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The differences between firmware test engineers and quality assurance specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a firmware test engineer and a quality assurance specialist. Additionally, a firmware test engineer has an average salary of $84,319, which is higher than the $63,443 average annual salary of a quality assurance specialist.
The top three skills for a firmware test engineer include python, firmware and test automation. The most important skills for a quality assurance specialist are GMP, patients, and FDA.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,319 | $63,443 |
| Hourly rate | $40.54 | $30.50 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 6% |
| Number of jobs | 25,699 | 83,505 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Firmware engineers are technical experts who work on programming various devices. They have extensive knowledge of coding and software development. Firmware engineers must understand several programming languages, with the specifics depending on their industry. Designing code and testing proper functionality are additional job responsibilities.
A quality assurance specialist is an individual who is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and proposing measures to correct and improve a company's product. Quality assurance specialists need to outline quality assurance policies and procedures, making sure that quality standards are assured. It is important that a quality assurance specialist should have strong attention to detail and is excellent in data collection. This work may require a minimum of bachelor's degree and certification to get certified.
Firmware test engineers and quality assurance specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,319 | $63,443 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $114,000 | Between $41,000 And $97,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Pharmaceutical |
There are a few differences between a firmware test engineer and a quality assurance specialist in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 58% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between firmware test engineers' and quality assurance specialists' demographics:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Specialist | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2% |
| 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% |