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What is a senior test engineer and how to become one
A senior test engineer ensures that software products and systems meet quality standards and requirements. They design test plans, report defects, and work with development teams to improve product performance. Senior test engineers have strong technical skills, excellent problem-solving abilities, and strategic testing practices. They also need strong communication skills to work with cross-functional teams. A senior test engineer typically has several years of experience in software testing, and may have additional certifications or specializations.
What general advice would you give to a senior test engineer?
Craig Tidwell Ph.D.
Professor/Program Manager, Seminole State College of Florida
Avg. Salary $82,775
Avg. Salary $59,228
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.51%
Asian 11.99%
Black or African American 6.24%
Hispanic or Latino 8.82%
Unknown 4.70%
White 67.73%
Genderfemale 20.88%
male 79.12%
Age - 43American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 43Stress level is manageable
7.1 - high
Complexity level is intermediate
7 - challenging
Work life balance is fair
6.4 - fair
What are the pros and cons of being a senior test engineer?
Pros
High demand for experienced test engineers in the job market
Potential for career advancement into management or other roles
Competitive salary and benefits packages
Ability to work remotely or have flexible schedules in some companies
Collaboration with cross-functional teams and exposure to different areas of the business
Cons
Can be repetitive and tedious at times
High expectations from stakeholders and clients
May have to work irregular hours or be on call for urgent issues
Possibility of conflicting priorities or lack of resources
May require frequent travel or relocation for projects
Senior test engineer career paths
Key steps to become a senior test engineer
Explore senior test engineer education requirements
Start to develop specific senior test engineer skills
Skills Percentages Test Cases 5.97% Python 5.71% Java 5.49% Test Results 4.88% C++ 4.80% Complete relevant senior test engineer training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior test engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior test engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior test engineer resumes.Research senior test engineer duties and responsibilities
- Used python to automate post processing performance results and debugging logs.
- Participate in manual testing on UI enhancements and prepare the manual test cases to convert automation test scripts.
- Contribute in automation testing using python test scripts.
- Perform extensive functional, integration, regression and UI mobile testing in variety of mobile OEM devices.
Get senior test engineer experience
Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a senior test engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior test engineer include test engineer, quality assurance engineer team lead and quality assurance analyst.Prepare your senior test engineer resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior test engineer resume.
You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior test engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.
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Apply for senior test engineer jobs
Now it's time to start searching for a senior test engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:
- Browse job boards for relevant postings
- Consult your professional network
- Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
- Watch out for job scams
How did you land your first senior test engineer job
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Average senior test engineer salary
The average senior test engineer salary in the United States is $82,775 per year or $40 per hour. Senior test engineer salaries range between $63,000 and $107,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do senior test engineers rate their job?
Senior test engineer reviews
I like testing because it can be interesting. Things can change but also stay the same. I like routine but not repetition doing the same thing. Testing isn't the best job but a good job.
Some things you test can be really picky to pass. It's likely they will always fail the first time. Some test seem to always pass and seek insufficient. I always look at productivity but also efficiency. So if not necessary by customer and always passes I can't see why a part of the test he removed especially if another part of the test will fail if it does. Options I am always open to.
I didn't like how technical it could become
very little
Updated January 8, 2025
