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The differences between test analysts and quality assurance engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a test analyst and a quality assurance engineer. Additionally, a quality assurance engineer has an average salary of $82,215, which is higher than the $70,997 average annual salary of a test analyst.
The top three skills for a test analyst include test scripts, test plan and regression. The most important skills for a quality assurance engineer are java, python, and regression.
| Test Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $70,997 | $82,215 |
| Hourly rate | $34.13 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 91,308 | 243,536 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market. They participate in the development process to monitor the product specifications, review and analyze documentation, and create test systems, implementing them promptly and efficiently. As a test analyst, it is essential to produce progress reports, prepare presentations, and even give recommendations.
A Quality Assurance Engineer's role is to oversee the overall production and ensure that the product is cost-efficient and aligns with the company's standards. The responsibility mainly revolves around conducting activities that examine and scrutinize the condition of a product or service to identify issues and come up with possible solutions to resolve the issue or attain stronger customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the Quality Assurance Engineer must also ensure that the product adheres to the government regulations and market guidelines.
Test analysts and quality assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $70,997 | $82,215 |
| Salary range | Between $56,000 And $88,000 | Between $61,000 And $109,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | New Hampshire | California |
| Best paying company | General Motors | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a test analyst and a quality assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between test analysts' and quality assurance engineers' demographics:
| Test Analyst | Quality Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8% | Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5% |
| 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% |