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Sdet Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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SDET

Pasadena, CA · On-site

Job Summary The SDET will be responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software test automation frameworks and supporting quality engineering initiatives. The role requires strong hands ...

Fiserv, Inc.

SDET

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$108K - $163K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Job Title SDET About your role: Fiserv is a global leader in financial services technology, and Clover provides the smart point-of-sale (POS) platform and SDKs that empower thousands of integrators ...

Monitise

SDET

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$108K - $163K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Job Title SDET About your role: Fiserv is a global leader in financial services technology, and Clover provides the smart point-of-sale (POS) platform and SDKs that empower thousands of integrators ...

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Showing results 21-40

All JobsSdet Engineer JobsSdet Engineer Jobs in California

Sdet Engineer information

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$10

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$72

How much do sdet engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average hourly pay for sdet engineer in California is $50.77, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $41.54 and $57.88 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges SDET Engineers face when balancing development and testing responsibilities?

SDET Engineers often encounter the challenge of balancing their time between writing automated tests and contributing to application development. This dual focus requires strong time management skills and the ability to prioritize tasks based on project needs and release cycles. Additionally, SDETs must stay updated with evolving testing frameworks and coding standards, while actively collaborating with both developers and QA teams to ensure comprehensive test coverage. Open communication and a proactive approach to problem-solving are key to thriving in this multifaceted role.

What do Sdet engineers do?

SDET (Software Development Engineer in Test) engineers develop automated test scripts, frameworks, and tools to ensure software quality. They collaborate with development teams to identify testing requirements, perform manual and automated testing, and improve testing processes using programming languages like Java or Python and testing tools such as Selenium or JUnit.

Is Sdet engineer a high paying job?

Sdet engineers typically earn competitive salaries due to their specialized skills in automation testing, scripting, and quality assurance. Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry, but they are generally considered well-paid roles within the software development and testing field.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an SDET Engineer?

To thrive as an SDET Engineer, you need a solid background in software development, quality assurance principles, and test automation, usually supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools and frameworks like Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, and continuous integration systems such as Jenkins is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication help SDETs collaborate with developers and product teams to identify and resolve issues. These skills are essential to ensure robust, scalable, and reliable software products by integrating testing throughout the development lifecycle.

Is Sdet Engineer still in demand?

Sdet Engineers are currently in demand due to the increasing emphasis on quality assurance and automation in software development. Skills in test automation tools, programming, and continuous integration are highly valued across various industries, making this a stable career choice.

What is the difference between Sdet Engineer vs Software Developer?

AspectSdet EngineerSoftware Developer
Primary FocusDeveloping automated tests, ensuring software qualityWriting and maintaining application code
Skills & CertificationsTesting frameworks, scripting, programming, QA methodologiesProgramming languages, software design, problem-solving
Work EnvironmentQA teams, testing labs, CI/CD pipelinesDevelopment teams, coding environments, project planning
Industry UsageQuality assurance, testing roles in tech companiesApplication development across industries

While both roles require programming skills, Sdet Engineers focus on testing automation and quality assurance, whereas Software Developers primarily build and maintain software applications. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

What is an SDET Engineer?

An SDET Engineer, or Software Development Engineer in Test, is a professional who combines software development and testing skills to ensure the quality of software products. SDETs design, develop, and maintain automated testing frameworks and tools, write test scripts, and work closely with developers to identify and resolve bugs. They play a crucial role in improving test coverage, efficiency, and reliability within the software development lifecycle. SDETs are skilled in programming, automation, and have a strong understanding of testing methodologies.

What are popular job titles related to Sdet Engineer jobs in California?

For Sdet Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Sdet Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Sdet Engineer jobs in California are:

Sdet Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Sdet Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 5% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 86% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,612 per year, or $50.8 per hour.

Software Development Engineer in Test Contractor (SDET Contractor)

PlayStation Global

Los Angeles, CA

$54 - $69.50/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 13 days ago

Job description

SDET (Contractor)

Responsibilities:

We are looking for a highly skilled Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) to design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks for backend services and APIs. The ideal candidate is a strong Java engineer with deep testing expertise, capable of working closely with developers, product owners, and scrum teams to ensure high-quality delivery of complex services and integrations.

This role involves building robust automation, validating API contracts and flows, working with microservice-based systems, and contributing to continuous integration and quality strategies.


What You'll Do

  • Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks and backend test suites using Java.

  • Write high-quality JUnit tests for RESTful APIs, service layers, and backend components.

  • Validate API schemas, request/response structures, and error-handling scenarios.

  • Create and execute API automation covering functional, regression, and integration layers.

  • Collaborate with developers to ensure testability, observability, and quality in new feature design.

  • Analyze logs, metrics, and service behavior to diagnose and troubleshoot failures.

  • Participate in Agile processes: refinement, planning, retrospectives, and daily scrums.

  • Drive improvements in CI/CD pipelines through automation and quality gates.

  • Contribute to scaling QE across microservices by building reusable test components and libraries.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field-or equivalent practical experience.

  • 3+ years of experience in software QE, test automation, or development roles.

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative Scrum team

  • Interest in working as part of an agile, collaborative and cross-functional team that works on modern software design and development

  • Exposure to version control systems (preferably Git)

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills


Required Skills:

  • Strong experience with Java programming (advanced OOP concepts, collections, generics, lambdas).

  • Hands-on experience writing tests with JUnit (JUnit5 preferred).

  • Expertise in API testing for REST-based services (familiarity with gRPC is a plus).

  • Solid understanding of API schema validation, including OpenAPI/Swagger specifications.

  • Experience building and maintaining automation frameworks for backend or microservice architectures.

  • Familiarity with Git, branching strategies, and CI/CD tools (e.g. Jenkins, GitHub Actions).

  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills. Including analyzing logs and diagnosing service failures.

.

Preferred Skills (Good to Have):

  • Experience designing test plans, writing detailed test scenarios, and performing domain-driven test analysis.

  • Familiarity with Spring Boot-based micro services and common backend service patterns.

  • Experience using IntelliJ IDEA or similar Java-focused development environments.

  • Hands-on experience with log analysis and observability tools (Splunk preferred).

  • Understanding of gRPC service testing and related tooling.

  • Familiarity with cloud environments (AWS).

  • Exposure to writing scripts using Python or Node.js 

  • Exposure to a web-front-end technology such as JavaScript, HTML and CSS

Apply