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The differences between junior test 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 test engineer and a quality assurance tester. Additionally, a quality assurance tester has an average salary of $74,140, which is higher than the $69,443 average annual salary of a junior test engineer.
The top three skills for a junior test engineer include java, test results and C #. The most important skills for a quality assurance tester are manual test cases, regression, and test scripts.
| Junior Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $69,443 | $74,140 |
| Hourly rate | $33.39 | $35.64 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 72,077 | 82,396 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Junior Test Engineer specializes in developing and implementing quality control tests that ensure product quality and efficiency. They work together with product design teams, determine test parameters, conduct research and analyses, establish guidelines, troubleshoot issues, develop strategies to optimize operations, and create test plans while adhering to the company's standards and regulations. A Junior Test Engineer typically works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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 test engineers and quality assurance testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average salary | $69,443 | $74,140 |
| Salary range | Between $57,000 And $83,000 | Between $55,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | Jersey City, NJ | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | Maryland |
| Best paying company | Sony Interactive Entertainment America | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a junior test engineer and a quality assurance tester in terms of educational background:
| Junior Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between junior test engineers' and quality assurance testers' demographics:
| Junior Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 65.2% Female, 34.8% | 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% |