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The differences between automation test engineers and software 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 test engineer and a software engineer. Additionally, a software engineer has an average salary of $100,260, which is higher than the $85,353 average annual salary of an automation test engineer.
The top three skills for an automation test engineer include java, python and jenkins. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Automation Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $85,353 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $41.04 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | - | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 125,816 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
A software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Automation test engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $85,353 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $64,000 And $112,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Mateo, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between an automation test engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between automation test engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Automation Test Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 73.8% Female, 26.2% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 8% |