Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between junior quality assurance 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 junior quality assurance 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 $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 senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $69,173 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $33.26 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 107,440 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 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.
Junior quality assurance engineers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $69,173 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $53,000 And $89,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Interactive Brokers | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a junior quality assurance engineer and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 82% | 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 junior quality assurance engineers' and senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Junior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.7% Female, 38.3% | 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% |