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The differences between quality assurance testers and quality assurance consultants 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 tester and a quality assurance consultant. Additionally, a quality assurance consultant has an average salary of $86,486, which is higher than the $74,140 average annual salary of a quality assurance tester.
The top three skills for a quality assurance tester include manual test cases, regression and test scripts. The most important skills for a quality assurance consultant are QA, manual test cases, and regression.
| Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $74,140 | $86,486 |
| Hourly rate | $35.64 | $41.58 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 82,396 | 91,395 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A quality assurance tester, also known as QA tester, has different responsibilities depending on the line of work or industry involved. In a computer development setting, they are in charge of working and coordinating with technical engineers. They have to conduct regular tests for new software and programs, identify inconsistencies, and find areas for improvement. Furthermore, a quality assurance tester must produce reports from the tests, which can be the basis of progress for further developments.
A quality assurance consultant specializes in recommending and optimizing quality-control procedures ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They typically conduct research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current quality control operations, implement solutions on problem areas, review policies and regulations, and coordinate with other staff to gather necessary data, analyzing them to find new opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, as a quality assurance consultant, it is essential to recommend solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.
Quality assurance testers and quality assurance consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Average salary | $74,140 | $86,486 |
| Salary range | Between $55,000 And $99,000 | Between $67,000 And $110,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Redwood City, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maryland | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Apple | Southern California Edison |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a quality assurance tester and a quality assurance consultant in terms of educational background:
| Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between quality assurance testers' and quality assurance consultants' demographics:
| Quality Assurance Tester | Quality Assurance Consultant | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.2% Female, 38.8% | Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1% |
| 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% |