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The differences between automation leads 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 lead and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation lead has an average salary of $106,261, which is higher than the $85,353 average annual salary of an automation test engineer.
The top three skills for an automation lead include java, python and C++. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Automation Lead | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $106,261 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $51.09 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 36,010 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An Automation Lead is primarily in charge of testing and operating automated machinery in manufacturing facilities. They typically work together with automation teams, adhere to guidelines and protocols, meet project requirements, and produce progress reports. There are also instances when an automation lead may participate in conceptualizing machinery, conducting research and analyses, and addressing issues and concerns. Moreover, an Automation Lead usually works in a team setting, which requires an active communication line for a smooth and efficient workflow.
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 leads and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Lead | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $106,261 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $82,000 And $137,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Retail | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation lead and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Lead | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 64% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between automation leads' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Automation Lead | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 80.7% Female, 19.3% | 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% |