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The differences between software test analysts and software quality 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 a software quality engineer. Additionally, a software quality engineer has an average salary of $99,902, 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 software quality engineer are software quality, java, and python.
| Software Test Analyst | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $99,902 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $48.03 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 279,437 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| 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 Software Quality Engineer ensures that the software of a company meets all quality standards. They are responsible for software development, inspection, implementation, testing, and verification.
Software test analysts and software quality engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $99,902 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | San Francisco, 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 a software quality engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 69% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between software test analysts' and software quality engineers' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Software Quality Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 67.3% Female, 32.7% |
| 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% |