Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between quality assurance engineers and testers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a quality assurance engineer and a tester. Additionally, a quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $82,215, which is higher than the $65,202 average annual salary of a tester.
The top three skills for a quality assurance engineer include java, python and regression. The most important skills for a tester are java, test results, and web application.
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $82,215 | $65,202 |
| Hourly rate | $39.53 | $31.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 243,536 | 52,595 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Quality Assurance Engineer's role is to oversee the overall production and ensure that the product is cost-efficient and aligns with the company's standards. The responsibility mainly revolves around conducting activities that examine and scrutinize the condition of a product or service to identify issues and come up with possible solutions to resolve the issue or attain stronger customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance Engineer must also ensure that the product adheres to the government regulations and market guidelines.
The role of technical testers is to test computer software for defects, bug errors, or any issues that may come across by an end-user. They mainly conduct product testing and prepare reports about any problems or recommendations for improvements. Other responsibilities include reviewing test plans, assessing and analyzing product specifications and requirements, and mapping out testing strategy. Technical testers also frame the test environments or support network management staff and system administrators. Qualifications for this position include knowledge of the database or structured query language, proficiency in Linux commands, and proficiency in defect tracking tools.
Quality assurance engineers and testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Tester | |
| Average salary | $82,215 | $65,202 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $109,000 | Between $42,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Maryland |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance engineer and a tester in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between quality assurance engineers' and testers' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Engineer | Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% | 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% |