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The differences between hardware test engineers and senior test engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a hardware test engineer, becoming a senior test engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a hardware test engineer has an average salary of $108,602, which is higher than the $82,775 average annual salary of a senior test engineer.
The top three skills for a hardware test engineer include python, test equipment and C++. The most important skills for a senior test engineer are test cases, python, and java.
| Hardware Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $108,602 | $82,775 |
| Hourly rate | $52.21 | $39.80 |
| Growth rate | 5% | - |
| Number of jobs | 77,022 | 245,814 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 4 |
A hardware test engineer is an IT professional who is responsible for designing, implementing, and executing plans to test computer hardware systems. Hardware test engineers must collaborate with design engineers and the program team to plan the execution of test plans through the entire product development cycle. They are required to develop technical specifications for testers and accepting test equipment from vendors. Hardware test engineers should also be highly knowledgeable in programming languages such as Python and C++.
A senior test engineer is an individual who is responsible for developing and implementing cost-effective methods of testing and troubleshooting computer systems and equipment. Senior test engineers must assist junior engineers in developing test plans and conducting testing activities on complex systems to meet program requirements. They aid in the areas of predictability, manufacturing processing, and improvement in the equipment and process. Senior test engineers must also develop proposal inputs and reviews documents generated by junior engineers.
Hardware test engineers and senior test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Hardware Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $108,602 | $82,775 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $142,000 | Between $63,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a hardware test engineer and a senior test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Hardware Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between hardware test engineers' and senior test engineers' demographics:
| Hardware Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.7% Female, 8.3% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.1% Unknown, 2.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 30.6% White, 50.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% | 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 | 4% | 11% |