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The differences between performance testers and software 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 tester and a software test engineer. Additionally, a performance tester has an average salary of $88,120, which is higher than the $85,338 average annual salary of a software test engineer.
The top three skills for a performance tester include test results, java and web services. The most important skills for a software test engineer are python, java, and test automation.
| Performance Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,120 | $85,338 |
| Hourly rate | $42.37 | $41.03 |
| Growth rate | 11% | - |
| Number of jobs | 35,277 | 243,382 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A performance tester is an industrial worker who identifies the stability, scalability, speed, and responsiveness of non-functional software in a given workload. The performance testers make sure that an application's critical components are performing well. They assess resource usage and other quality attributes, preparing it for production. Among the skills necessary to land this job are analytical, attention to detail, communication, and critical thinking.
Software engineers are responsible for coordinating the process of analyzing computer software programs. This process requires creating and implementing testing methods, documenting the test results, and providing recommendations for software improvements. They are also responsible for other tasks, including writing software testing procedures and creating testing scripts using different programming languages. A software engineer also collaborates with software developers and other staff members from the start and completion of a particular project. Having a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or information technology is needed to become a software engineer.
Performance testers and software test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,120 | $85,338 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $63,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Populus Group | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a performance tester and a software test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Performance Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between performance testers' and software test engineers' demographics:
| Performance Tester | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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% |