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The differences between senior automation test engineers and lead test technicians 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 automation test engineer and a lead test technician. Additionally, a senior automation test engineer has an average salary of $97,825, which is higher than the $81,566 average annual salary of a lead test technician.
The top three skills for a senior automation test engineer include java, api testing and mobile testing. The most important skills for a lead test technician are java, QA, and test strategy.
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $97,825 | $81,566 |
| Hourly rate | $47.03 | $39.21 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 109,068 | 51,060 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior automation test engineer is responsible for using innovative engineering methods to automate the systems within the company. They must troubleshoot various problems related to automation and test different plans for large-scale projects. They should be able to design effective systems that interact with client-side functionality.
Lead test technicians are professionals who are responsible for leading a group of test professionals to test products and report their findings to engineers or product developers. These technicians are required to design and develop test plans and procedures so that they can validate the requirements of products. They are required to use various test equipment as well as to conduct maintenance to ensure the product's functionality and quality. Lead test technicians must also gather and analyze user feedback to improve the overall user experience and satisfaction.
Senior automation test engineers and lead test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $97,825 | $81,566 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $122,000 | Between $65,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | Macy's |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior automation test engineer and a lead test technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior automation test engineers' and lead test technicians' demographics:
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5% | Male, 70.3% Female, 29.7% |
| 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% |