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The differences between senior testers and 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 tester and a test engineer. Additionally, a senior tester has an average salary of $84,660, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior tester include java, test results and linux. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Senior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $84,660 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $40.70 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 36,535 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Senior testers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $84,660 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $114,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | Portland, OR | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Amazon | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior tester and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 67% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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 testers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Senior Tester | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 67.5% Female, 32.5% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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% |