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While some of the higher-up jobs are salaried and exempt from overtime, testers are paid hourly. Also, the vast majority of testers are temporary employees, which means no benefits, no vacation days, etc. My fiance worked over a month without taking a day off and even pulled off a 38 hour shift once. What did he have to say about it? He loved it! That's what he lives for. Major game companies get a lot of "doo-doo" thrown at them for overworking their employees. But now that they no longer have these crazy shifts, my fiance's paycheck has gone way down. He'd much rather have the overtime.In terms of living costs, it's a painful $1495 a month for a one bedroom. Throw on utilities and it's a hefty amount. I'm glad we have two incomes to support ourselves.Don't forget the fringe benefits...like being able to take a break at anytime. Playing WoW all day because the new build hasn't arrived yet, dinners and lunches paid for, etc...are things you cannot get at many places. People work in testing because they love the thrill of testing. For others, it's just a job while they look for something better. Whichever one it is, it shows. When my fiance comes home from work, he's excited and happy. Some of my other friends? They hate their jobs even though they work less and get paid more. Life is short, do something you love.Testers do get treated like garbage compared to the other sectors. They don't get a lot of respect because people think anyone can do the job. Well, give it a try and I think you'll find it's a lot more complicated than that. You don't just play the game like they show on TV. There are rules to follow, databases to memorize, spelling and grammar to check, playing the same level 10 times a day every single day for months on end. It's hard work.Still, in the end, the paycheck is not as important as enjoying the job.

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