QA Engineer
in minutes from over 15,000 CVs with AI matchingTest strategy, manual and automated test design, regression coverage, API checks, and release validation for web, mobile, and backend products. Get fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
Meet FRATCH QA Engineer
Aleksei R.
Last position:
QA Engineer at Cybus GmbH
- Led QA and test automation for a distributed industrial IoT and data-integration platform connecting shop-floor systems with enterprise applications.
- Designed and maintained automated API and UI tests using Playwright, TypeScript, and Python, covering REST APIs, authentication, resource management, integrations, permissions, and end-to-end workflows.
- Tested distributed services, data pipelines, messaging infrastructure, containerized applications, and integrations across Kubernetes, OpenShift, Docker, and Docker Compose environments.
- Performed functional, integration, regression, endurance, resilience, load, chaos, and exploratory testing across complex distributed systems.
- Used Chaos Mesh and Toxiproxy for network fault injection, latency, packet loss, and partition scenarios to validate system resilience and failure handling.
- Automated infrastructure provisioning, configuration, and environment setup with Ansible and managed deployments using Kubernetes and Helm.
- Tested integrations with industrial protocols, messaging systems, databases, HTTP/REST APIs, and external enterprise systems using simulators, emulators, and dedicated test environments.
- Worked with MQTT, Kafka, SQL databases, InfluxDB, REST APIs, OAuth 2.0, JWT, LDAP, Active Directory, OpenLDAP, mTLS, TLS, MFA, SSO, and RBAC.
- Investigated and resolved 40+ defects across backend services, integrations, distributed components, and web applications, using AI-assisted analysis with Claude to accelerate debugging, test design, and root-cause investigation.
- Improved deployment reliability through Kubernetes/OpenShift configuration and health-check tuning and monitored distributed systems using Grafana, Prometheus, and Loki.
- Collaborated with developers and product teams on sprint planning, technical refinement, quality strategy, release testing, and continuous improvement.
- Applied AI-assisted and agentic testing approaches to expand automated coverage and identify complex edge cases.
Marcel T.
Last position:
Founder, AI Strategy and Enablement at Engineering Peak Impact
- Design workshop curricula for software engineers and technical leads on AI-enabled engineering and on adopting AI tools effectively.
- Technical talk, 17th TestIstanbul Conference, October 2026: "What If We Tested the Tester?", on how AI amplifies the tester's judgement, blind spots included.
- Built and run the company website and online course platform (WordPress, PHP, JavaScript) with Claude Code and Cursor, plus a Playwright test suite that checks the live site's pages, links and sign-up flow.
- Built Write Check, a Chrome extension backed by a local Node.js service that scores any text box for clarity and AI-sounding phrasing, falling back across Gemini, Kimi, GPT and OpenRouter when a provider fails.
- Built a Python video pipeline that turns my online course into short narrated videos: script, text-to-speech, captions and rendering, with a review gate before each episode.
- Work under a written protocol for AI coding agents (CLAUDE.md): a definition of done written as checks before the work starts, tests that fail before they pass, and independent reviewer agents that check each claim of the coder agents against its source.
- Author of The Maintenance Trap (Level Up newsletter, May 2026), on developer productivity: why high-performing engineers get pulled into maintenance work and how to make the ROI case for fixing it.
Malik O.
Last position:
AI Scientist at SQPS
- Intelligent Document Processing Engine with OCR & Computer Vision: Architected the end-to-end AI pipeline at the core of the SQPS GenAI document-processing product, which turns scanned paper and PDF batches into organised, searchable documents, combining image pre-processing, OCR and layout analysis for mixed-quality scans. Technologies: Python, OpenCV, Tesseract / PaddleOCR, PyTorch, FastAPI
- Automatic Document Splitting & Classification: Developed models that detect where one document ends and the next begins inside a single multi-document scan, and classify each one by type (invoices, contracts, letters, reports) to enable fully automated filing. Technologies: Python, PyTorch, scikit-learn, Hugging Face Transformers
- Information Extraction & Intelligent File Naming with LLMs: Implemented an LLM-based GenAI extraction system that reads dates, names and reference numbers from unstructured documents and uses them to generate consistent, rule-based file names, with configurable naming conventions per organisation. Technologies: Python, LangChain, OpenAI, SentenceTransformers, SQL
Birgit S.
