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Software Test Automation Engineer Jobs in Illinois

IT Software Engineer 4 Senior SDET

Chicago, IL · On-site

$113K - $147K/yr

The role focuses on Java-based test automation, API testing, BDD frameworks, performance testing ... engineers and promote automation and software-quality best practices. • Participate in Agile ...

The Software Test Engineer at CNH Industrial America LLC in Oak Brook, IL will be responsible for maintaining, designing, and operating test equipment and simulators along with the automated tests ...

Showing results 21-40

Software Test Automation Engineer information

See Illinois salary details

$10

$49

$73

How much do software test automation engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for software test automation engineer in Illinois is $49.69, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42.88 and $56.59 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Software Test Automation Engineer vs QA Automation Tester?

AspectSoftware Test Automation EngineerQA Automation Tester
CredentialsBachelor's in CS or related field, certifications like ISTQB, automation tools knowledgeSimilar credentials, focus on testing certifications and automation skills
Work EnvironmentDevelops and maintains automation frameworks, collaborates with development teamsExecutes automated tests, reports bugs, ensures quality standards
Industry UsageUsed across software development companies, tech firms, and QA teamsCommonly found in QA departments within various industries

While both roles focus on automation testing, the Software Test Automation Engineer typically designs and develops automation frameworks and tools, whereas the QA Automation Tester primarily executes automated test cases and reports issues. The engineer's role is more technical and development-oriented, while the tester's role emphasizes test execution and quality assurance.

What is a software test automation engineer?

Software Test Automation Engineers are professionals responsible for designing, developing, and executing automated tests to ensure the quality and functionality of software applications. They use specialized tools and scripts to automate repetitive testing tasks, identify bugs, and improve the efficiency of the software development process. Their work helps teams deliver reliable software more quickly and with fewer manual errors.

What are some common challenges faced by software test automation engineers, and how can they be addressed?

Software Test Automation Engineers often encounter challenges such as maintaining test scripts amid frequent code changes, ensuring test coverage for new features, and dealing with flaky or unreliable tests. These can be addressed by regularly updating automated tests alongside development, implementing robust test design patterns, and collaborating closely with developers to understand code changes. Additionally, effective use of version control and continuous integration can help teams quickly identify and resolve automation issues, making the testing process more reliable and efficient.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a software test automation engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Software Test Automation Engineer, you need a strong understanding of software testing principles, programming skills (often in languages such as Java, Python, or JavaScript), and a background in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with test automation frameworks (like Selenium, Cypress, or Appium), CI/CD systems, and relevant certifications such as ISTQB are typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication are essential soft skills in this role. These skills are crucial for ensuring software quality, streamlining development processes, and facilitating collaboration between development and QA teams.

What cities in Illinois are hiring for Software Test Automation Engineer jobs?

Cities in Illinois with the most Software Test Automation Engineer job openings:

What are popular job titles related to Software Test Automation Engineer jobs in IL?

For Software Test Automation Engineer jobs in IL, the most frequently searched job titles are:

Infographic showing various Software Test Automation Engineer job openings in Illinois as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 86% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $103,352 per year, or $49.7 per hour.

$51.50 - $66.50/hr

Full-time

Re-posted 13 days ago


Job description

Overview:
JOB TITLE: Senior Software Development Engineer in Test
Chicago, IL
Who We Are: Northern Trust is a Chicago-based bank with more than 20 international locations and 16,500 employees. From sovereign wealth funds to the wealthiest individuals and families, the world's most sophisticated clients rely on Northern Trust every day. The Northern Trust Corporate & Institutional Services (C&IS) Organization supports a range of end-to-end middle and back office processes that service asset managers and asset owners across the Trade Settlement, Fund Administration, Custody Accounting & Administration and Prime Services. Our leading technology solutions enable businesses to drive growth, improve client and employee experiences, and protect confidential data.
The C&IS Technology Department is looking for a self-motivated, enthusiastic, nimble, and pragmatic individual with a digital mindset to join our team as a Software Development Engineer in Test.
What You Will Do:
As an engineer within our team, you will be responsible for collaborating with a geographically dispersed, agile team to develop and maintain automation tests within the defined automation framework. We are looking for an individual that has experience developing, optimizing, and refactoring automated tests and utilities with a passion for growing skills as well as solving complex and challenging problems. In this role you will interact with product management, development teams and testers to develop a strong understanding of the project and product testing objectives and ensure test automation design is traceable to requirements, user stories, or existing manual test cases and achieves a high level of requirement/test execution coverage.
Key Knowledge and Skills:
§ BS in Computer Science or related field of study or equivalent experience
§ 7+ years of professional experience pairing with developers to design, build, and improve test automation
§ Hands-on DevOps experience developing and delivering products in a collaborative, agile team environment
§ Experience coding in Java 8 with multi-threading, thread safe collections
§ Experience using Selenium to automate UI tests
§ Experience with TestNG, writing assertions
§ Experience with API Testing, Restful Webservices testing using Java
§ CI/CD experience using Bamboo or any other CI/CD tool
§ Proven ability to write automated test scripts to verify data structures, data formats and data values using: Java, JUnit, TestNG (writing assertions), Selenium, Cucumber, Maven, Gradle, Apache Restful Services, Apache POI, Spring
§ Mentor and Grow other software engineers in test automation programming
§ Strong collaboration, communication, and coaching skills
Preferred Knowledge and Skills:
§ Experience with database development concepts (MarkLogic or Oracle)
§ Experience in working as part of a Test/Behavior Driven Development TDD /BDD and/or Agile XP project teams
§ Experience with load and/or performance testing tools
§ Knowledge of Java, Java web applications, and modern Spring Frameworks (Spring Boot, Spring Cloud Services, Spring Security, etc.)
§ Experience working on messaging based applications/services and service contracts
§ Knowledge of testing cloud-based and microservice-based applications
Skills:
API,SDET