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The differences between software test analysts and automation 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 software test analyst and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation test engineer has an average salary of $85,353, which is higher than the $78,713 average annual salary of a software test analyst.
The top three skills for a software test analyst include test scripts, test results and regression. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Software Test Analyst | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
Software test analysts negotiate testing criteria, conduct tests, and report the data gathered from testing. They collaborate with customers and vendors to clarify use cases for the test products. They use this information to formulate testing protocols and to ensure software meets users' expectations.
Automation Test Engineers are licensed professionals who work with clients on various IT or engineering-related activities. They are part of the growing automation industry. They create software solutions related to the automation of processes, and they work with clients to identify automation opportunities based on the existing software, hardware, and other processes. They have to understand their clients' needs and find the appropriate software solutions based on the clients' needs. Automation test engineers help design these software solutions. The majority of their work is related to testing these software solutions. They conduct quality checks to ensure that the software solution is working properly. They also check whether the software solution truly addresses the clients' needs.
Software test analysts and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | IDEXX | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software test analyst and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between software test analysts' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| 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% |