Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between automation engineers and automation 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 an automation engineer and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation engineer has an average salary of $92,597, which is higher than the $85,353 average annual salary of an automation test engineer.
The top three skills for an automation engineer include python, java and PLC. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Automation Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $92,597 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $44.52 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 133,941 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation engineer takes charge of developing detailed design specifications and any other documents. Automation engineers develop automation software that is based on certain requirements for the involved process. They conform to local standards, international standards, and other process-oriented guidelines. Their duties also include the simulation and testing of automated machinery and processes. The must-have skills for this position include configuration software experience, scripting and coding expertise, certifications, and in-depth knowledge of technology.
Automation Test Engineers are licensed professionals who work with clients on various IT or engineering-related activities. They are part of the growing automation industry. They create software solutions related to the automation of processes, and they work with clients to identify automation opportunities based on the existing software, hardware, and other processes. They have to understand their clients' needs and find the appropriate software solutions based on the clients' needs. Automation test engineers help design these software solutions. The majority of their work is related to testing these software solutions. They conduct quality checks to ensure that the software solution is working properly. They also check whether the software solution truly addresses the clients' needs.
Automation engineers and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $92,597 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $70,000 And $121,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation engineer and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 69% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between automation engineers' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Automation Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.0% Female, 13.0% | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% |
| 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% |