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The differences between test managers and senior quality assurance analysts 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 manager and a senior quality assurance analyst. Additionally, a senior quality assurance analyst has an average salary of $93,563, which is higher than the $92,297 average annual salary of a test manager.
The top three skills for a test manager include QA, project management and java. The most important skills for a senior quality assurance analyst are QA, manual test cases, and regression.
| Test Manager | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $92,297 | $93,563 |
| Hourly rate | $44.37 | $44.98 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 27,489 | 123,719 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A test manager is responsible for supervising the content of test activities and ensuring that the scope meets the test requirements. Test managers monitor the test process and determine the accurate strategies to establish efficient methods for the success of test deliveries. They also identify the resources according to quality standards and budget limitations. A test manager oversees the technical controls of the test processes and measures the quality of tools and applications for optimal automation.
Senior quality assurance analysts are responsible for developing and implementing quality assurance standards within an organization. They collect and analyze data to reinforce proposed projects, systems requirements, and business cases. These will include writing scripts and test plans to monitor errors and fixes in product and software development, operational systems, and information systems. Besides, they are also responsible for several tasks, including preparing reports and recommendations, communicating with suppliers and vendors in assessing applications, and conducting internal audits.
Test managers and senior quality assurance analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Manager | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average salary | $92,297 | $93,563 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $119,000 | Between $74,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Riot Games |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Finance |
There are a few differences between a test manager and a senior quality assurance analyst in terms of educational background:
| Test Manager | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between test managers' and senior quality assurance analysts' demographics:
| Test Manager | Senior Quality Assurance Analyst | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.7% Female, 28.3% | Male, 52.8% Female, 47.2% |
| 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% |