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Software Test Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Abbott

Senior Software Test Engineer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

$90K - $180K/yr

The Opportunity This Senior Software Test Engineer role is based in Pleasanton, CA within the Heart Failure Division , where we build solutions that help diagnose, monitor, and manage heart failure.

Abbott

Senior Software Test Engineer

Pleasanton, CA · On-site

$90K - $180K/yr

The Opportunity This Senior Software Test Engineer role is based in Pleasanton, CA within the Heart Failure Division , where we build solutions that help diagnose, monitor, and manage heart failure.

Abbott

Staff Software Test Engineer

Alameda, CA · On-site

We are seeking a Senior Software Test Engineer to lead verification and validation efforts across our cloud, and mobile platforms within a regulated medical device environment. This role is based in ...

Collabera

Software Test Engineer

San Jose, CA

Automate test cases. Verify fixes. 5 years of experience are required. Qualifications Minimum Requirements: Bachelor degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering Experience with CNAenic/fnic ...

Abbott

Senior Software Test Engineer

Alameda, CA · On-site

$125K - $162K/yr

We are seeking a Software Test Engineer to lead verification and validation efforts across our cloud, and mobile platforms within a regulated medical device environment. This role is based in Alameda ...

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How much do software test engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 15, 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 are Software Test Engineers?

Software Test Engineers are professionals responsible for evaluating software applications to ensure they function correctly and meet specified requirements. They design, develop, and execute test plans and cases, identify bugs or issues, and work closely with developers to resolve them. Their goal is to maintain software quality by detecting problems early in the development process, whether through manual or automated testing methods. Software Test Engineers often use specialized tools and frameworks to streamline testing and improve product reliability.

What does a test software engineer do?

A test software engineer designs, develops, and executes tests to ensure software quality and functionality. They identify bugs, document issues, and work with developers to improve the product, often using testing tools and scripting languages. Strong analytical skills and knowledge of testing methodologies are essential for this role.

Is QA harder than coding?

For a Software Test Engineer, QA involves understanding software requirements, designing test cases, and identifying defects, which requires analytical skills and attention to detail. Coding focuses on writing and maintaining software programs, often involving programming languages and algorithms. Both roles require different skill sets, and difficulty depends on individual strengths and experience.

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 engineers make $500,000?

Senior software engineers, especially those with extensive experience, specialized skills, or working in high-paying industries like finance or tech, can earn $500,000 or more annually. Compensation often includes base salary, bonuses, stock options, and other incentives, particularly at large tech companies or startups with significant funding.

Are QA testers in demand in 2026?

Software Test Engineers are expected to remain in demand through 2026 due to ongoing software development and the need for quality assurance. Skills in automation tools, scripting, and understanding of Agile methodologies will enhance job prospects in this field.
More about Software Test Engineer jobs
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Software Test Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Software Test Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 50% Full Time, and 50% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $105,612 per year, or $50.8 per hour.
Robotics Software Test Engineer

Robotics Software Test Engineer

Chef Robotics

San Francisco, CA

$140K - $180K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago

Job description

Chef Robotics is accelerating the deployment of intelligent machines in the physical world, starting with food production - the sector facing the largest labor shortage in the U.S., with 1.14M unfilled jobs today and 3.1M projected by 2030. These roles can't be offshored, making robotics essential to keeping production onshore and strengthening America's manufacturing base.

Our AI-powered robots automate food prep and assembly in commercial kitchens and food manufacturing, and have already produced over 110 million meals in production - generating the world's largest proprietary dataset for deformable food manipulation. Backed by investors including Kleiner Perkins, Construct, Bloomberg Beta, and Promus Ventures, and built by a team from Cruise, Zoox, Google, Tesla, and Amazon Robotics, Chef is rapidly scaling with multiple multi-year contracts and a mission to put an intelligent robot in every commercial kitchen.


About the Role

Chef Robotics is building autonomous robots that work alongside humans in commercial food preparation environments - and a software regression in production isn't just a bug, it's a missed meal, a stopped line, or a customer incident. As a Robotics Software Test Engineer, you own the quality bar for our entire robot software stack: perception, autonomy, platform, and the integrations between them.

This is a builder role, not a manual QA role. You'll design and implement the test infrastructure, CI/CD gates, and hardware-in-the-loop validation systems that let a small team ship fast without breaking things in the field. You'll work directly with perception and robotics engineers - embedded in the team, not downstream of it - and your test frameworks will be first-class engineering artifacts.

We are a small, high-ownership team. We work onsite five days a week and move with startup urgency.
In this role, you will:
  • Design and implement automated test plans, test cases, and fixtures across the full robot software stack - from unit tests to system-level integration tests
  • Build and own hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test infrastructure that validates perception, robotics, and platform software against real or simulated hardware
  • Strengthen and extend CI/CD pipelines to catch regressions early and gate releases with high confidence
  • Define quality metrics and release readiness criteria; track test coverage, failure trends, and fleet health to give the team clear signal
  • Investigate and root-cause production failures across software, hardware, and system boundaries; build regression tests to prevent recurrence
  • Develop simulation-based test environments to validate perception and robotics changes before deploying to physical robots
  • Participate in design and code reviews with a lens on testability, observability, and failure modes
  • Instrument the robot software stack for better debuggability and post-hoc failure analysis
What You Bring:
  • 3+ years of experience in software test engineering, reliability engineering, or a closely related role
  • Strong Python skills
  • Hands-on experience designing and building test infrastructure - not just writing tests, but building the systems that run them
  • Experience with CI/CD systems and integrating automated testing into release pipelines
  • Strong debugging instincts - able to trace failures across software layers, hardware interfaces, and timing boundaries
  • Solid understanding of testing methodologies across unit, integration, system, and hardware-in-the-loop layers
  • Comfort working in Linux-based development and production environments
  • Self-starter who can prioritize independently in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment
Nice-to-have:
  • Experience testing robotics software stacks (ROS, perception pipelines, control systems)
  • Familiarity with simulation environments (Gazebo, Isaac Sim) for test scenario generation
  • Experience with Docker or containerized test environments
  • Background in data logging, observability pipelines, or fleet monitoring systems
  • Knowledge of networking protocols relevant to robotics (TCP/UDP, PTP, gRPC)
  • Experience with hardware bring-up, sensor calibration, or embedded systems testing
  • Prior work in fast-paced robotics or hardware startups
$140,000 - $180,000 a year
Chef is an early-stage startup where equity is a major part of the compensation package. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
 
In addition to salary and early-stage equity, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, commuter benefits, flexible paid time off (PTO), catered lunch, and 401(k) matching.

Chef Robotics is solving one of the hardest problems in AI and robotics - and we ship. Our robots are in production today, generating real data that trains the next generation of food AI. Backed by Kleiner Perkins, Construct, Bloomberg Beta, and Promus Ventures, and built by a team from Cruise, Zoox, Google, Tesla, and Amazon Robotics, we're scaling fast with multiple multi-year enterprise contracts. If you want to build physical AI with real-world deployments and real impact, Chef is the place.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
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