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The differences between test engineers 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 a test engineer and an automation test engineer. Additionally, an automation test engineer has an average salary of $85,353, which is higher than the $79,832 average annual salary of a test engineer.
The top three skills for a test engineer include python, C++ and C #. The most important skills for an automation test engineer are java, python, and jenkins.
| Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $79,832 | $85,353 |
| Hourly rate | $38.38 | $41.04 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 228,974 | 125,816 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 4 |
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.
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.
Test engineers and automation test engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average salary | $79,832 | $85,353 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $104,000 | Between $64,000 And $112,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Mateo, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Meta | Apple |
| Best paying industry | Telecommunication | Technology |
There are a few differences between a test engineer and an automation test engineer in terms of educational background:
| Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 72% | Bachelor's Degree, 71% |
| 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 test engineers' and automation test engineers' demographics:
| Test Engineer | Automation Test Engineer | |
| Average age | 44 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 81.7% Female, 18.3% | 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% |