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The differences between junior quality assurance engineers and quality assurance testers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a junior quality assurance engineer and a quality assurance tester. Additionally, a quality assurance tester has an average salary of $74,140, which is higher than the $69,173 average annual salary of a junior quality assurance engineer.
The top three skills for a junior quality assurance engineer include java, jira and regression. The most important skills for a quality assurance tester are manual test cases, regression, and test scripts.
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $69,173 | $74,140 |
| Hourly rate | $33.26 | $35.64 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 107,440 | 82,396 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
In a manufacturing setting, a junior quality assurance engineer specializes in developing and executing quality assurance test procedures in adherence to the company's standards and regulations. They are typically in charge of reviewing production plans and designs, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current methods, addressing issues and concerns, and performing corrective measures in a timely manner. Furthermore, as a junior quality assurance engineer, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating every quality assurance activity.
A quality assurance tester, also known as QA tester, has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry involved. In a computer development setting, they are in charge of working and coordinating with technical engineers. They have to conduct regular tests for new software and programs, identify inconsistencies, and find areas for improvement. Furthermore, a quality assurance tester must produce reports from the tests, which can be the basis of progress for further developments.
Junior quality assurance engineers and quality assurance testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average salary | $69,173 | $74,140 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $89,000 | Between $55,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Interactive Brokers | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Finance |
There are a few differences between a junior quality assurance engineer and a quality assurance tester in terms of educational background:
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between junior quality assurance engineers' and quality assurance testers' demographics:
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% |
| 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% |