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The differences between performance testers and test analysts 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 test analyst. Additionally, a performance tester has an average salary of $88,120, which is higher than the $70,997 average annual salary of a test analyst.
The top three skills for a performance tester include test results, java and web services. The most important skills for a test analyst are test scripts, test plan, and regression.
| Performance Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $88,120 | $70,997 |
| Hourly rate | $42.37 | $34.13 |
| Growth rate | 11% | - |
| Number of jobs | 35,277 | 91,308 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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.
The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market. They participate in the development process to monitor the product specifications, review and analyze documentation, and create test systems, implementing them promptly and efficiently. As a test analyst, it is essential to produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and even give recommendations.
Performance testers and test analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Performance Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Average salary | $88,120 | $70,997 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $112,000 | Between $56,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Populus Group | General Motors |
| Best paying industry | Utilities | Finance |
There are a few differences between a performance tester and a test analyst in terms of educational background:
| Performance Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 73% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between performance testers' and test analysts' demographics:
| Performance Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% |
| 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% |