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The differences between performance engineers 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 performance engineer and a quality assurance lead. Additionally, a performance engineer has an average salary of $101,647, which is higher than the $94,758 average annual salary of a quality assurance lead.
The top three skills for a performance engineer include java, linux and performance issues. The most important skills for a quality assurance lead are QA, test cases, and test plan.
| Performance Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $101,647 | $94,758 |
| Hourly rate | $48.87 | $45.56 |
| Growth rate | 11% | - |
| Number of jobs | 95,652 | 82,242 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Performance Engineer validates system stability and its performance by carrying out load tests. They analyze test outcomes and work diligently with different engineers and developers to deliver excellent bug fix results. These professionals improve system capacity, scalability, reliability, and performance by offering technical assistance. Besides undertaking root cause evaluation of the system's performance problems and giving corrective actions, a performance engineer also recommends system improvements after evaluating the system performance. Also, they oversee the performance lifecycle and then recommend the right improvements.
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.
Performance engineers and quality assurance leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average salary | $101,647 | $94,758 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $134,000 | Between $72,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Retail |
There are a few differences between a performance engineer and a quality assurance lead in terms of educational background:
| Performance Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between performance engineers' and quality assurance leads' demographics:
| Performance Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% | 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% |