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The differences between consultant systems engineers and system test engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a consultant systems engineer, becoming a system test engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a consultant systems engineer has an average salary of $112,898, which is higher than the $100,751 average annual salary of a system test engineer.
The top three skills for a consultant systems engineer include infrastructure, cloud and pre sales. The most important skills for a system test engineer are python, test procedures, and C++.
| Consultant Systems Engineer | System Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $112,898 | $100,751 |
| Hourly rate | $54.28 | $48.44 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 144,261 | 131,653 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A consultant systems engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to optimize business operations, recommending solutions against problem areas. Among their responsibilities include gathering and analyzing data to identify the needs of operations, designing prototypes and test structures, performing research and analysis to determine the ideal practices, assessing existing systems to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and establishing guidelines. Moreover, a consultant systems engineer must maintain an active communication line with staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
A system test engineer is responsible for performing diagnostic tests on computer systems and applications, measuring its performance and efficiency, and recommending technical solutions as needed. System test engineers assist in system configuration and network infrastructure, ensuring that the deliverables meet the business requirements and project specifications. They should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command of programming languages, to automate scripts for quality check methodologies. A system test engineer coordinates with the technology team in improving the user interface, including navigation and server stability.
Consultant systems engineers and system test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Consultant Systems Engineer | System Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $112,898 | $100,751 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $141,000 | Between $76,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | Seattle, WA | Petaluma, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Fortinet | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a consultant systems engineer and a system test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Consultant Systems Engineer | System Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between consultant systems engineers' and system test engineers' demographics:
| Consultant Systems Engineer | System Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 8.5% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 12.2% Asian, 12.7% White, 61.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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 | 9% | 11% |