How statistics are calculated
We count how many offers each candidate received and for what salary. For example, if a Mobile QA developer with Appium with a salary of $4,500 received 10 offers, then we would count him 10 times. If there were no offers, then he would not get into the statistics either.
The graph column is the total number of offers. This is not the number of vacancies, but an indicator of the level of demand. The more offers there are, the more companies try to hire such a specialist. 5k+ includes candidates with salaries >= $5,000 and < $5,500.
Median Salary Expectation – the weighted average of the market offer in the selected specialization, that is, the most frequent job offers for the selected specialization received by candidates. We do not count accepted or rejected offers.
Trending Mobile QA tech & tools in 2024
Mobile QA
What is Quality Assurance?
Mobile app quality assurance is a systematic process through which the quality of an application is evaluated against a set of pre-described standards and specifications. It involves a collection of testing and inspection activities aimed at detection and removal of errors, inconsistencies and anything that could potentially hinder the performance, utility, security and overall user satisfaction from the mobile application.
For example: Good quality assurance was essential in the launch of a large banking app, which users initially found complicated and unintuitive to log in to. Additionally, some experienced difficulty with the security process, which was too complicated for the average user. The quality assurance team addressed the issues identified through thorough testing, user feedback and checking the metrics of the app the team released the updates, enhance the UI and the login process flow, fine tuning the security levels to a secure level and be easy enough for users to log in to without a problem This app was widely adopted, with better ratings and more users downloading it.
Importance of Mobile App QA
- Improving User Experience: In an age where users’ experience can mean the difference between an app being a hit or a turkey, QA in mobile testing delivers a smooth, consistent, enjoyable experience to users.
- Ensuring Performance Under Strong Pressure: Passengers on trains usually lack patience for apps that get stuck or crash, which is why QA runs your app under as many different network conditions, accessories and devices as possible to see how it behaves under pressure.
- Ensuring Security and Privacy: Notwithstanding new threats from cybercriminals, and ever increasing regulations, an app’s security can’t be an afterthought. Mobile QA stress-tests the application for vulnerabilities that might expose user information.
- Helping Cross-Platform Usage: Since people use apps on myriad devices, operating systems and screen resolutions, mobile testing QA ensures the experience is the same on each.
- Minimising App Risks: Post-launch issues can cause negative reviews, a shrinking user base, and a damaged brand image. QA in mobile testing minimises this risk by spotting potential issues and preventing them before they occur.
In short, mobile QA is less a set of test processes than a user-focused philosophy. An app is a universe, and the user stands at its centre. A commitment to excellence is palpable in every swipe, tap, click, and page load. In a quest for perfection, great apps run far beyond bug-finding. They deliver something far more valuable: a higher quality experience. In the app store of our minds, quality stands as king.
Strategies for Mobile App QA Testing
- Gathering Requirements: Go to the source! Get as much information as possible on what the user requires and what they expect; talk to stakeholders and create user personas.
- Early Engagement: Include your QA teams early in the development cycle.
- Automation: Increase speed through automated testing for some of your regression, monotonous stuff, e.g. automated smoke-tests.
- Consider Cross-Platform Compatibility: Make sure that the app behaves on as many devices, operating system versions, screen sizes and orientations as possible.
- Continuous Testing: Automated feedback on software performance can now be done whenever something is introduced in the Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline.
- Performance and Security: Load test the app and ensure security measures are in place.
- Actual Devices: Testing live on actual devices gives you an idea of how your app will run in the real world.
- Using Agile Approach: Development occurs in iterative sprints, allowing for quick adaptation as changes come in.
- Post-Release Monitoring: Monitoring the app after release offers a detailed view of how users are using the app in the real world.
- Collaboration and Communication: Have strong communication between developers and testers, among developers themselves, between developers and product managers, etc.
- Keeping Detailed Notes: Notes on the test cases, outcomes and changes allow the project team to work in concert and the QA process to be repeatable to anyone else.
