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The differences between functional testers and quality assurance analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a functional tester and a quality assurance analyst. Additionally, a functional tester has an average salary of $76,647, which is higher than the $73,532 average annual salary of a quality assurance analyst.
The top three skills for a functional tester include java, test cases and web application. The most important skills for a quality assurance analyst are QA, regression, and manual test cases.
| Functional Tester | Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $76,647 | $73,532 |
| Hourly rate | $36.85 | $35.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 37,146 | 108,078 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A functional tester's main responsibility is to validate the behavior of an application and analyzed the requirements of the clients. They are skilled in Java and database design for software development. The tasks they do are complex, including scanning IDs of the receiver and serial numbers on each unit, testing the units to make sure they work properly, and checking for any defects and damages. They are also trained in using numerical codes for passing or failing each unit and writing serial numbers on the production tracker.
Quality Administrators are responsible for managing the quality processes of an organization. Their duties include creating data collection processes, conducting data cleansing, tracks quality milestones, and develop training programs for internal teams. They undertake daily audits, work with the quality coordinator to determine root cause, and assist with feedback and complaints. Quality administrators also write daily reports for purchase orders that are overdue, open service jobs, quotations needing to follow up, unconfirmed hires, and processed sales orders.
Functional testers and quality assurance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Tester | Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $76,647 | $73,532 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $94,000 | Between $57,000 And $93,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Cerner | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Retail |
There are a few differences between a functional tester and a quality assurance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Functional Tester | Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between functional testers' and quality assurance analysts' demographics:
| Functional Tester | Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | Male, 48.9% Female, 51.1% |
| 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% |