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The differences between software testers and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a software tester, becoming a network engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a network engineer has an average salary of $83,557, which is higher than the $78,580 average annual salary of a software tester.
The top three skills for a software tester include test results, regression and test scripts. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Software Tester | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,580 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $37.78 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | - | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 208,853 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 2 |
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.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Software testers and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Software Tester | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,580 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $100,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | Nordstrom | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a software tester and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Software Tester | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 68% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between software testers' and network engineers' demographics:
| Software Tester | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |