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The differences between senior automation test engineers and senior quality assurance engineers 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 senior quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, which is higher than the $97,825 average annual salary of a senior automation test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior automation test engineer include java, api testing and mobile testing. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance engineer are QA, java, and python.
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $97,825 | $106,802 |
| Hourly rate | $47.03 | $51.35 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 109,068 | 254,258 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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.
A senior quality assurance engineer oversees the testing procedures conducted in software development, ensuring technical accuracy and efficiency. They are primarily responsible for working alongside software designers and quality engineers, reviewing quality control reports, inspecting specifications, and devising particular test procedures. Moreover, it is also essential to troubleshoot issues and identify any inconsistencies or bugs. As someone with more experience in the team, they must supervise and serve as a mentor to the younger quality assurance engineers in the joint effort to develop efficient software.
Senior automation test engineers and senior quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $97,825 | $106,802 |
| Salary range | Between $78,000 And $122,000 | Between $82,000 And $138,000 |
| Highest paying City | Redwood City, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Koch Industries | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior automation test engineer and a senior quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior automation test engineers' and senior quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Senior Automation Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.5% Female, 26.5% | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% |
| 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% |