Test specialist vs quality assurance consultant

The differences between test specialists and quality assurance consultants 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 specialist and a quality assurance consultant. Additionally, a quality assurance consultant has an average salary of $86,486, which is higher than the $76,761 average annual salary of a test specialist.

The top three skills for a test specialist include test results, test cases and java. The most important skills for a quality assurance consultant are QA, manual test cases, and regression.

Test specialist vs quality assurance consultant overview

	Test Specialist	Quality Assurance Consultant
Yearly salary	$76,761	$86,486
Hourly rate	$36.90	$41.58
Growth rate	-	-
Number of jobs	58,423	91,395
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a test specialist do?

A test specialist is responsible for evaluating and running diagnostic tests for system networks and applications to ensure stability and efficiency according to the quality standards. Test specialists analyze the system's features and write findings reports for improvement and technical resolutions. They also help system engineers in developing infrastructures and designing servers to support business operations and maximize productivity. A test specialist must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in identifying malfunctions and inconsistencies before the actual launch of deliverables.

What does a quality assurance consultant do?

A quality assurance consultant specializes in recommending and optimizing quality-control procedures ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. They typically conduct research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current quality control operations, implement solutions on problem areas, review policies and regulations, and coordinate with other staff to gather necessary data, analyzing them to find new opportunities for improvement. Furthermore, as a quality assurance consultant, it is essential to recommend solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its mission and vision.

Test specialist vs quality assurance consultant salary

Test specialists and quality assurance consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Test Specialist	Quality Assurance Consultant
Average salary	$76,761	$86,486
Salary range	Between $61,000 And $96,000	Between $67,000 And $110,000
Highest paying City	Columbia, MD	Redwood City, CA
Highest paying state	Maryland	New Hampshire
Best paying company	Sony Interactive Entertainment America	Southern California Edison
Best paying industry	-	Finance

Differences between test specialist and quality assurance consultant education

There are a few differences between a test specialist and a quality assurance consultant in terms of educational background:

	Test Specialist	Quality Assurance Consultant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Test specialist vs quality assurance consultant demographics

Here are the differences between test specialists' and quality assurance consultants' demographics:

	Test Specialist	Quality Assurance Consultant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 62.1% Female, 37.9%	Male, 57.9% Female, 42.1%
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%

Differences between test specialist and quality assurance consultant duties and responsibilities

Test specialist example responsibilities.

Create weekly drive routes and work with RF engineers to achieve desire coverage.
Manage defects and finalize testing documents to meet standards of IBM's QA process.
Validate the UI and backend of web base applications that are used to manage medical information.
Lead UAT testing for the local project, as well as maintained test activity logs, reporting status to management.
Deal with clients or their representatives during the entire SDLC, UAT and post releases.
Defect reporting and tracking using ALM.

Quality assurance consultant example responsibilities.

Build management within TFS and deployment with a globalize development team in a manage system.
Manage QC oversight for multiple contract manufacturers.
Develop UAT strategy identify numerous show stopper defects and manage corrective actions for each defect.
Perform performance and stress tests using Jmeter.
Aid in optimization of website architecture / UI UX
Test the application using TalkBack on android devices.

Test specialist vs quality assurance consultant skills

Common test specialist skills

Test Results, 7%
Test Cases, 7%
Java, 6%
Test Data, 4%
Test Scripts, 4%
Regression, 4%

Common quality assurance consultant skills

QA, 10%
Manual Test Cases, 5%
Regression, 5%
SQL Server, 5%
Test Scripts, 4%
Selenium Webdriver, 4%

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Test Specialist vs Quality Assurance Consultant

Updated January 8, 2025

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