thestateoftesting.com

At what stage of the SDLC are testers most involved in your organization?

The “Massive Corporate” Shift Left: Companies with 10,000+ employees have the highest involvement in Early Coding / Unit Testing (42.3%). This is significantly higher than any other group, suggesting that in massive organizations, “Shift Left” is not just a buzzword but a structural reality where QA is deeply integrated into the development phase.

Where is QA located in the organizational chart?

Our analysis confirms that where you sit determines what you earn and how early you test. The Salary Gap: Proximity to code equals proximity to value. Testers working in cross-functional squads earn ~$46,250—a 27% premium (+$10k) over peers in traditional siloed QA departments ($36,500). The “Shift-Left” Enabler: Structure dictates timing.

Do you currently use AI in your organization?

Adoption Rate Global Average 76.8% Decreased Workload 85.7% (+11.6%) Enterprise (10k+ employees) 81.7% (+6.3%) Small Business (1–10 employees) 70.6% (−8.1%) The “AI Pay Raise” is Real There is a direct financial correlation with AI adoption. Professionals who report using AI in their organizations earn significantly more than those who do not. AI Users Average Income ~$45,400 vs.

Which AI tools are currently being used in your QA process?

Similar to the findings from the performance measurement question, the industry once again overwhelmingly treats AI as “Extra Hands” for execution (Creation 69.6%, Maintenance 59.6%) rather than “Extra Brains” for strategy. However, the specific role depends on company size. Large firms use AI to scrub legacy debt. 65.5% use it for script maintenance (vs. 41.7% of startups), keeping old regression suites alive.

What are the main barriers to adopting AI in your QA team?

When we zoom in, distinct “Pain Profiles”emerge. Companies aren’t just blocked by AI; they are blocked by their specific business reality.