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The differences between software quality analysts and quality assurance 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 software quality analyst and a quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $82,215, which is higher than the $76,173 average annual salary of a software quality analyst.
The top three skills for a software quality analyst include regression, QA and sql server. The most important skills for a quality assurance engineer are java, python, and regression.
| Software Quality Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $76,173 | $82,215 |
| Hourly rate | $36.62 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 146,751 | 243,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A software quality analyst troubleshoots bugs for a software application. They are responsible for certifying the quality of applications and software. They also evaluate functional problems through regression testing, and they create test strategies based on project requirements. They interact with developers, project managers, customers, and stakeholders.
A Quality Assurance Engineer's role is to oversee the overall production and ensure that the product is cost-efficient and aligns with the company's standards. The responsibility mainly revolves around conducting activities that examine and scrutinize the condition of a product or service to identify issues and come up with possible solutions to resolve the issue or attain stronger customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance Engineer must also ensure that the product adheres to the government regulations and market guidelines.
Software quality analysts and quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Quality Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $76,173 | $82,215 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $97,000 | Between $61,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Genentech | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Non Profits | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software quality analyst and a quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Quality Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | 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 software quality analysts' and quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Software Quality Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 52.0% Female, 48.0% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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% |