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The differences between junior quality assurance testers and quality assurance consultants 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 tester and a quality assurance consultant. Additionally, a quality assurance consultant has an average salary of $86,486, which is higher than the $62,660 average annual salary of a junior quality assurance tester.
The top three skills for a junior quality assurance tester include QA, manual test cases and regression. The most important skills for a quality assurance consultant are QA, manual test cases, and regression.
| Junior Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $62,660 | $86,486 |
| Hourly rate | $30.12 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 92,642 | 91,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior quality assurance tester is responsible for facilitating different quality assurance, such as integration and performance testing of software systems. They handle the communication process between stakeholders and clients and resolve issues like bugs, viruses, and other unwanted software. They also develop and maintain a collaborative partnership with different agencies and software developers. They usually work with a supervising quality assurance tester and with other business groups to complete testing.
A quality assurance consultant specializes in recommending and optimizing quality-control procedures ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They typically conduct research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current quality control operations, implement solutions on problem areas, review policies and regulations, and coordinate with other staff to gather necessary data, analyzing them to find new opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, as a quality assurance consultant, it is essential to recommend solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.
Junior quality assurance testers and quality assurance consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Average salary | $62,660 | $86,486 |
| Salary range | Between $42,000 And $93,000 | Between $67,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | Burlingame, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Cnsi | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a junior quality assurance tester and a quality assurance consultant in terms of educational background:
| Junior Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between junior quality assurance testers' and quality assurance consultants' demographics:
| Junior Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 49.1% Female, 50.9% | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% |
| 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% |