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The differences between associate test engineers and quality assurance 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 a quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $82,215, 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 a quality assurance engineer are java, python, and regression.
| Associate Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,445 | $82,215 |
| Hourly rate | $35.31 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 39,846 | 243,536 |
| 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.
A Quality Assurance Engineer's role is to oversee the overall production and ensure that the product is cost-efficient and aligns with the company's standards. The responsibility mainly revolves around conducting activities that examine and scrutinize the condition of a product or service to identify issues and come up with possible solutions to resolve the issue or attain stronger customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance Engineer must also ensure that the product adheres to the government regulations and market guidelines.
Associate test engineers and quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,445 | $82,215 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $91,000 | Between $61,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between an associate test engineer and a quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between associate test engineers' and quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Associate Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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% |