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The differences between test & development engineers and test design engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a test & development engineer, becoming a test design engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a test design engineer has an average salary of $88,403, 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 test design engineer are test equipment, RF, and python.
| Test & Development Engineer | Test Design Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $80,977 | $88,403 |
| Hourly rate | $38.93 | $42.50 |
| Growth rate | 3% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 97,438 | 125,776 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
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 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 & development engineers and test design engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test & Development Engineer | Test Design Engineer | |
| Average salary | $80,977 | $88,403 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $106,000 | Between $67,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Health Care |
There are a few differences between a test & development engineer and a test design engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test & Development Engineer | Test Design Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 76% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | Georgia Institute of Technology | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between test & development engineers' and test design engineers' demographics:
| Test & Development Engineer | Test Design Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 88.4% Female, 11.6% | Male, 87.2% Female, 12.8% |
| 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, 3.1% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 7.9% Asian, 17.2% White, 67.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 5% |