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The differences between senior quality assurance engineers and senior test 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 quality assurance engineer and a senior test engineer. Additionally, a senior quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $106,802, which is higher than the $82,775 average annual salary of a senior test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior quality assurance engineer include QA, java and python. The most important skills for a senior test engineer are test cases, python, and java.
| Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,802 | $82,775 |
| Hourly rate | $51.35 | $39.80 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 254,258 | 245,814 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A senior test engineer is an individual who is responsible for developing and implementing cost-effective methods of testing and troubleshooting computer systems and equipment. Senior test engineers must assist junior engineers in developing test plans and conducting testing activities on complex systems to meet program requirements. They aid in the areas of predictability, manufacturing processing, and improvement in the equipment and process. Senior test engineers must also develop proposal inputs and reviews documents generated by junior engineers.
Senior quality assurance engineers and senior test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,802 | $82,775 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $138,000 | Between $63,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior quality assurance engineer and a senior test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior quality assurance engineers' and senior test engineers' demographics:
| Senior Quality Assurance Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 68.0% Female, 32.0% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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% |