Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between software test analysts and senior quality analysts 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 a senior quality analyst. Additionally, a senior quality analyst has an average salary of $89,722, 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 a senior quality analyst are data analysis, test cases, and QA.
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $89,722 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $43.14 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 126,363 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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.
A senior quality assurance analyst specializes in inspecting and assessing the quality of software and systems in a company, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include developing specific test structures, coordinating with different departments to gather data, troubleshooting, and studying client complaints to prevent issues from happening again. They may also perform regular maintenance checks, recommending solutions as needed. Furthermore, as a senior quality assurance analyst, it is essential to lead the quality assurance efforts on systems, all while serving as a mentor and role model to junior analysts.
Software test analysts and senior quality analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Analyst | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $89,722 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $71,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Delaware |
| Best paying company | IDEXX | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software test analyst and a senior quality analyst in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between software test analysts' and senior quality analysts' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2% |
| 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% |