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The differences between senior automation engineers and software 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 a senior automation engineer and a software test engineer. Additionally, a senior automation engineer has an average salary of $107,866, which is higher than the $85,338 average annual salary of a software test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior automation engineer include python, java and PLC. The most important skills for a software test engineer are python, java, and test automation.
| Senior Automation Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,866 | $85,338 |
| Hourly rate | $51.86 | $41.03 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 211,113 | 243,382 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
A senior automation engineer is responsible for delivering technological solutions designed for software processes. You are expected to collaborate with other teams to help identify and eliminate issues by collecting requirements and executing process automation. Other duties that you will likely perform include identifying new automation opportunities for software processes, designing and implementing quality assurance tests, and identifying bugs and quality issues. You also have to work closely with other departments on how best to improve workflow through automation.
Software engineers are responsible for coordinating the process of analyzing computer software programs. This process requires creating and implementing testing methods, documenting the test results, and providing recommendations for software improvements. They are also responsible for other tasks, including writing software testing procedures and creating testing scripts using different programming languages. A software engineer also collaborates with software developers and other staff members from the start and completion of a particular project. Having a bachelor's degree in software engineering, computer science, or information technology is needed to become a software engineer.
Senior automation engineers and software test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Automation Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,866 | $85,338 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $138,000 | Between $63,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior automation engineer and a software test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Automation Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 70% |
| 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 senior automation engineers' and software test engineers' demographics:
| Senior Automation Engineer | Software Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1% | Male, 68.6% Female, 31.4% |
| 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% |