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The differences between senior test engineers and senior quality assurance analysts 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 senior quality assurance analyst. Additionally, a senior quality assurance analyst has an average salary of $93,563, which is higher than the $82,775 average annual salary of a senior test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior test engineer include test cases, python and java. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance analyst are QA, manual test cases, and regression.
| Senior Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $82,775 | $93,563 |
| Hourly rate | $39.80 | $44.98 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 245,814 | 123,719 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Senior quality assurance analysts are responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance standards within an organization. They collect and analyze data to reinforce proposed projects, systems requirements, and business cases. These will include writing scripts and test plans to monitor errors and fixes in product and software development, operational systems, and information systems. Besides, they are also responsible for several tasks, including preparing reports and recommendations, communicating with suppliers and vendors in assessing applications, and conducting internal audits.
Senior test engineers and senior quality assurance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $82,775 | $93,563 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $74,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Riot Games | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior test engineer and a senior quality assurance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Senior Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | - |
Here are the differences between senior test engineers' and senior quality assurance analysts' demographics:
| Senior Test Engineer | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| 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% |