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The differences between test & development engineers and performance 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 & development engineer and a performance engineer. Additionally, a performance engineer has an average salary of $101,647, which is higher than the $80,977 average annual salary of a test & development engineer.
The top three skills for a test & development engineer include python, test equipment and test development. The most important skills for a performance engineer are java, linux, and performance issues.
| Test & Development Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,977 | $101,647 |
| Hourly rate | $38.93 | $48.87 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 97,438 | 95,652 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A test and development engineer is primarily in charge of developing and conducting quality assurance procedures, ensuring that manufactured products adhere to the company's quality standards and regulations. Their responsibilities include performing research and analysis to identify a company's quality control and assurance needs, examining raw materials and other components, gathering and analyzing data from test procedures, and recommending the best practices and solutions in problem areas. Furthermore, as a test and development engineer, it is essential to maintain an active communication line with staff, coordinating every step of the way.
A Performance Engineer validates system stability and its performance by carrying out load tests. They analyze test outcomes and work diligently with different engineers and developers to deliver excellent bug fix results. These professionals improve system capacity, scalability, reliability, and performance by offering technical assistance. Besides undertaking root cause evaluation of the system's performance problems and giving corrective actions, a performance engineer also recommends system improvements after evaluating the system performance. Also, they oversee the performance lifecycle and then recommend the right improvements.
Test & development engineers and performance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test & Development Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,977 | $101,647 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $106,000 | Between $76,000 And $134,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Meta |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a test & development engineer and a performance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test & Development Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 68% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between test & development engineers' and performance engineers' demographics:
| Test & Development Engineer | Performance Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 83.4% Female, 16.6% |
| 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% |