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The differences between junior testers and 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 test engineer. Additionally, a test engineer has an average salary of $79,832, 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 test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Junior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,002 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $33.65 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 44,154 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Junior testers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Junior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,002 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $52,000 And $93,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Arlington, VA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Virginia | California |
| Best paying company | QSSI | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a junior tester and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Junior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between junior testers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Junior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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% |