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The differences between software test analysts and senior quality assurance 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 assurance analyst. Additionally, a senior quality assurance analyst has an average salary of $93,563, 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 assurance analyst are QA, manual test cases, and regression.
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $93,563 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $44.98 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 123,719 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| 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.
Senior quality assurance analysts are responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance standards within an organization. They collect and analyze data to reinforce proposed projects, systems requirements, and business cases. These will include writing scripts and test plans to monitor errors and fixes in product and software development, operational systems, and information systems. Besides, they are also responsible for several tasks, including preparing reports and recommendations, communicating with suppliers and vendors in assessing applications, and conducting internal audits.
Software test analysts and senior quality assurance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $93,563 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $74,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | California |
| Best paying company | IDEXX | Riot Games |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a software test analyst and a senior quality assurance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between software test analysts' and senior quality assurance analysts' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| 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% |