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The differences between contractor-test engineers and software test engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a contractor-test engineer and a software test engineer. Additionally, a software test engineer has an average salary of $85,338, which is higher than the $77,879 average annual salary of a contractor-test engineer.
The top three skills for a contractor-test engineer include C++, test cases and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a software test engineer are python, java, and test automation.
| Contractor-Test Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $77,879 | $85,338 |
| Hourly rate | $37.44 | $41.03 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 46,172 | 243,382 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Contractor-test engineers and software test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Contractor-Test Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $77,879 | $85,338 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $99,000 | Between $63,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | Apple |
| Best paying industry | - | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a contractor-test engineer and a software test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Contractor-Test Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between contractor-test engineers' and software test engineers' demographics:
| Contractor-Test Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 82.2% Female, 17.8% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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% |