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The differences between performance test leads 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 performance test lead and a test engineer. Additionally, a performance test lead has an average salary of $96,573, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a performance test lead include java, provide management and test scenarios. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Performance Test Lead | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $96,573 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $46.43 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 42,925 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Performance test lead positions require a high school diploma or GED and generally pay around $79K per year. This position calls on individuals who have a clear understanding of business needs and possessing skills in test development, design, and data management. Performance test leads oversee all test activity for given projects, partner with stakeholders to ensure effective planning and definition of requirements, and analyze requirements.
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.
Performance test leads and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Test Lead | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $96,573 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $124,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | NVIDIA | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a performance test lead and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Performance Test Lead | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Business | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between performance test leads' and test engineers' demographics:
| Performance Test Lead | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | 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% |