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The differences between associate test engineers and automation test engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an associate test engineer and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation test engineer has an average salary of $85,353, which is higher than the $73,445 average annual salary of an associate test engineer.
The top three skills for an associate test engineer include test results, C++ and test cases. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Associate Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,445 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $35.31 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 39,846 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
In the information technology industry, an Associate Test Engineer specializes in developing and implementing test structures to assess software and systems, ensuring they adhere to project requirements and quality standards. They work under the supervision and directives of a senior test engineer. Their responsibilities often include: understanding the clients' needs and preferences, analyzing systems. reviewing documents. troubleshooting issues. identifying and fixing bugs, producing detailed reports and summaries.
Moreover, an Associate Engineer usually works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for optimal services.
Automation Test Engineers are licensed professionals who work with clients on various IT or engineering-related activities. They are part of the growing automation industry. They create software solutions related to the automation of processes, and they work with clients to identify automation opportunities based on the existing software, hardware, and other processes. They have to understand their clients' needs and find the appropriate software solutions based on the clients' needs. Automation test engineers help design these software solutions. The majority of their work is related to testing these software solutions. They conduct quality checks to ensure that the software solution is working properly. They also check whether the software solution truly addresses the clients' needs.
Associate test engineers and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,445 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $91,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an associate test engineer and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between associate test engineers' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Associate Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% | Black or African American, 6.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 8.8% Asian, 12.0% White, 67.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 11% |