Software Development vs. Software Testing
Developing software is one thing, and testing is another thing. Both fields must go hand-in-hand to deliver a good product that functions as it’s intended without any bugs. Software Development and Software Testing job roles have been skyrocketing these past decades as the world started shifting to digital mediums.
Here in this blog, we will discuss the differences between the Software Development and Testing roles to help you decide which career path to choose.
Table of content:
- What is a Software Developer?
- What is a Software Tester?
- Difference between Software Developer and Software Tester (Table)
- Which is better, Software Tester or Developer?
- Conclusion
What is a Software Developer?
Software Developer design and builds computer programs. Be it any computer program, like simple software like a calculator, to complex software like an Operating System (OS) (example: Windows), its the job of Software Developers to bring those to life, meeting all the requirements and adding functionalities that will solve end-users problems and make their life a bit easier.
Software Developers could build an application or work on underlying architecture to help businesses be more efficient or produce an end product that could be sold to end users directly. In addition, they have many opportunities within the booming software industry, so they need to grasp more than one programming language.
One of those booming career paths is that of Android Developers. Learning online from experts who teach android development course to aspirants like you to help get opportunities from big MNCs like Google, Amazon, Meta, Pinterest, etc.
What is a Software Tester?
A Software Tester is a professional within the software development lifecycle tasked to detect bugs, errors, defects, or problems within a computer program or software. They may apply a manual or automated testing approach to detect these errors, which will eventually help increase the application’s performance, speed, and efficiency.
Their core tasks fall within quality testing and assurance. So, they must master many testing tools and techniques to deliver a bug-free product, which will directly help in reducing maintenance costs, better usability, and enhanced functionality. So, if you have decided to craft your career in this domain, then software testing course will help you get started immediately!
You can continue reading below if you still need to learn about these domains.
Difference between Software Developer and Software Tester (Table)
Here in this table, we will be discussing the differences between the role of Software Developer and Software Tester.
| Software Developer | Software Tester | |
| Roles and
Responsibilities |
Design, build, and develop computer programs and software | Evaluate, test, and ensure software is error-free |
| Collaborate with team members to best determine the client requirements, and best practices | Collaborate with QA Analysts and Developers
for developing solutions |
|
| Actively participate in improving business software processes | Manage testing for multiple applications during
development cycle |
|
| Design, code, and develop software that meets and exceeds the company requirements | Using test guidelines, design and develop test automation scripts | |
| Troubleshoot coding problems quickly, and work towards addressing customer pain points | Researching issues in software through testing while staying updated with the latest developments | |
| Technical Skills | Programming and Coding skills,
Debugging skills, Data Structure Algorithm (DSA), etc. |
Structured Query Language (SQL),
Test Management tools, Automation tools, Defect Tracking tools, etc. |
| Soft Skills | Time Management, Attention to detail,
Problem Solving, Analytical Thinking, etc. |
Good Communication skills, Critical Thinking, etc. |
| Career Paths | Senior Software Developer, Lead developer,
Tech Department Manager, Technical Architect, Prinicipal Software Engineer, Project Manager, Chief Technical Officer, etc. |
Business Analyst,
Test Analyst, Senior test Analyst, Team Lead, Principal Consultant, Test Manager, QA Team Coordinator, etc. |
| Salary | Software Developer earns average of USD 122,522 annually in US and an annual average of INR 5,44,753 in India
(indeed.com) |
Salary Tester earns average of USD 98,960 annually in the US and an annual average of INR 6,98,589 annually in India
(indeed.com) |
| Current Job Openings | 89,262 (in.indeed.com) | 3,152 (in.indeed.com) |
Which is better, Software Tester or Developer?
The answer to this question falls under individuals’ subjective interests and attitudes. You can choose any of these two domains, as both career paths will diverge even more in the coming years. Software Developer and Tester roles are in high demand today and will continue to be so.
A Software Developer must have solid programming skills and be good at coding. So they spend their time designing, coding, creating prototypes, and testing them till they function as intended. At the same time, Software Tester’s job is to push software to its limit and test it in every way possible to ensure that the end product is bug-free and functions as it was designed to.
So it narrows down to questions like; What is your goal? What do you like the most? And is there any other purpose that you have? If you can answer these for yourself, then you can know which career path is better for you out of the two.
How to become a Software Developer or Software Tester?
So if you are a pursuing undergraduate, and looking to make a career in either of these roles, then follow these steps:
- First, decide which role is better for you by learning the basics and participating in competitions or workshops to get a feel of the roles.
- Once decided, chart out all the technical and soft skills you need and start working on them.
- Focus on acquiring more practical skills by working on projects and applying for internships or freelancing to gain better real-life experience.
- Once you have enough experience and knowledge, start applying for jobs.
- Develop networking skills that will help you land bigger and better opportunities and will help you learn quite a lot of things.
Conclusion
With this article, you have understood the difference between Software Development and Software Testing and have touched on important points that will guide you in choosing the best career path that suits your purpose. So, decide and start your journey today!
