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Software Test Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Software Test Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$110K - $185K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

Who You'll Work With Arista Networks is looking for world-class Software Test Engineers to help us in building the highest quality networking products you can buy. At Arista, you'll spend your time ...

Software Test Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$55 - $64.75/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Hybrid in San Diego, CA Our client seeks a Software Test Engineer to lead and execute advanced software testing for web applications and instrument systems with a focus on C# and TypeScript solutions.

Software Test Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$110K - $185K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

Who You'll Work With Arista Networks is looking for world-class Software Test Engineers to help us in building the highest quality networking products you can buy. At Arista, you'll spend your time ...

Software Test Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$55 - $64.75/hr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

Hybrid in San Diego, CA Our client seeks a Software Test Engineer to lead and execute advanced software testing for web applications and instrument systems with a focus on C# and TypeScript solutions.

The Staff Software Test Engineer will evaluate processes and tools to facilitate testing and successful coverage. Position must be able to formulate and execute a strategic approach to testing to ...

Staff Software Test Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$114K - $228K/yr

The Staff Software Test Engineer will evaluate processes and tools to facilitate testing and successful coverage. Position must be able to formulate and execute a strategic approach to testing to ...

The Staff Software Test Engineer will evaluate processes and tools to facilitate testing and successful coverage. Position must be able to formulate and execute a strategic approach to testing to ...

Software Test Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... Engineering. * Proventrack recorddevelopinghigh volume,intrinsiccalibration ... Integrate test software with test station hardware * DevelopCode in C/C++, MFC (Microsoft ...

The Staff Software Test Engineer will evaluate processes and tools to facilitate testing and successful coverage. Position must be able to formulate and execute a strategic approach to testing to ...

Staff Software Test Engineer

Alameda, CA · On-site

$114K - $228K/yr

The Staff Software Test Engineer will evaluate processes and tools to facilitate testing and successful coverage. Position must be able to formulate and execute a strategic approach to testing to ...

Showing results 21-40

Software Test Engineer information

See California salary details

$10

$50

$72

How much do software test engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average hourly pay for software test 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 the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a software test engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Software Test Engineer, you need a solid understanding of software development life cycles, test methodologies, and proficiency in programming languages such as Python or Java, often supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with automation tools like Selenium, JUnit, or TestNG, and knowledge of bug tracking systems such as Jira are typically required. Attention to detail, analytical thinking, and effective communication set standout engineers apart by enabling thorough defect identification and clear reporting. These skills and qualities are crucial for ensuring software reliability, meeting quality standards, and facilitating smooth collaboration across development teams.

What is a software test engineer?

A software test engineer conducts quality assurance tests on software to make sure programs are functioning properly. The three types of testing strategies are black box, where the tester is not familiar with the software, white box, where the tester is aware of the software’s internal structure, and gray box, which is a combination of the two. Responsibilities in this job include running diagnostic tests with a critical mindset, assessing the functionality, and reporting the findings.

What are some common challenges faced by software test engineers when working with cross-functional development teams?

Software Test Engineers often encounter challenges such as aligning testing timelines with rapid development cycles, ensuring clear communication of bugs and requirements, and adapting to evolving project priorities. Collaborating closely with developers, product managers, and UX designers requires proactive communication and flexibility, especially when dealing with ambiguous requirements or shifting deadlines. To succeed, it's important to maintain detailed documentation, participate actively in agile ceremonies, and foster a collaborative attitude to resolve issues efficiently and ensure high-quality software releases.

What is the difference between Software Test Engineer vs QA Analyst?

AspectSoftware Test EngineerQA Analyst
CertificationsISTQB, CSTE, CSQAISTQB, CSTE, CSQA
Work EnvironmentDevelopment teams, testing labsQuality assurance departments, testing labs
Industry UsageSoftware companies, tech firmsSoftware companies, IT organizations
Primary FocusDesigning, executing tests, automationTest planning, process improvement, documentation

Both roles often require similar certifications and work in software testing environments within tech industries. The Software Test Engineer typically focuses on test case development, automation, and execution, while the QA Analyst emphasizes test planning, quality processes, and documentation. Understanding these distinctions helps organizations assign the right responsibilities and professionals for their testing needs.

What are the most commonly searched types of Software Test Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Software Test Engineer jobs in California are:

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

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

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

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

What cities in California are hiring for Software Test Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Software Test Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Software Test Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 62% Full Time, and 38% Contract. Highlights an 96% In-person, and 4% Hybrid job distribution, with an average salary of $105,612 per year, or $50.8 per hour.

Software Test Engineer

Arista Networks

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

$110K - $185K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision

Re-posted 24 days ago


Job description

Company Description

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges.

At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We  believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation.

Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do.

Job Description

Who You'll Work With

Arista Networks is looking for world-class Software Test Engineers to help us in building the highest quality networking products you can buy. At Arista, you'll spend your time embedded deeply into our development teams, working side by side with the developers, helping us to explore, find and fix our bugs before they can reach our customers. You will NOT spend your time running manual regressions of mind numbing, 1000 page test plans, because Arista's developers automate all the basic functional and integration tests. Instead, you'll bring your intelligence, creativity, and drive to work every day to help us understand how our products are going to be used by our customers and to make sure that they're going to work every time. Your job is to find the hard bugs, the ones not easily exposed by the developers' automated unit and product level tests.

What You'll Do

  • Use every means possible to find the bugs in the software and/or hardware being developed by your team.
  • Write test plans to validate Arista features and products.
  • Design test network topologies to validate functionality, performance, stability and scalability of features and products.
  • Execute test plans to verify all aspects of the product. Identify defects and validate resolution.
  • Work as an agile member of a combined development and test team, running in short cycles to develop functional software in quick iterations.
  • Work with the developers on your team in creating their plans for automated tests to complement the exploratory testing that you perform. Be the testing expert for your team.
  • Participate in functional specification and software design reviews held by your team and provide customer centric input.
Qualifications
  • Proven expertise in creating test methodologies and writing test plans.
  • Strong knowledge in one or more of the following areas: Ethernet, RSTP/ MSTP, VLANs, IP Routing, TCP/IP, OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, IGMP, PIM SM/ SSM, QoS, L2-L3 protocols, Platform validation, HA, QOS, network management.
  • Experience with IXIA and/or Spirent test tools desired
  • Familiarity with test automation tools and scripting languages desired
  • BS CS/CE/EE plus 1+ years of experience. MS degree preferred
  • Strong communication skills.
  • CCIE certification a plus.

#LI-PA1

Additional Information

The new hire base pay for this role has a pay range of $110,000 to $185,000. Arista offers different pay ranges based on work location, so that we can offer consistent and competitive pay appropriate to the market. The actual base pay offered will be based on a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, relevant experience, and work location. 

The pay range provided reflects base pay only and in addition certain roles may also be eligible for discretionary Arista bonuses and equity. US-based employees are also entitled to benefits including medical, dental, vision, wellbeing, tax savings and income protection. The recruiting team can share more details during the hiring process specific to the role and location.  

Arista Networks is an equal opportunity employer.  Arista makes all hiring and employment-related decisions in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other factor determined to be unlawful under applicable federal, state, or law law.  All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.