The First Misconception:
Video game testers earn $200 per hour. Of course this is false information! Various people running money-making schemes would love for you to believe this myth. The real salary of a beginner game tester is $10 to $15 an hour. As you gain experience, your salary increases accordingly, and some testers earn as much as $80 an hour.
The Second Misconception:
Any kid who likes video games can be hired to test video games. This, again, is false information. Due to labor laws, game companies will hire only people 18 years old or older. So, they only employ adults over the age of 18.
The Third Myth:
The job consists of playing the game and offering a few comments and/or suggestions afterward. The truth is that a tester needs to play a game continuously until they find some sort of bugs in the system. The game company will send instructions with each game that should be read carefully so that you can include all necessary information in your report.
The Fourth Myth:
A capable game tester will be a very educated person with above average computer skills. While it is important to know some things about computers, academic education is not nearly as important.
As far as being computer savvy goes, all you really need is to be competent when using the computer. Unless you are one of those people that constantly calls tech support, you should be fine.
No college degree is necessary for this job. What you will need are, obviously, gaming experience with PC and/or console games and a refined attention to detail.
As far as the gaming industry goes, video game testing is still a fairly new business. Every experienced gamer has an equal opportunity to become a game tester, provided they meet the other requirements mentioned here. Just take things step by step, and you may find yourself advancing to the next level: professional game testing! Video game testing can be enjoyable and lucrative for passionate gamers, but look out for scams and myths surrounding the industry.
Looking for a great resource with the lowdown on video game testing jobs from someone who knows the reality? Check out this site.