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The differences between firmware test engineers and senior quality assurance 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 firmware test engineer and a senior quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, which is higher than the $84,319 average annual salary of a firmware test engineer.
The top three skills for a firmware test engineer include python, firmware and test automation. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,319 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $40.54 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 25,699 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 senior quality assurance engineer oversees the testing procedures conducted in software development, ensuring technical accuracy and efficiency. They are primarily responsible for working alongside software designers and quality engineers, reviewing quality control reports, inspecting specifications, and devising particular test procedures. Moreover, it is also essential to troubleshoot issues and identify any inconsistencies or bugs. As someone with more experience in the team, they must supervise and serve as a mentor to the younger quality assurance engineers in the joint effort to develop efficient software.
Firmware test engineers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Firmware Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,319 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $114,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a firmware test engineer and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 75% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between firmware test engineers' and senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Firmware Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 89.2% Female, 10.8% | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% |
| 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% |