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The differences between functional testers 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 functional tester and a senior quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, which is higher than the $76,647 average annual salary of a functional tester.
The top three skills for a functional tester include java, test cases and web application. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Functional Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,647 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $36.85 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 37,146 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
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.
Functional testers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Functional Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,647 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $94,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Cerner | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a functional tester and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Functional Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between functional testers' and senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Functional Tester | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.3% Female, 34.7% | 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% |