careers in test

Usability Tester

“Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a job where empathy and data shape seamless interactions? That’s the impact of a Usability Tester.”

A Usability Tester assesses the user experience of software applications, ensuring they are user-friendly, intuitive, and accessible. They conduct user research, create personas, and perform usability testing sessions to identify areas for improvement in the UI/UX design.

Usability Testers focus on enhancing customer satisfaction by making products easier to use, aligning with accessibility and usability standards.

Knowledge Required
  • Usability testing methodologies and tools
  • User experience (UX) principles
  • Human-computer interaction (HCI)
  • Accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG)
  • Wireframing and prototyping tools
Skills Required
  • User-Centered Design Principles
  • Accessibility Testing (WCAG Compliance)
  • User Feedback and Usability Studies
  • Wireframe and Prototype Evaluation
  • Behavioral Observation Techniques
Typical Responsibilities
  • Conducting usability tests with representative users
  • Creating user personas and scenarios
  • Providing feedback and recommendations to improve UX/UI
  • Ensuring accessibility compliance
  • Documenting usability issues and reporting findings
Common Tools

Hotjar, Crazy Egg, Optimal Workshop, Morae, Lookback

Connect & Facilitate

The role often overlaps with UX/UI Designers and Product Managers, focusing on user experience improvements and product design iterations.

Rate Table (National Average)

Please note that rate averages will change slightly by state, and precision of practice can also influence rates (testing for avionics, medical, or safety equipment can require compliance with particularly rigorous government standards etc)

RemunerationValue
Daily Rate (contract)$800 – $1000
FTE Salary (Permanent)$110,000 – $130,000

Project Hiring Cost (average)

These percentages are derived from an annualized amount. Given the costs involved in sourcing, vetting, and correspondence for a role of this type, a recruiter would expect a minimum fixed fee of 15K, although most recruiters operate on percentages nowadays.

Project Hiring CostValue
Internal HR15-20%
Recruiters25%
Interview Questions

Here are some interview questions you will most likely encounter for this role. While we don’t provide answers, we do clarify the intent behind the questions, which makes them a great resource when researching the role in readiness for an interview.

To gauge understanding of user-centered testing principles.

To assess methods for incorporating user input into testing.

To evaluate familiarity with usability testing methodologies.

To test ability to identify and resolve user experience challenges.

To assess ability to align user experience with technical limitations.

ATS Keyphrases

These keywords are commonly used by recruiter Application Tracking Systems to determine the relevance of a CV or cover letter to a specific position description. By ensuring at least a few of these key phrases appear throughout your CV and cover letter, you increase your relevance where an ATS is being used.

User Experience Testing, Usability Testing, Accessibility Testing, User Interface (UI) Testing, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), User Feedback Analysis, User-Centered Design, Heuristic Evaluation, Usability Metrics, UX Research, Task Analysis, Usability Testing Tools, User Journey Mapping, Wireframe Testing, Usability Lab Testing, Prototype Testing, Mobile Usability Testing, Cross-Device Testing, Cognitive Walkthroughs, Usability Guidelines, Interaction Design, Scenario Testing, Visual Design Analysis, User Behavior Testing, Accessibility Compliance (e.g., WCAG)