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The differences between lead test technicians and quality assurance leads 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 test technician and a quality assurance lead. Additionally, a quality assurance lead has an average salary of $94,758, which is higher than the $81,566 average annual salary of a lead test technician.
The top three skills for a lead test technician include java, QA and test strategy. The most important skills for a quality assurance lead are QA, test cases, and test plan.
| Lead Test Technician | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $81,566 | $94,758 |
| Hourly rate | $39.21 | $45.56 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 51,060 | 82,242 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Lead test technicians are professionals who are responsible for leading a group of test professionals to test products and report their findings to engineers or product developers. These technicians are required to design and develop test plans and procedures so that they can validate the requirements of products. They are required to use various test equipment as well as to conduct maintenance to ensure the product's functionality and quality. Lead test technicians must also gather and analyze user feedback to improve the overall user experience and satisfaction.
A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation. It is also essential to identify issues and resolve them as soon as possible. Furthermore, a quality assurance lead must maintain an active line of communication and coordination as most of the work will be in a team setting.
Lead test technicians and quality assurance leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Lead Test Technician | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average salary | $81,566 | $94,758 |
| Salary range | Between $65,000 And $101,000 | Between $72,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Macy's | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a lead test technician and a quality assurance lead in terms of educational background:
| Lead Test Technician | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between lead test technicians' and quality assurance leads' demographics:
| Lead Test Technician | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7% | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% |
| 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% |