- Focus on User Experience (UX) Testing: Ensure that the process of the user using the app is enjoyable and well thought out.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensure the app complies with relevant laws and regulations.
On that note, here are 15 practices to keep your quality assurance (QA) strategy ahead of the curve:
- Let QA Contribute to New Tech Piloting.
- Check for Consistency.
- Test More Than QA.
- Balance Triage and Detail-Orientation.
Common Tools for Mobile App QA Testing
- Automation Testing Tools: Selenium, Appium, Calabash
- Performance Testing Tools: JMeter, LoadRunner
- Security Testing Tools: OWASP ZAP, Fortify
- Cross-Platform Testing Tools: Xamarin, TestComplete
- Continuous Integration Tools: Jenkins, CircleCI
Where is Appium used?
Unleashing Robots on Apps
- Appium is like a puppet master for apps, automating tedious human tasks with the grace of a digital ninja, across iOS and Android platforms.
Taming the Wild Cross-Platform Beasts
- It's the Swiss Army knife for app developers, letting them converse in multiple coding dialects while ensuring their app doesn't play favorites with mobile OS tribes.
The Ever-Vigilant Testing Sentry
- This software is like a hawk, tirelessly circling your apps for bugs so users can frolic in a digital meadow of seamless functionality.
Bug Hunt with a Laser Scope
- Imagine Appium as a futuristic gamer zapping glitches with precision, making sure the app battlefield is a paradise of perfection.
Appium Alternatives
Selenium
Automation testing framework for web applications. Selenium WebDriver scripts can be written in various programming languages like Java, C#, Python.
from selenium import webdriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
driver.get("http://www.example.com")
element = driver.find_element_by_id("element_id")
- Supports multiple browsers and languages.
- Large user community and robust support.
- Requires browser-specific drivers.
- Steep learning curve for beginners.
- No built-in image comparison.
Espresso
Native framework for Android UI testing. Allows for writing concise and reliable UI tests, but limited to Android Studio.
onView(withId(R.id.my_view))
.perform(click());
- Highly reliable and fast.
- Integrates seamlessly with Android Studio.
- Limited to Android, not cross-platform.
- Requires knowledge of Android development.
- No desktop web app testing.
Detox
Gray box end-to-end testing framework for mobile apps on iOS and Android, simulates user behavior and handles asynchronous operations well.
describe('Example screen', () => {
beforeEach(async () => {
await device.reloadReactNative();
});
it('should have welcome message', async () => {
await expect(element(by.id('welcome'))).toBeVisible();
});
});
- Works well for both iOS and Android apps.
- Suitable for React Native applications.
- Gray box approach may miss out on some black box testing aspects.
- May require additional setup for native modules.
- Less community support than Appium.
Quick Facts about Appium
The Birth of Appium: Break Free from Restrictive Testing!
Once upon a time, in the year 2012, a band of rebellious developers said "No more!" to the tyranny of native-only test frameworks. They conjured Appium, a magical tool that promised to treat mobile apps like web apps, irrespective of their worldly origins. Whether iOS or Android, Appium invited them all to the same party. And just like that, the universe of automation testing was forever altered!
Open Source Sorcery!
As if by a wave of a wand, Appium emerged not just as another tool but embraced the open-source ethos. Spearheaded by a wizard named Dan Cuellar, it cast a spell on the community, growing stronger with each contribution. Unlike the dark proprietary alternatives, Appium's source code danced in the daylight for all to see and improve. It flourished, forming a cabal of contributors who to this day continue to fuel its powers.
The Evolutionary Potion: Appium 2.0
Fast forward through the scrolls of time and versions, Appium underwent a magnificent transformation. It unlocked its second major incarnation with Appium 2.0 – a beacon of modular majesty. Enabling testers to plug and play with drivers and plugins, it was as if they had been granted their own spellbook to tailor their automation brew. The drivers became separate entities, wield-able by the will of the sorcerer, erm, tester!
