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The differences between staff test engineers and quality assurance leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a staff test engineer and a quality assurance lead. Additionally, a staff test engineer has an average salary of $115,935, which is higher than the $94,758 average annual salary of a quality assurance lead.
The top three skills for a staff test engineer include C++, data analysis and test results. The most important skills for a quality assurance lead are QA, test cases, and test plan.
| Staff Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Yearly salary | $115,935 | $94,758 |
| Hourly rate | $55.74 | $45.56 |
| Growth rate | 3% | - |
| Number of jobs | 123,176 | 82,242 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A quality assurance lead, also known as QA Lead, is responsible for conducting necessary quality tests and analyses for software program and development. As a quality assurance lead, they must take the lead in ensuring quality during development by proactively performing critical evaluations, troubleshooting, and providing precise documentation. It is also essential to identify issues and resolve them as soon as possible. Furthermore, a quality assurance lead must maintain an active line of communication and coordination as most of the work will be in a team setting.
Staff test engineers and quality assurance leads have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Staff Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average salary | $115,935 | $94,758 |
| Salary range | Between $87,000 And $153,000 | Between $72,000 And $123,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a staff test engineer and a quality assurance lead in terms of educational background:
| Staff Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Northeastern University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between staff test engineers' and quality assurance leads' demographics:
| Staff Test Engineer | Quality Assurance Lead | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 63.0% Female, 37.0% |
| 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% |