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The differences between test design engineers and test engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a test design engineer, becoming a test engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a test design engineer has an average salary of $88,403, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a test design engineer include test equipment, RF and python. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Test Design Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,403 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $42.50 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | 2% | - |
| Number of jobs | 125,776 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
A Test Design Engineer's job is to critically check all materials, processes, electrical, and mechanical systems to ensure that customers get high-quality products. As a Test Design Engineer, your job is to run tests to check the quality of products throughout the production cycle. This is done by checking the various components and features of these products to identify and fix technical issues easily. Your duties will also include checking the raw materials used for production, creating test environments and analyzing the results, and trying to ascertain the root cause of the malfunctions.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Test design engineers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Design Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,403 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $115,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Health Care | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a test design engineer and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Design Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 76% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Michigan Technological University | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between test design engineers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Test Design Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 41 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% | 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 | 5% | 11% |