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The differences between senior 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 test engineer and a lead test technician. Additionally, a senior test engineer has an average salary of $82,775, which is higher than the $81,566 average annual salary of a lead test technician.
The top three skills for a senior test engineer include test cases, python and java. The most important skills for a lead test technician are java, QA, and test strategy.
| Senior Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Yearly salary | $82,775 | $81,566 |
| Hourly rate | $39.80 | $39.21 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 245,814 | 51,060 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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 test engineers and lead test technicians have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Average salary | $82,775 | $81,566 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $65,000 And $101,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Macy's | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a senior test engineer and a lead test technician in terms of educational background:
| Senior Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior test engineers' and lead test technicians' demographics:
| Senior Test Engineer | Lead Test Technician | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | 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% |