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The differences between staff test engineers and engineering technician leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a staff test engineer, becoming an engineering technician lead takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a staff test engineer has an average salary of $115,935, which is higher than the $107,373 average annual salary of an engineering technician lead.
The top three skills for a staff test engineer include C++, data analysis and test results. The most important skills for an engineering technician lead are java, python, and C++.
| Staff Test Engineer | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $115,935 | $107,373 |
| Hourly rate | $55.74 | $51.62 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 123,176 | 102,504 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 12 |
A staff test engineer is responsible for setting guidelines for a test plan. They also monitor technicians and other expert engineers. They frequently collaborate with other engineering staff to develop comprehensive testability requirements. They review and suggests testability modules.
Engineering technician leads are technical professionals who lead a team to design and build prototypes of a planned product or equipment. These technician leads are required to provide advice and technical support to the engineering team to resolve technical issues as well as oversee system maintenance and enhancement. They must work with both product development and manufacturing engineers to improve the existing manufacturing processes. Engineering technician leads must also participate in activities related to maintenance and troubleshooting of equipment.
Staff test engineers and engineering technician leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Test Engineer | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average salary | $115,935 | $107,373 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $153,000 | Between $80,000 And $142,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Technology |
There are a few differences between a staff test engineer and an engineering technician lead in terms of educational background:
| Staff Test Engineer | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between staff test engineers' and engineering technician leads' demographics:
| Staff Test Engineer | Engineering Technician Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 50 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 88.9% Female, 11.1% |
| 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, 6.3% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 8.0% White, 70.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |