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The differences between senior automation engineers and 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 test engineer. Additionally, a senior automation engineer has an average salary of $107,866, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a senior automation engineer include python, java and PLC. The most important skills for a test engineer are python, C++, and C #.
| Senior Automation Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $107,866 | $79,832 |
| Hourly rate | $51.86 | $38.38 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 211,113 | 228,974 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| 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.
Test engineers are professionals who observe and record the quality of products, which includes functionality, durability, speed, and safety. They are responsible for checking the materials and procedures thoroughly throughout the production cycle. It is their duty to run tests on different criteria to identify and fix technical issues. They analyze reactions to determine the causes of malfunctions and recommend potential improvements. Moreover, they test products before they are launched to ensure customers get high-quality and functional products.
Senior automation engineers and test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Automation Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $107,866 | $79,832 |
| Salary range | Between $83,000 And $138,000 | Between $60,000 And $104,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Telecommunication |
There are a few differences between a senior automation engineer and a test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Senior Automation Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 71% | Bachelor's Degree, 72% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between senior automation engineers' and test engineers' demographics:
| Senior Automation Engineer | Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.9% Female, 13.1% | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% |
| 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% |