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The differences between senior test engineers and software 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 test engineer and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, 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 software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Senior Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,775 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $39.80 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | - | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 245,814 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| 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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Senior test engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,775 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a senior test engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 70% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between senior test engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Senior Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |