How to hire a senior automation test engineer

How to hire a senior automation test engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step senior automation test engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a senior automation test engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new senior automation test engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a senior automation test engineer do?

Post a senior automation test engineer job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The senior automation test engineer hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A senior automation test engineer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, senior automation test engineers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of senior automation test engineers.

   Type of Senior Automation Test Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Senior Automation Test Engineer		$37-58
   Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead	Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Leads are responsible for managing the designing and operations of hardware or software testing. Their duties include developing testing plans, implement risk mitigation strategies, communicate process improvements to cross-teams such as marketing and engineering, resolve the conflict between teams, and ensures product or software adheres to the organization and industry standards... Show more	$40-68
   Test Analyst	The duties of a test analyst depend on one's line of work or industry of employment. In the information technology setting, a test analyst is responsible for testing computer software or hardware to ensure its quality before being released in the market... Show more	$26-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Java
   • Api Testing
   • Mobile Testing
   • Python
   • Jira
   • Continuous Integration
   • Jenkins
   • Scrum
   • Regression
   • GIT
   • Automation Framework
   • Test Results
   • UI
   • C #

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Perform inter-departmental audits documenting ISO compliant results with associate corrective action requests in order to achieve company-wide certification.
   • Prepare automation test framework (Junit).
   • Attend daily project scrum meetings and weekly team status meetings.
   • Involve in web UI application over HTTP client request protocol.
   • Participate in weekly QA status and project status meetings to report any defects and issues encounter in application.
   • Automate testing by creating a java rules base scheduler to trigger tests on build types and test success states.

   More senior automation test engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your senior automation test engineer job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A senior automation test engineer salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, senior automation test engineers' average salary in alabama is 32% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level senior automation test engineers earn 36% less than senior-level senior automation test engineers.
   • Certifications. A senior automation test engineer with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a senior automation test engineer's salary.

   Average senior automation test engineer salary

   $97,825yearly

   $47.03 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level senior automation test engineer salary

   $78,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average senior automation test engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$125,274	$60
   2	Connecticut	$109,424	$53
   3	District of Columbia	$101,568	$49
   4	Massachusetts	$100,659	$48
   5	Minnesota	$97,487	$47
   6	Arizona	$97,176	$47
   7	Virginia	$96,903	$47
   8	Maryland	$96,437	$46
   9	Delaware	$95,771	$46
   10	Pennsylvania	$95,109	$46
   11	Texas	$94,806	$46
   12	Illinois	$94,757	$46
   13	Ohio	$94,254	$45
   14	New York	$92,948	$45
   15	Georgia	$92,602	$45
   16	Nebraska	$92,504	$44
   17	Missouri	$90,419	$43
   18	Iowa	$86,830	$42
   19	Wisconsin	$85,281	$41
   20	Indiana	$84,752	$41

   Average senior automation test engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Koch Industries	$118,911	$57.17
   2	Neiman Marcus Group	$116,169	$55.85
   3	Arrow Electronics	$115,439	$55.50	7
   4	Randstad North America, Inc.	$111,819	$53.76	9
   5	Open Systems Technologies	$110,908	$53.32
   6	DRS	$110,161	$52.96	13
   7	Motion Recruitment	$109,833	$52.80	13
   8	Daon	$106,139	$51.03
   9	Icma-rc	$105,670	$50.80
   10	Comcast	$105,661	$50.80	18
   11	Discount Tire	$104,937	$50.45
   12	Hewlett Packard Enterprise	$104,588	$50.28	22
   13	Elevance Health	$104,514	$50.25
   14	Blood Heroes	$104,278	$50.13
   15	RMS Management	$103,937	$49.97
   16	Precision Inc	$103,937	$49.97
   17	HODINKEE	$103,937	$49.97
   18	System Soft Technologies India Pvt	$103,934	$49.97
   19	AppDirect	$103,866	$49.94
   20	Vidoori	$103,670	$49.84

4. Writing a senior automation test engineer job description

   A senior automation test engineer job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a senior automation test engineer job description:

   Senior automation test engineer job description example

   The primary responsibility of the Senior Client Automated Test Engineer is to develop and maintain a suite of client-side automated tests from tightly focused unit tests to broad system-wide user-story tests, and make key recommendations that enhance the overall quality and security of server code. This senior level position will supervise and mentor junior to mid-level test engineers.
   
   All duties are to be performed in accordance with departmental and Las Vegas Sands Corp.'s policies, practices, and procedures. All Las Vegas Sands Corp. Team Members are expected to conduct and carry themselves in a professional manner at all times. Team Members are required to observe the Company's standards, work requirements and rules of conduct.
   Essential Duties & Responsibilities
   Manage and mentor test engineers, including hiring, organizing work and adherence to policies, and monitoring and evaluating performance. Review and test client code to ensure the code complies with best practices. Ensure client code is of high quality and is best-in-class. Make recommendations on how to improve the quality and security of client code. Attempt to break server code in unique and creative ways. Work closely with developers to improve server code. Perform all job responsibilities at a senior level with limited direct supervision. Perform job duties in a safe manner. Attend work as scheduled on a consistent and regular basis. Perform other related duties as assigned.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   5+ years experience building and maintaining automated test code. Experience with test driven development. Experience writing code tests in Golang using unit test runner. Knowledge of Golang. Knowledge of load testing and gPRC preferred. Strong network communication skills. At least 21 years of age. Proof of authorization to work in the United States. High school diploma or equivalent or equivalent work experience Must be able to obtain and maintain any certification or license, as required by law or policy. Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both in spoken and written form.
   
   Physical Requirements
   
   Must be able to:
   Physically access assigned workspace areas with or without reasonable accommodation. Work remotely as necessary Work indoors and be exposed to various environmental factors such as, but not limited to, CRT, noise, and dust. Utilize laptop and standard keyboard to perform essential functions of the job.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right senior automation test engineer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your senior automation test engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit senior automation test engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as dice, engineering.com, stack overflow, it job pro.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with senior automation test engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   While interviews are great, you will only sometimes learn enough from a conversation with a senior automation test engineer applicant. In those cases, having candidates complete a test project can go a long way in figuring out who's the most likely to succeed in the role. If you aren't a technical person and don't know how to design an appropriate test, you can ask someone else on the team to create it or take a look at these websites to get a few ideas:

   • TestDome
   • CodeSignal
   • Testlify
   • BarRaiser
   • Coderbyte

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new senior automation test engineer

   Once you've decided on a perfect senior automation test engineer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new senior automation test engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a senior automation test engineer?