Last position:
Business Analyst / Requirements Engineer / Tester at BMW
Topics:
- Further development of the CRM system NKAM and technical separation of “direct” and “indirect” sales
- Redesign of the discount management area and outsourcing to another system.
- Designing numerous improvements on the wholesale side to reduce manual effort down to the level of user stories.
Mario M.
Last position:
Co-Founder and CTO at B2B SaaS Recruiting Platform
Complete build of a B2B SaaS platform for recruitment agencies
- Multi-source job aggregation via ATS APIs
- AI-assisted career page scraping
- Rule-based and AI-assisted matching
- Credit-based monetization model with Stripe integration
- Live in production since July 2026
Tech stack
- NestJS
- React
- PostgreSQL
- pgvector
- Claude AI
- Prisma
Zafer B.
Last position:
Lead Test Automation Engineer at Unknown
- Playwright-based API test automation for the Oracle JD Edwards ERP system
- Development of a TypeScript/Node.js test framework with MSSQL database integration
- End-to-end business process automation for order processing, customer management, etc.
- OpenAI integration for automatic PDF document validation
- Jira/Xray integration for automated test reporting with dashboard
- REST API client development with role-based authentication
- Test data management, dynamic ID validation, and cross-test data sharing mechanisms
Mariia D.
Last position:
Lead Quality Assurance Engineer at SoftServe
Enterprise Agile Planning Platform
Key achievements:
- Introduced and promoted shift-left testing practices.
- Established and maintained QA metrics to track release quality and support data-driven decision-making.
- Reviewed Selenium-based automated tests, identifying coverage gaps and prioritizing improvements with the automation team.
Responsibilities:
- Managed QA activities throughout the release lifecycle, coordinating testing efforts and ensuring release readiness.
- Mentored and onboarded 10 QA engineers and fostered knowledge sharing.
- Conducted technical interviews and participated in candidate evaluation.
- Collaborated with stakeholders to improve quality practices.
CĂ©dric M.
Last position:
Senior Tester at Public Sector
- Analysis, design and implementation of acceptance tests
- Test execution and reporting
- Defect reporting and retesting
- Tools: Xray, Jira, Confluence, OpenText Content Server, Scrum
Daniel L.
Last position:
SQL, .NET and VBA Developer at Postfinance AG
- For the internal MIS, which gathers data in a complex, comprehensive system landscape and loads it into a central database via ETL, existing processes and packages had to be maintained and new KPIs analyzed, specified, and implemented.
Daniel W.
Last position:
External Business Case Lead at Beurer GmbH
- Ongoing mandate: advisory and business case development for digital services, from the profitability model through to KPI definition for the rollout.
Nedim K.
Last position:
Manual Tester and Test Automation Engineer at IT-Systemhaus der Bundesagentur fĂĽr Arbeit
- Design appropriate test cases to verify the GUI in Azure Test Plans
- Creation and execution of manual test cases
- Test design for user stories to be implemented in the current sprint
- Analysis of deviations/bugs based on log files and Kibana dashboards
- Creation of bug tickets with error description, screenshots, and short videos
- Prioritization of open bug tickets together with the PO
- Retest of bugs and hotfixes
- Execution of manual tests to ensure a 100% fulfillment rate of all functional requirements
- Selection, installation, and maintenance of a test automation tool (Selenium)
- Implementation of automated regression tests
- Continuous expansion of the object repository and adaptation of automated test cases (acceptance, integration, and system tests)
- Creation of test logs before each sprint change
Karim I.
