question. I have a final interview on Tuesday for a Software QA job and I'm really confused about how much it could pay. It is an entry level position but I have seen huge ranges on sites like Salary.com and Payscale.com . I have held off discussing it with the employer until they potentially make a job offer as I understand that is proper etiquette.
It seems that pay ranges from $30k to $98k over various websites I found on Google. I'm sure that the mid to high end is for people with a lot of experience however I am unsure of what entry would be like. I live in PA, USA if that helps; I know location has to do with it sometimes. I'm finishing my Associates and I am A+ certified if that matters.
It seems a large amount of people start at $45k but I am interviewing for a contract position with an electronics company and I have seen pay as low as $30k on other websites.
Now , in my very first interview with a recruiter he did a rather poor job of explaining the position over the phone and like many recruiters he was a bit mum on the details and company specifics until I showed up probably so people don't try to cut them out. During the interview he wanted a specific value ( I said $30k because I was thinking Help Desk ) and I was unable to research values until I got home because then I had learned of the job specifics and title/company.
Since then I have had a panel interview ( phone ) with people from the company and the recruiter basically just listening and I have a final interview Tuesday. If offered a job how does negotiation work? Obviously I am grateful to get anything I just don't want to undershoot it. I know it's generally a bad idea to toss up the value first but I had no choice basically. However that number was given to a recruiter and I'm not sure if he passed that number along. I would guess his fee is a percentage of my salary anyway....
Thanks in advance for any advice.
It seems that pay ranges from $30k to $98k over various websites I found on Google. I'm sure that the mid to high end is for people with a lot of experience however I am unsure of what entry would be like. I live in PA, USA if that helps; I know location has to do with it sometimes. I'm finishing my Associates and I am A+ certified if that matters.
It seems a large amount of people start at $45k but I am interviewing for a contract position with an electronics company and I have seen pay as low as $30k on other websites.
Now , in my very first interview with a recruiter he did a rather poor job of explaining the position over the phone and like many recruiters he was a bit mum on the details and company specifics until I showed up probably so people don't try to cut them out. During the interview he wanted a specific value ( I said $30k because I was thinking Help Desk ) and I was unable to research values until I got home because then I had learned of the job specifics and title/company.
Since then I have had a panel interview ( phone ) with people from the company and the recruiter basically just listening and I have a final interview Tuesday. If offered a job how does negotiation work? Obviously I am grateful to get anything I just don't want to undershoot it. I know it's generally a bad idea to toss up the value first but I had no choice basically. However that number was given to a recruiter and I'm not sure if he passed that number along. I would guess his fee is a percentage of my salary anyway....
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Comments
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no!all!
Member Posts: 245 ■■■□□□□□□□
Well, no one has a replied yet so I'll give it a shot...
It is hard to say what you'll be making, but it sounds like you're going to be a contractor so they may low ball you a bit. I'd shoot for $35-$40? However it's entry level so I would say take what you can get and get some experience under your belt. Good luck!A+, N+, S+, CCNA:RS, CCNA:Sec
"In high society TCP is more welcome than UDP. At least it knows a proper handshake" - Ben Franklin
2019 Goals: CCNP:RS & relocate to St. Pete, FL! -
rtd
Member Posts: 12 ■□□□□□□□□□
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it. That sounds about right to me with whopping 0 years of experience.
To me at my age it sounds a fortune
I'm sure I'm lucky to get anything.
It is a contract position , have you had any jobs like that? It's apparently 6 months onwards and everyone there has been there for a while. My biggest concern is whether they would give me ample time to find new employment in the event they don't renew my contract. Do you have any advice for that scenario?
It would be nice for them to let me know a month or two in advance because job hunt is like a safari for a rare animal these days....