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The differences between senior testers and test 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 tester and a test analyst. Additionally, a senior tester has an average salary of $84,660, which is higher than the $70,997 average annual salary of a test analyst.
The top three skills for a senior tester include java, test results and linux. The most important skills for a test analyst are test scripts, test plan, and regression.
| Senior Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $84,660 | $70,997 |
| Hourly rate | $40.70 | $34.13 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 36,535 | 91,308 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Senior testers are professionals who supervise junior-level testers that conduct testing for computer software for errors or any problems faced by end-users. These testers must attend discussion meetings to review and analyze business requirements and technical specifications with developers and business users. They must work with the quality assurance (QA) team to identify discrepancies and test the new application. Senior testers must also gather test results and document all defects to create the test completion document as per the requirement of end-users.
The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market. They participate in the development process to monitor the product specifications, review and analyze documentation, and create test systems, implementing them promptly and efficiently. As a test analyst, it is essential to produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and even give recommendations.
Senior testers and test analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Average salary | $84,660 | $70,997 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $114,000 | Between $56,000 And $88,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Amazon | General Motors |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Finance |
There are a few differences between a senior tester and a test analyst in terms of educational background:
| Senior Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between senior testers' and test analysts' demographics:
| Senior Tester | Test Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% |
| 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% |