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The differences between automation testers and software 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 software tester. Additionally, an automation tester has an average salary of $82,429, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for an automation tester include java, jenkins and QA. The most important skills for a software tester are test results, regression, and test scripts.
| Automation Tester | Software Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $82,429 | $78,580 |
| Hourly rate | $39.63 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,656 | 208,853 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
The responsibility of software testers involves the quality assurance of software development and deployment. Software testers conduct manual and automated tests to make sure that the software is developed for its purpose. They remove the issues and bugs within a product before deployment to users. Their responsibilities include software and systems analysis, risk mitigation, and software-related issue prevention. They should have skills in automation, programming, social networking, logical thinking, and mobile and web technology.
Automation testers and software testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Tester | Software Tester | |
| Average salary | $82,429 | $78,580 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $61,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Nordstrom |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation tester and a software tester in terms of educational background:
| Automation Tester | Software Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 software testers' demographics:
| Automation Tester | Software Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% |
| 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% |