Staff test engineer vs quality assurance specialist

The differences between staff test engineers and quality assurance specialists 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 specialist. Additionally, a staff test engineer has an average salary of $115,935, which is higher than the $63,443 average annual salary of a quality assurance specialist.

The top three skills for a staff test engineer include C++, data analysis and test results. The most important skills for a quality assurance specialist are GMP, patients, and FDA.

Staff test engineer vs quality assurance specialist overview

	Staff Test Engineer	Quality Assurance Specialist
Yearly salary	$115,935	$63,443
Hourly rate	$55.74	$30.50
Growth rate	3%	6%
Number of jobs	123,176	83,505
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a staff test engineer do?

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.

What does a quality assurance specialist do?

A quality assurance specialist is an individual who is responsible for monitoring, inspecting, and proposing measures to correct and improve a company's product. Quality assurance specialists need to outline quality assurance policies and procedures, making sure that quality standards are assured. It is important that a quality assurance specialist should have strong attention to detail and is excellent in data collection. This work may require a minimum of bachelor's degree and certification to get certified.

Staff test engineer vs quality assurance specialist salary

Staff test engineers and quality assurance specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Staff Test Engineer	Quality Assurance Specialist
Average salary	$115,935	$63,443
Salary range	Between $87,000 And $153,000	Between $41,000 And $97,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Google	Apple
Best paying industry	Automotive	Pharmaceutical

Differences between staff test engineer and quality assurance specialist education

There are a few differences between a staff test engineer and a quality assurance specialist in terms of educational background:

	Staff Test Engineer	Quality Assurance Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	Northeastern University	Stanford University

Staff test engineer vs quality assurance specialist demographics

Here are the differences between staff test engineers' and quality assurance specialists' demographics:

	Staff Test Engineer	Quality Assurance Specialist
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4%	Male, 42.8% Female, 57.2%
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%

Differences between staff test engineer and quality assurance specialist duties and responsibilities

Staff test engineer example responsibilities.

Construct and manage a complete VMware environment for testing multiple Openstack instances of different configurations.
Conduct subsystem / system level payload digital / rf testing of major communications satellite programs.
Log bugs find during test execution and determine root cause using Microsoft Windbg debugging tool.
Execute debugging and verify analog, digital test circuits using oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzer, and logic analyzer.
Lead planning, design, implementation, and execution of RF performance/parametric, stability, and functional validation & verification activities.
Develop automated temperature-cycle calibrations for analog and digital transducers.

Quality assurance specialist example responsibilities.

Manage all NDT relate gauges to ensure calibrations requirements are meet.
Provide employee training and manage all NDT certification records per ASNT SNT-TC-1A.
Lead the HACCP team to ensure full compliance with regulatory and industrial food safety standards.
Manage product and environmental sampling for chemical and microbial analysis to meet HACCP requirements.
Lead cross functional project team to build user-friendly windows base customer support applications which interface with the OmniPlan/OmniPlus mainframe application.
Execute quality processes in tissue banking and medical device, FDA requirements 21 CFR 1271 and 21 CFR 820.

Staff test engineer vs quality assurance specialist skills

Common staff test engineer skills

C++, 9%
Data Analysis, 8%
Test Results, 5%
RF, 5%
Test Equipment, 5%
Test Cases, 5%

Common quality assurance specialist skills

GMP, 6%
Patients, 5%
FDA, 5%
CAPA, 4%
Corrective Action, 4%
CFR, 4%

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Staff Test Engineer vs Quality Assurance Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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