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Senior Software Development Engineer In Test Jobs in Los Angeles, CA

The Senior Software Development Engineer in Test is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining automated testing solutions that improve software quality, reduce production risk, and ...

SDET

Santa Clarita, CA · On-site

$50.75 - $65.50/hr

Santa Clara , CA 2-3 days onsite, only locals Title: SDET Must Have * 5+ years of experience working in software quality assurance with at least 3 years building automated test solutions * Front-end ...

SDET

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$54 - $69.50/hr

Hi We have urgent Opening for below position if any one interested Please send resume to manojkumar.a@wati.com Job Role: SDET Developer Job Location: Los Angles California Contract: Long Term ...

Automation SDET Location: Newport Beach, CA (Hybrid Onsite - Min 3 days a week onsite is required) Job Type: Contract Experience Required: 7+ Years Skill Metrics: Skills Required Python Yes Jenkins ...

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Showing results 1-20

Senior Software Development Engineer In Test information

See Los Angeles, CA salary details

$24.2K

$135.3K

$176.2K

How much do senior software development engineer in test jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 26, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior software development engineer in test in Los Angeles, CA is $135,293.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,100.00 and $154,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a Senior Software Development Engineer In Test typically collaborate with development and product teams to ensure software quality?

As a Senior Software Development Engineer In Test (SDET), you will work closely with both development and product teams throughout the software development lifecycle. This includes participating in design and requirements discussions to identify potential test cases early, contributing to test automation strategies, and providing feedback on testability and quality risks. SDETs often pair with developers to review code, co-create test plans, and triage bugs together, ensuring that testing is fully integrated into the CI/CD pipeline. Effective communication and cross-team collaboration are essential for proactively identifying issues and maintaining high software quality standards.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior Software Development Engineers In Test (SDETs) with extensive experience, specialized skills in automation, and working at large tech companies or in high-cost-of-living regions can earn $500,000 or more annually. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, and stock options, especially for those in leadership roles or with rare expertise in testing automation, cloud platforms, or security tools.

Will QA or SDET get replaced by AI?

Senior Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) and QA professionals perform complex testing tasks that require critical thinking, creativity, and understanding of system architecture, which AI currently cannot fully replicate. While AI tools can automate repetitive testing and assist in identifying issues, human oversight and expertise remain essential for designing test strategies, interpreting results, and ensuring software quality in a fast-evolving environment.

What is the SDET engineer's salary?

The salary for a Senior Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) typically ranges from $90,000 to $140,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. SDETs with strong programming skills and experience with automation tools like Selenium or Jenkins tend to earn higher salaries.

Is SDET still in demand?

Senior Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) are in strong demand due to the increasing emphasis on quality assurance and automation in software development. SDETs with skills in programming, test automation tools, and CI/CD pipelines are particularly sought after across various industries, ensuring continuous testing and faster release cycles.

What is the difference between Senior Software Development Engineer In Test vs Software Development Engineer In Test?

AspectSenior Software Development Engineer In TestSoftware Development Engineer In Test
ExperienceTypically 5+ years in testing and developmentEntry to mid-level, 1-3 years experience
ResponsibilitiesDesigns complex test frameworks, mentors juniors, leads testing initiativesDevelops test cases, automates tests, executes testing tasks
Skills & CertificationsAdvanced coding, automation, testing tools, leadership skillsProgramming, automation, testing tools
Work EnvironmentCollaborates with cross-functional teams, often in Agile settingsWorks closely with developers, focuses on automation and manual testing

In summary, a Senior Software Development Engineer In Test has more experience, leadership responsibilities, and strategic testing roles compared to a Software Development Engineer In Test, who primarily focuses on developing and executing tests.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Software Development Engineer In Test, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Software Development Engineer In Test, you need advanced programming skills, deep knowledge of software testing methodologies, and a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field. Expertise with automation frameworks (such as Selenium, Cypress, or Appium), CI/CD tools, and scripting languages is typically required, along with relevant certifications like ISTQB. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for collaborating with cross-functional teams and driving quality initiatives. These capabilities ensure rigorous test coverage, faster release cycles, and high-quality software products.

