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The differences between automation engineers and performance 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 automation engineer and a performance engineer. Additionally, a performance engineer has an average salary of $101,647, which is higher than the $92,597 average annual salary of an automation engineer.
The top three skills for an automation engineer include python, java and PLC. The most important skills for a performance engineer are java, linux, and performance issues.
| Automation Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,597 | $101,647 |
| Hourly rate | $44.52 | $48.87 |
| Growth rate | - | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 133,941 | 95,652 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation engineer takes charge of developing detailed design specifications and any other documents. Automation engineers develop automation software that is based on certain requirements for the involved process. They conform to local standards, international standards, and other process-oriented guidelines. Their duties also include the simulation and testing of automated machinery and processes. The must-have skills for this position include configuration software experience, scripting and coding expertise, certifications, and in-depth knowledge of technology.
A Performance Engineer validates system stability and its performance by carrying out load tests. They analyze test outcomes and work diligently with different engineers and developers to deliver excellent bug fix results. These professionals improve system capacity, scalability, reliability, and performance by offering technical assistance. Besides undertaking root cause evaluation of the system's performance problems and giving corrective actions, a performance engineer also recommends system improvements after evaluating the system performance. Also, they oversee the performance lifecycle and then recommend the right improvements.
Automation engineers and performance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,597 | $101,647 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $121,000 | Between $76,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an automation engineer and a performance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between automation engineers' and performance engineers' demographics:
| Automation Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| 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% |