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The differences between software engineering specialists and software testers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a software engineering specialist and a software tester. Additionally, a software engineering specialist has an average salary of $104,819, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for a software engineering specialist include java, software development and python. The most important skills for a software tester are test results, regression, and test scripts.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $104,819 | $78,580 |
| Hourly rate | $50.39 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | 21% | - |
| Number of jobs | 260,865 | 208,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software engineering specialist designs and develops software engineering components. Moreover, they evaluate technical architecture and framework. They conduct tests on software and carry out any updates that are needed. Strong teamwork and communication skills are necessary for this position.
The responsibility of software testers involves the quality assurance of software development and deployment. Software testers conduct manual and automated tests to make sure that the software is developed for its purpose. They remove the issues and bugs within a product before deployment to users. Their responsibilities include software and systems analysis, risk mitigation, and software-related issue prevention. They should have skills in automation, programming, social networking, logical thinking, and mobile and web technology.
Software engineering specialists and software testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Tester | |
| Average salary | $104,819 | $78,580 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $133,000 | Between $61,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Meta | Nordstrom |
| Best paying industry | Media | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software engineering specialist and a software tester in terms of educational background:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Harvard University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between software engineering specialists' and software testers' demographics:
| Software Engineering Specialist | Software Tester | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.6% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 8.4% Asian, 29.8% White, 52.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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 | 8% | 11% |