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The differences between lead software testers and software 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 lead software tester and a software tester. Additionally, a lead software tester has an average salary of $100,101, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for a lead software tester include test cases, software development and scrum. The most important skills for a software tester are test results, regression, and test scripts.
| Lead Software Tester | Software Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $100,101 | $78,580 |
| Hourly rate | $48.13 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 229,582 | 208,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software tester is responsible for performing manual and automated tests to ensure that all software meets quality standards. Their tasks include analyzing and reviewing software and creating solutions for possible risk. Software testing is a process of verifying a computer program and determining if it meets guidelines. This career is essential because it is a significant factor in producing a standardized product.
The responsibility of software testers involves the quality assurance of software development and deployment. Software testers conduct manual and automated tests to make sure that the software is developed for its purpose. They remove the issues and bugs within a product before deployment to users. Their responsibilities include software and systems analysis, risk mitigation, and software-related issue prevention. They should have skills in automation, programming, social networking, logical thinking, and mobile and web technology.
Lead software testers and software testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Software Tester | Software Tester | |
| Average salary | $100,101 | $78,580 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $129,000 | Between $61,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Zscaler | Nordstrom |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a lead software tester and a software tester in terms of educational background:
| Lead Software Tester | Software Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead software testers' and software testers' demographics:
| Lead Software Tester | Software Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% |
| 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% |