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The differences between automation testers 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 automation tester and a senior quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, which is higher than the $82,429 average annual salary of an automation tester.
The top three skills for an automation tester include java, jenkins and QA. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Automation Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,429 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $39.63 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,656 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 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.
Automation testers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,429 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between an automation tester and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Automation Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | 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% |