Last position:
Test Engineer at Ixtrac AG for Swica
- Building a framework for automated website testing
- Testing, regression testing
- Defect management
- Release management, UAT, agile testing
- Feature discussions with business
- Test management
Muhammad Y.
Last position:
SynQ Ă— AutoStore
- Enterprise WMS customisation for Albert Heijn and EDEKA.
- Owned end-to-end test planning, automation, and performance validation for logistics automation software serving high-volume grocery warehouse operations.
Namik D.
Last position:
Test Manager / Test Automation Engineer at Sky Deutschland GmbH
- Implemented and maintained 443 automated test cases with a 99% pass rate (441/443)
- Enabled CI for test automation: automated runs on review/merge, reporting via Xray
- Introduced accessibility and performance checks and established them in reporting
- Served as QA lead in daily operations with stand-ups, Kanban progress tracking, prioritization, and targeted task distribution
- Handled defect triage and stakeholder communication with daily triage, QA status analysis, and actionable recommendations
- Developed and maintained a stable regression suite for CRM/Salesforce flows (UI/E2E and near-API validations)
- Integrated CI/CD using Jenkins pipelines with Groovy (IaC)
- Maintained QA documentation, test conventions, and processes in Confluence, aligned across the team
- Conducted Salesforce Einstein chatbot testing with intent/topic validation and output checks, and used Robot Framework/Python suites for continuous quality monitoring
- Technology stack: Jira, Xray, Confluence, Jenkins, Groovy, Git, Java, Selenium, Playwright, Cucumber, TypeScript, Postman, REST, Salesforce, Google Cloud, Lighthouse, Evinced, Scrum/Kanban, BDD (Gherkin)
Andi V.
Last position:
Test Engineer at Crypto AG und Crypto International AG
- Defining and conducting system tests
- Supporting the automated test environment
- Evaluating tools for automated testing
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
QA Engineer statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
20 years
Position duration
2.8 years
Positions per freelancer
13
Top business areas
Quality Assurance, Information Technology, Product Development
Top industries
Information Technology, Banking and Finance, Automotive
Certification focus areas
Quality Assurance, Information Technology, Project Management
Bachelor's degree or higher
92%
Master's degree or higher
48%
Doctorate
5%
Certifications per freelancer
4
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
98%
Based on our profile pool as of 11 Nov 2026.
Daily rate distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of experts in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows the share of experts charging within that range.
Average rates for QA Engineer
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Calculated based on our freelancers’ daily rates as of 11 Nov 2026. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
QA Engineer experts industry focus
See which industries our matched freelancers work in most often — every figure is calculated live from the freelancers on FRATCH.
- Information Technology (83%)
- Banking and Finance (50%)
- Automotive (46%)
- Manufacturing (46%)
- Healthcare (35%)
- Transportation (35%)
- Telecommunication (35%)
- Government and Administration (32%)
Please note that freelancers can work across multiple industries, so percentages overlap.
About the role
What they do A QA Engineer protects product quality before users find the bugs. They design test cases, run exploratory and regression testing, and verify fixes across web, mobile, API, and backend layers. Strong QA Engineers turn product changes into clear test coverage and traceable defect reports.
- Test plans, test cases, and acceptance criteria
- Manual testing for new features and edge cases
- Regression checks before releases
- Bug reports with exact steps, evidence, and impact
- API, UI, and cross-browser validation
Core skills A good QA Engineer understands how software fails and how teams ship safely. They work with QA lead, test automation engineer, software tester, and test analyst expectations when the scope overlaps. They know when to test manually, when to automate, and how to keep test effort focused on risk.
- Test design for functional, integration, and smoke testing
- Clear defect writing in Jira, Azure DevOps, or similar tools
- Strong browser, device, and environment awareness
- Basic SQL, log reading, and API validation
- Familiarity with Selenium, Cypress, Playwright, Postman, or similar tools
When to bring one in Companies hire a freelance QA Engineer when releases are moving fast, internal QA is overloaded, or a new product needs test coverage quickly. They are useful during platform migrations, feature launches, UAT support, and stabilization after a major release. In Germany, they are often brought in for product teams that need close work with developers, product owners, and delivery leads.
