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The differences between senior associate quality assurances and quality assurance leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a senior associate quality assurance and a quality assurance lead. Additionally, a quality assurance lead has an average salary of $94,758, which is higher than the $77,556 average annual salary of a senior associate quality assurance.
The top three skills for a senior associate quality assurance include QA, GMP and oversight. The most important skills for a quality assurance lead are QA, test cases, and test plan.
| Senior Associate Quality Assurance | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $77,556 | $94,758 |
| Hourly rate | $37.29 | $45.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 64,796 | 82,242 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The quality assurance associate works alongside the production team to ensure and maintain the quality of products and services provided by the company. The senior QA associate works with the production team and gives critical evaluations of the company's products and services. The senior QA associate works with the entire quality assurance team to make sure that customers get the best and, in return, create trust and confidence. The QA associate is one of the vital positions in a company.
A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation. It is also essential to identify issues and resolve them as soon as possible. Furthermore, a quality assurance lead must maintain an active line of communication and coordination as most of the work will be in a team setting.
Senior associate quality assurances and quality assurance leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Associate Quality Assurance | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average salary | $77,556 | $94,758 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $98,000 | Between $72,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Biogen | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Internet | Retail |
There are a few differences between a senior associate quality assurance and a quality assurance lead in terms of educational background:
| Senior Associate Quality Assurance | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Biology | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior associate quality assurances' and quality assurance leads' demographics:
| Senior Associate Quality Assurance | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 37.2% Female, 62.8% | 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% |