What does a Senior Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) do?

A Senior Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining automated test frameworks and tools to ensure the quality and reliability of software products. They work closely with development and QA teams to identify test requirements, create robust test cases, and integrate automated tests into the CI/CD pipeline. In addition to coding and scripting, Senior SDETs mentor junior team members, analyze test results, and help troubleshoot complex issues to continuously improve software quality. Their expertise bridges the gap between development and testing, ensuring both speed and quality in software releases.
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA? The most popular types of Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA are:
What are popular job titles related to Senior Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA? For Senior Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Senior Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA look for? The top searched job categories for Senior Software Development Engineer In Test jobs in Los Angeles, CA are:
What cities near Los Angeles, CA are hiring for Senior Software Development Engineer In Test jobs? Cities near Los Angeles, CA with the most Senior Software Development Engineer In Test job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Software Development Engineer In Test job openings in Los Angeles, CA as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 82% Full Time, 15% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $135,293 per year, or $65 per hour.
Sr. SDET (Selenium/Automation)

Sr. SDET (Selenium/Automation)

loanDepot

Irvine, CA

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO

Posted 13 days ago


loanDepot rating

7.8

Company rating: 7.8 out of 10

Based on 18 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

Position Summary:

The Senior Software Development Engineer in Test is responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining automated testing solutions that improve software quality, reduce production risk, and strengthen release confidence across enterprise applications. This is a hands-on technical role focused on test automation, framework development, API and integration validation, data validation, CI/CD quality controls, and production-readiness testing. The successful candidate will work closely with Engineering, QA, DevOps, Product, and business stakeholders to ensure applications are testable, reliable, scalable, and aligned with business requirements.
The Sr. SDET requires strong ownership, technical depth, and a quality-first mindset. The Senior SDET is expected to proactively identify quality risks, improve automation coverage, troubleshoot complex failures, and help raise engineering quality standards across the team.

Responsibilities:

Test Automation & Framework Development
  • Design, develop, and maintain automated test frameworks for web, mobile, API, service-level, integration, and end-to-end testing.
  • Build reliable, reusable, scalable, and maintainable automated tests using modern engineering practices.
  • Develop automation strategies that improve test coverage, reduce manual testing dependency, and increase release confidence.
  • Create and maintain automated regression, smoke, functional, integration, and workflow validation suites.
  • Analyze automation failures, identify root causes, reduce test flakiness, and improve automation reliability.
  • Evaluate and recommend commercial and open-source testing tools, frameworks, and libraries based on project needs.
  • Use AI-assisted engineering tools where appropriate to accelerate test creation, framework development, defect analysis, and productivity.
API, Integration & Data Validation
  • Design and implement automated tests for APIs, services, databases, third-party integrations, and complex business workflows.
  • Validate application behavior beyond the user interface, including service responses, data transformations, event flows, and downstream system impacts.
  • Use SQL and other validation techniques to confirm data accuracy, consistency, and integrity across systems.
  • Create test data strategies to support automation, regression testing, integration testing, and production-like validation.
  • Partner with Engineering and Architecture teams to identify quality risks in system design, data flows, and integration patterns.
CI/CD & Release Quality
  • Integrate automated tests into CI/CD pipelines and ensure test results provide meaningful feedback for build, deployment, and release decisions.
  • Collaborate with DevOps and Engineering teams to define quality gates, pipeline validation, and environment promotion criteria.
  • Support release-level validation by ensuring automated tests reflect actual release scope, dependencies, integrations, and business workflows.
  • Participate in release readiness activities by providing clear test results, risk indicators, defect analysis, and quality recommendations.
  • Support planned production releases and critical off-hours deployments as needed, in alignment with team release schedules.
Troubleshooting & Production Validation
  • Investigate complex application, automation, data, integration, and environment issues.
  • Use logs, metrics, traces, monitoring tools, and application telemetry to troubleshoot failures and improve test coverage.
  • Partner with Engineering, DevOps, QA, and business teams to diagnose defects and validate fixes.
  • Contribute to root cause analysis and identify opportunities to prevent similar issues in future releases.
  • Validate application behavior under realistic conditions, including dependency failures, latency, service degradation, and recovery scenarios.
Collaboration, Coaching & Quality Ownership
  • Work with business and technical stakeholders to understand requirements and ensure functional and technical validation is built into the delivery process.
  • Review requirements, designs, user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical changes to identify testing needs and quality risks.
  • Coach and mentor QA engineers, SDETs, and development teams on test automation, testability, framework usage, and quality engineering practices.
  • Promote engineering practices that make applications more testable, observable, reliable, and maintainable.
  • Proactively identify automation gaps, process improvements, quality risks, and opportunities to improve delivery outcomes.
  • Maintain strong responsiveness and dependability when supporting team needs, stakeholder questions, release validation, and urgent quality issues.

