Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between junior testers and software test 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 tester and a software test engineer. Additionally, a software test engineer has an average salary of $85,338, which is higher than the $70,002 average annual salary of a junior tester.
The top three skills for a junior tester include test results, test scripts and manual test cases. The most important skills for a software test engineer are python, java, and test automation.
| Junior Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,002 | $85,338 |
| Hourly rate | $33.65 | $41.03 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 44,154 | 243,382 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A junior tester has strong critical thinking skills and is very much familiar with automation. They must be a team player; they work with others to create and test out a software program. They monitor and report issues, like system bugs, and help to fix them. Most of the time, a junior tester works at a company that is related to software, web application, java games, or video games.
Software engineers are responsible for coordinating the process of analyzing computer software programs. This process requires creating and implementing testing methods, documenting the test results, and providing recommendations for software improvements. They are also responsible for other tasks, including writing software testing procedures and creating testing scripts using different programming languages. A software engineer also collaborates with software developers and other staff members from the start and completion of a particular project. Having a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or information technology is needed to become a software engineer.
Junior testers and software test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,002 | $85,338 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $93,000 | Between $63,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | QSSI | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a junior tester and a software test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between junior testers' and software test engineers' demographics:
| Junior Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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% |