- Missing test coverage for critical flows
- Too many bugs found after release
- Need for release-ready regression testing
- New automation work that must fit an existing stack
- Temporary support for a sprint, project, or launch
What strong QA looks like A strong QA Engineer is precise, curious, and hard to surprise. They ask where the real business risk is, test beyond the happy path, and communicate defects in a way developers can act on quickly. The best freelancers leave behind better test coverage, cleaner handovers, and fewer repeat issues.
- Focused on risk, not just test volume
- Good at isolating root causes and reproducing issues
- Comfortable working with developers and product teams
- Able to document gaps in test data, environments, or requirements
- Reliable in remote collaboration and structured review cycles
Frequently asked questions
Before you brief your next project: the most common questions about QA Engineer.
A QA Engineer checks that new features, fixes, and releases behave as expected before they reach users. That usually includes test planning, manual checks, regression testing, defect reporting, and coordination with developers on fixes. On some projects, the scope also includes API testing and support for test automation.
Look for strong test design, clear bug reporting, and the ability to spot risk in business-critical flows. A good QA Engineer also understands tools like Jira, Postman, Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright, depending on the stack. SQL, log review, and API checks are useful signs of depth.
The titles often overlap, but a QA Engineer usually owns a broader mix of testing, quality process, and technical validation. A software tester may focus more on execution, while a test analyst may spend more time on planning and analysis. In practice, many teams use the names interchangeably when the work covers the same scope.
A freelancer makes sense when you need immediate coverage for a release, a short project, or a temporary gap in the team. A QA Engineer on a freelance basis is also a good fit when you need specialized help with automation, UAT support, or stabilization after a major change. It is often faster than onboarding a permanent hire for a short or shifting scope.
Many QA Engineers work well remotely because testing depends on clear requirements, access to environments, and good communication. On-site presence can help during workshops, release days, or when the team needs close coordination with product and developers. The right setup depends on how much hands-on collaboration the project needs.
Expect test cases, defect reports, regression results, and clear release recommendations from a QA Engineer. On more technical projects, they may also provide API test coverage, test data notes, or input for automation. Good deliverables are easy to trace and useful for the next release cycle.
Ask how they approach test strategy, edge cases, and bug prioritization. A strong QA Engineer can explain how they would protect the riskiest user journeys and how they report defects so developers can act fast. Sample bug reports, test plans, or a short screening task can show quality quickly.
Product companies, e-commerce teams, SaaS vendors, agencies, and internal IT departments often need a QA Engineer for launch work or ongoing release support. In Germany, regulated or process-heavy environments also value structured testing and clean documentation. The role is especially useful where release quality affects customer trust or operational stability.
The average hourly rate for QA Engineer is 84 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 671 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as QA Engineer, 92% hold at least a Bachelor's degree, 48% hold at least a Master's degree, and 5% hold a doctorate.
On average, freelancers working as QA Engineer have 20 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 2.8 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as QA Engineer are German (100%), English (96%), and French (24%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as QA Engineer are Information Technology (83%), Banking and Finance (50%), and Automotive (46%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as QA Engineer are Quality Assurance (100%), Information Technology (91%), and Product Development (72%).
FRATCH QA Engineer main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home all over Germany — available on-site in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and every major business hub, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Hamburg 
Munich 
Frankfurt 
Dusseldorf 
Berlin Hamburg Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg In Austria our freelancers and interim experts support companies from Vienna to Graz — on-site where your project needs them, or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Vienna Graz Across Switzerland our specialists are active in Zurich, Geneva, Basel and Bern — working on-site or fully remote. Choose a city to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Zurich Geneva Basel Bern Countries:
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