Requirements:

  • Minimum seven (7)+ years of experience in software testing, test automation, software development, or quality engineering.
  • Strong hands-on experience designing and developing automated tests and test frameworks.
  • Strong programming or scripting experience in one or more languages such as C#, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, or similar.
  • Experience with modern automation tools and frameworks such as Selenium, Playwright, Cypress, Appium, NUnit, xUnit, JUnit, TestNG, SpecFlow, Cucumber, Postman/Newman, REST Assured, or similar.
  • Strong experience with API testing, service-level validation, integration testing, and end-to-end workflow validation.
  • Strong SQL and data validation experience.
  • Experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using tools such as Azure DevOps, GitHub Actions, Jenkins, TeamCity, or similar.
  • Experience analyzing test failures, troubleshooting complex defects, and improving automation reliability.
  • Experience with test management, defect tracking, and collaboration tools such as JIRA, Azure DevOps, Confluence, or similar.
  • Strong understanding of software development lifecycle practices, agile delivery, release validation, and quality engineering principles.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and communicate clearly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Strong sense of ownership, accountability, and commitment to delivering a reliable user experience.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Information Systems, or a related field preferred.
  • Experience in Mortgage, Financial Services, Lending, or another highly regulated industry preferred.
  • Experience with performance, resiliency, security, accessibility, or contract testing preferred.
  • Experience using observability tools, logs, metrics, traces, or production telemetry to troubleshoot issues and improve test coverage preferred.
  • Experience leveraging AI-assisted tools to improve test automation, test design, framework development, or defect analysis preferred.
  • Experience working with distributed systems, microservices, event-driven architectures, or complex enterprise integrations preferred.

Why work for #teamloanDepot:

  • Competitive compensation package based on experience, skillset and overall fit for #TeamloanDepot.
  • Inclusive, diverse, and collaborative culture where people from all backgrounds can thrive
  • Work with other passionate, purposeful, and customer-centric people
  • Extensive internal growth and professional development opportunities including tuition reimbursement
  • Comprehensive benefits package including Medical/Dental/Vision
  • Wellness program to support both mental and physical health
  • Generous paid time off for both exempt and non-exempt positions

About loanDepot:

loanDepot (NYSE: LDI) is a digital commerce company committed to serving its customers throughout the home ownership journey. Since its launch in 2010, loanDepot has revolutionized the mortgage industry with a digital-first approach that makes it easier, faster, and less stressful to purchase or refinance a home. Today, as the nation's second largest non-bank retail mortgage lender, loanDepot enables customers to achieve the American dream of homeownership through a broad suite of lending and real estate services that simplify one of life's most complex transactions. With headquarters in Southern California and offices nationwide, loanDepot is committed to serving the communities in which its team lives and works through a variety of local, regional, and national philanthropic efforts.
Base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay for this roles is between $112,000 and $154,000. Your base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors, including your job-related knowledge/skills, qualifications, experience, and market location.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity in our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

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