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The differences between automation testers and quality assurance testers 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 tester and a quality assurance tester. Additionally, an automation tester has an average salary of $82,429, which is higher than the $74,140 average annual salary of a quality assurance tester.
The top three skills for an automation tester include java, jenkins and QA. The most important skills for a quality assurance tester are manual test cases, regression, and test scripts.
| Automation Tester | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $82,429 | $74,140 |
| Hourly rate | $39.63 | $35.64 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,656 | 82,396 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation tester is responsible for evaluating automated system processes to ensure its stability and efficiency to support business functions and operational development. Automation testers create reports on findings, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the procedures, and providing recommendations for process improvement. They also join the technology team on conducting system configuration and improving system infrastructure, resolving network issues, and designing automation tools. An automation tester must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as network navigation and programming codes, enhancing technical frameworks for optimization.
A quality assurance tester, also known as QA tester, has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry involved. In a computer development setting, they are in charge of working and coordinating with technical engineers. They have to conduct regular tests for new software and programs, identify inconsistencies, and find areas for improvement. Furthermore, a quality assurance tester must produce reports from the tests, which can be the basis of progress for further developments.
Automation testers and quality assurance testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Tester | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average salary | $82,429 | $74,140 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $55,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between an automation tester and a quality assurance tester in terms of educational background:
| Automation Tester | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between automation testers' and quality assurance testers' demographics:
| Automation Tester | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% |
| 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% |