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The differences between software leaders 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 leader and a software tester. Additionally, a software leader has an average salary of $124,694, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for a software leader include java, python and cloud. The most important skills for a software tester are test results, regression, and test scripts.
| Software Leader | Software Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $124,694 | $78,580 |
| Hourly rate | $59.95 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | 21% | - |
| Number of jobs | 267,920 | 208,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A Software Leader takes responsibility for the execution of his/her /her team and the quality of the team's performance. Software Leaders ensure the cadence of their team's production process. As coaches, leaders mentor and teach the people within the team. They extend help when their team needs it to remove any possible hindrance. Also, they serve as team ambassadors or representatives.
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 leaders and software testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Leader | Software Tester | |
| Average salary | $124,694 | $78,580 |
| Salary range | Between $93,000 And $166,000 | 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 | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software leader and a software tester in terms of educational background:
| Software Leader | Software Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between software leaders' and software testers' demographics:
| Software Leader | Software Tester | |
| Average age | 39 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 4.5% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.3% Asian, 29.9% White, 52.4% 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% |