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The differences between software test analysts and software testers 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 tester. Additionally, a software test analyst has an average salary of $78,713, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for a software test analyst include test scripts, test results and regression. The most important skills for a software tester are test results, regression, and test scripts.
| Software Test Analyst | Software Tester | |
| Yearly salary | $78,713 | $78,580 |
| Hourly rate | $37.84 | $37.78 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 94,928 | 208,853 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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.
The responsibility of software testers involves the quality assurance of software development and deployment. Software testers conduct manual and automated tests to make sure that the software is developed for its purpose. They remove the issues and bugs within a product before deployment to users. Their responsibilities include software and systems analysis, risk mitigation, and software-related issue prevention. They should have skills in automation, programming, social networking, logical thinking, and mobile and web technology.
Software test analysts and software testers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Test Analyst | Software Tester | |
| Average salary | $78,713 | $78,580 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $61,000 And $100,000 |
| Highest paying City | Washington, DC | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | IDEXX | Nordstrom |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software test analyst and a software tester in terms of educational background:
| Software Test Analyst | Software Tester | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| 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 testers' demographics:
| Software Test Analyst | Software Tester | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 59.4% Female, 40.6% | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% |
| 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% |