Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between test engineers and senior test 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 engineer and a senior test engineer. Additionally, a senior test engineer has an average salary of $82,775, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a test engineer include python, C++ and C #. The most important skills for a senior test engineer are test cases, python, and java.
| Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,832 | $82,775 |
| Hourly rate | $38.38 | $39.80 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 228,974 | 245,814 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A senior test engineer is an individual who is responsible for developing and implementing cost-effective methods of testing and troubleshooting computer systems and equipment. Senior test engineers must assist junior engineers in developing test plans and conducting testing activities on complex systems to meet program requirements. They aid in the areas of predictability, manufacturing processing, and improvement in the equipment and process. Senior test engineers must also develop proposal inputs and reviews documents generated by junior engineers.
Test engineers and senior test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $79,832 | $82,775 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $104,000 | Between $63,000 And $107,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a test engineer and a senior test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between test engineers' and senior test engineers' demographics:
| Test Engineer | Senior Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% | Male, 79.1% Female, 20.9% |
| 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% |