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The differences between automation testers 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 tester and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation test engineer has an average salary of $85,353, which is higher than the $82,429 average annual salary of an automation tester.
The top three skills for an automation tester include java, jenkins and QA. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Automation Tester | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $82,429 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $39.63 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 47,656 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
An automation tester is responsible for evaluating automated system processes to ensure its stability and efficiency to support business functions and operational development. Automation testers create reports on findings, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the procedures, and providing recommendations for process improvement. They also join the technology team on conducting system configuration and improving system infrastructure, resolving network issues, and designing automation tools. An automation tester must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as network navigation and programming codes, enhancing technical frameworks for optimization.
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 testers and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Automation Tester | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $82,429 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $107,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Ramon, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | Delaware | California |
| Best paying company | Bloomberg | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an automation tester and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Automation Tester | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 74% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between automation testers' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Automation Tester | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 63.6% Female, 36.4% | 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% |