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Senior Software Test Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Sr. Software Test Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$129K - $168K/yr

As a Software Test Engineer within the Future Forward engineering team, you will be responsible for all the aspects relating to software testing. You will partner with the development team and with ...

Sr. Software Test Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$129K - $168K/yr

As a Software Test Engineer within the Future Forward engineering team, you will be responsible for all the aspects relating to software testing. You will partner with the development team and with ...

Sr. Software Test Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$129K - $168K/yr

As a Software Test Engineer within the Future Forward engineering team, you will be responsible for all the aspects relating to software testing. You will partner with the development team and with ...

Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance test processes, increase automation, and reduce cycle times Networking / Key Relationships: Collaborate closely with Software Developers, System ...

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Senior Software Test Engineer information

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$22.5K

$125.6K

$163.5K

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

As of Jul 21, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior software test engineer in the United States is $125,561.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $110,500.00 and $143,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

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

A Senior Software Test Engineer needs deep expertise in software testing methodologies, automation frameworks, and programming languages like Java, Python, or C#, typically backed by a degree in computer science or related field. Familiarity with tools such as Selenium, JUnit, TestNG, and bug-tracking systems like Jira, as well as certifications like ISTQB, is highly valuable. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills enable collaboration and leadership within QA and development teams. These competencies are crucial to ensuring software quality, minimizing defects, and delivering reliable products in complex technical environments.

What are the typical collaboration points between a Senior Software Test Engineer and other teams during a project lifecycle?

Senior Software Test Engineers frequently collaborate with developers, product managers, and DevOps engineers throughout the project lifecycle. Early in the process, they work closely with developers to understand requirements and clarify acceptance criteria. During development, they coordinate on bug tracking and test coverage, and participate in sprint planning or daily stand-ups. They also interact with DevOps to integrate automated tests within CI/CD pipelines, ensuring smooth deployment and feedback cycles. This cross-functional collaboration is essential for delivering high-quality software efficiently.

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

AspectSenior Software Test EngineerSoftware Test Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires 5+ years of experience, certifications like ISTQBEntry to mid-level, often with 1-3 years of experience, similar certifications
Work EnvironmentLeads testing projects, mentors junior staff, designs test strategiesPerforms test execution, reports bugs, follows test plans
Industry UsageUsed across software development companies, especially in larger teamsCommon in various tech companies, startups, and software firms

The main difference between a Senior Software Test Engineer and a Software Test Engineer lies in experience, responsibilities, and leadership. Senior roles involve strategic planning, mentorship, and complex testing, while Software Test Engineers focus on executing tests and reporting issues. Both roles are essential in ensuring software quality, with the senior position requiring more expertise and leadership skills.

What does a Senior Software Test Engineer do?

A Senior Software Test Engineer is responsible for designing, developing, and executing comprehensive test plans to ensure the quality and functionality of software products. They lead testing efforts, identify defects, and work closely with development teams to resolve issues. In addition, they may mentor junior testers, implement automation frameworks, and help define testing standards and best practices within the organization. Their goal is to ensure software reliability, performance, and user satisfaction before release.
What cities are hiring for Senior Software Test Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Senior Software Test Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Software Test Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Software Test Engineer jobs are:
Who are the top companies hiring for Senior Software Test Engineer jobs? The top employers for Senior Software Test Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Senior Software Test Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior Software Test Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Senior Software Test Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $125,561 per year, or $60.4 per hour.
Senior Software Test Engineer

$107K - $139K/yr

Full-time

Posted 28 days ago


Job description

We are a cutting-edge Defense Innovation Company seeking a Senior QA Engineer to join our engineering organization and raise the bar for quality across our web application portfolio. This is not a manual testing role — it is a hands-on, heavy coding position for an engineer who treats test automation as a software discipline. You will architect, build, and maintain automation frameworks with the same rigor applied to production code, with Playwright at the center of your toolkit.

You'll operate with the autonomy and pace of a startup engineer, backed by the scale and resources of an enterprise. The ideal candidate has thrived on small, fast-moving teams and knows how to deliver quality at speed without heavyweight process.

This role is ideally based near one of FTI's office locations in Chesapeake, VA, Beavercreek, OH, Colorado Springs, CO, or Northern Virginia. Candidates in these markets will receive primary consideration. Exceptional remote candidates with highly relevant experience may also be considered.


  • Design, develop, and maintain robust end-to-end automation suites for complex web application workflows using Playwright with TypeScript/JavaScript
  • Leverage frontier LLM models to increase development velocity and code quality
  • Architect scalable, maintainable test frameworks and shared libraries adopted across multiple engineering teams
  • Integrate automated testing into CI/CD pipelines to enable fast, confident, continuous delivery
  • Write production-quality code daily — page objects, fixtures, custom utilities, API test harnesses, and tooling
  • Partner with developers, product managers, and DevOps to shift quality left and embed testability into design and architecture decisions
  • Triage, root-cause, and drive resolution of defects and flaky tests; champion test reliability and meaningful coverage metrics
  • Mentor engineers on automation best practices and code review test code with a critical eye
  • Evaluate and introduce tools and practices that improve quality engineering velocity

Required Qualifications

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen AND possess an active U.S. Dept. of Defense Secret security clearance with TS/SCI eligibility.
  • Bachelor's degree in a STEM field (required)
  • 5+ years of software quality engineering or software development experience
  • Extensive, demonstrable experience using Playwright to automate workflows in modern web applications
  • Strong professional experience writing JavaScript/TypeScript — you will be evaluated as a coder
  • Experience working in startups or small, fast-moving teams where you owned outcomes end-to-end
  • Solid understanding of CI/CD practices and integrating automated tests into build pipelines (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, ADO)
  • Deep knowledge of testing strategy: E2E, API, integration, and component testing trade-offs
  • Strong debugging skills across the stack — browser internals, network traffic, async behavior, race conditions
  • Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence quality practices across teams

Preferred Qualifications

  • BS in Computer Science or a closely related field (greatly preferred)
  • MS in Computer Science (preferred)
  • Experience with cloud platforms — GCP, AWS, or Azure
  • Experience with API testing, contract testing, or performance/load testing
  • Familiarity with containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and infrastructure-as-code
  • Prior experience with scaling test automation in a large engineering organization

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