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The differences between performance testers and system 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 system test engineer. Additionally, a system test engineer has an average salary of $100,751, which is higher than the $88,120 average annual salary of a performance tester.
The top three skills for a performance tester include test results, java and web services. The most important skills for a system test engineer are python, test procedures, and C++.
| Performance Tester | System Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,120 | $100,751 |
| Hourly rate | $42.37 | $48.44 |
| Growth rate | 11% | - |
| Number of jobs | 35,277 | 131,653 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
A system test engineer is responsible for performing diagnostic tests on computer systems and applications, measuring its performance and efficiency, and recommending technical solutions as needed. System test engineers assist in system configuration and network infrastructure, ensuring that the deliverables meet the business requirements and project specifications. They should have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command of programming languages, to automate scripts for quality check methodologies. A system test engineer coordinates with the technology team in improving the user interface, including navigation and server stability.
Performance testers and system test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Tester | System Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,120 | $100,751 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $76,000 And $132,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Petaluma, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Populus Group | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Professional |
There are a few differences between a performance tester and a system test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Performance Tester | System Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between performance testers' and system test engineers' demographics:
| Performance Tester | System Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 80.3% Female, 19.7% |
| 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% |