Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between design analysts and test analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a design analyst, becoming a test analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a test analyst has an average salary of $70,997, which is higher than the $70,162 average annual salary of a design analyst.
The top three skills for a design analyst include project management, design process and management system. The most important skills for a test analyst are test scripts, test plan, and regression.
| Design Analyst | Test Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $70,162 | $70,997 |
| Hourly rate | $33.73 | $34.13 |
| Growth rate | 9% | - |
| Number of jobs | 120,454 | 91,308 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
The duties of a design analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In a corporate setting, their responsibilities typically revolve around performing research and analysis to identify the company or the client's needs, determining areas needing improvement, and designing new systems to optimize business operations. Aside from utilizing their expertise to recommend efficient designs, a design analyst is also responsible for providing technical support and information assistance to staff, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market. They participate in the development process to monitor the product specifications, review and analyze documentation, and create test systems, implementing them promptly and efficiently. As a test analyst, it is essential to produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and even give recommendations.
Design analysts and test analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Design Analyst | Test Analyst | |
| Average salary | $70,162 | $70,997 |
| Salary range | Between $50,000 And $97,000 | Between $56,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Workday | General Motors |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Finance |
There are a few differences between a design analyst and a test analyst in terms of educational background:
| Design Analyst | Test Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between design analysts' and test analysts' demographics:
| Design Analyst | Test Analyst | |
| Average age | 43 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0% | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 14.6% White, 59.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 11% |