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The differences between associate test engineers and senior 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 senior quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, 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 senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Associate Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $73,445 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $35.31 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 39,846 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior quality assurance engineer oversees the testing procedures conducted in software development, ensuring technical accuracy and efficiency. They are primarily responsible for working alongside software designers and quality engineers, reviewing quality control reports, inspecting specifications, and devising particular test procedures. Moreover, it is also essential to troubleshoot issues and identify any inconsistencies or bugs. As someone with more experience in the team, they must supervise and serve as a mentor to the younger quality assurance engineers in the joint effort to develop efficient software.
Associate test engineers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Associate Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $73,445 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $91,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an associate test engineer and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Associate Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Associate Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.9% Female, 9.1% | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% |
| 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% |