// Summoning the iOS driver in the enchanted land of Appium 2.x
appium driver install xcuitest
What is the difference between Junior, Middle, Senior and Expert Appium developer?
Seniority Name | Years of Experience | Average Salary (USD/year) | Responsibilities & Activities | Quality-Wise |
---|---|---|---|---|
Junior | 0-2 | $40,000 - $70,000 |
| Developing foundational skills, often requires guidance |
Middle | 2-5 | $70,000 - $100,000 |
| Capable of working independently, produces reliable code |
Senior | 5-10 | $100,000 - $130,000 |
| High-quality output, acts as a role model |
Expert/Team Lead | 10+ | $130,000+ |
| Exemplary standards, leads improvements and innovation |
Top 10 Appium Related Tech
Java
Straight off the bat, if you wanna tango with Appium, you gotta waltz with Java babe. It's like the bread and butter of Appium scripts. Why? 'Cause Appium is like the friendly neighborhood spider, weaving its web with Selenium, and Selenium loves Java. But don't you worry your pretty head; even if Java syntax gives you the heebie-jeebies, there's plenty of documentation and Stack Overflow threads to hold your hand through those "Why won't it compile?!" meltdowns.
Python
For those of you who have Python as your spirit animal, Appium digs Python too. It's like choosing a picnic in the park over a formal dinner. Python's got that clear, concise, and easy-to-read vibe that's perfect for beginners or anyone who values their sanity. Plus, when you've had enough of semicolons and brackets, Python is like your cozy coding blanket.
Node.js
If waiting isn't your jam and you want your tests running zippity-zap, Node.js enters the chat. Node.js is like that friend who can't sit still, always eager to execute your Appium tests asynchronously. With Node.js, you're surfing on the edge with JavaScript, bringing some of that webdev swagger to the mobile automation party.
Appium Desktop
Wanna see your tests doing their thing like a proud parent at a school play? Appium Desktop is your ticket in. It's got a snazzy GUI that lets you start and stop your Appium server with more ease than popping bubble wrap. And with its Inspector tool, you can snoop around your app like a detective, finding elements and attributes as if they were clues to the mystery of the missing semicolon.
Selenium WebDriver
Alright sparky, listen up. Appium and Selenium WebDriver go together like coffee and doughnuts. You've got Selenium’s WebDriver thinking it's all about the web, but then Appium sneaks in and says, "Hold my emulator," and takes those sweet commands to the mobile realm. It's like WebDriver got a surprise vacation to the world of taps and swipes.
TestNG
TestNG is like that uber-organized friend who's got lists for their lists. If you want your tests to run in a specific order, rerun failed tests, or group them like a herd of cats, TestNG is your go-to. It's all about making that testing framework work for you, turning an avalanche of tests into a well-behaved conga line.
Maven
So, you decided to have a gazillion dependencies, and now you're drowning in them? Maven's here with its life vest. It manages libraries and dependencies like a boss so you can kick back and focus on breaking your code in new and inventive ways, instead of sweating bullets over missing JARs.
Git
Behold the keeper of code, the guardian of versions, the time machine for your scripts - Git! When you mess up (and you will), Git is like your coding diary, letting you travel back to brighter days before that "innovative" change turned everything to screams. Make sure you befriend Git; it might just save your bacon.
Jenkins
Ooh, Jenkins, the butler of CI/CD, making sure your Appium tests are served fresh out of the kitchen with every commit. It's like having a friendly robot that tirelessly runs your tests while you binge-watch your favorite series - just don't forget to check in on it, or it might start an uprising.
Allure Reports
And finally, after the dust settles and your tests have fought bravely, you want a report that's easier on the eyes than your debugger. Enter Allure Reports, your visual storyteller. It transforms the tears and triumphs of your tests into graphs and charts so pretty, you'd want to take them out on a date.