Key findings
- Only 239 of 358 SDET-class postings use 'SDET' or 'Software Engineer in Test' in the title; 115 are titled 'Quality Engineer'.
- The automation group is titled 'QA Engineer' or 'Quality Assurance' in 191 of 1,023 postings and names 'automation' in 569.
- SDET postings name REST Assured (37% vs 7%) and Docker (37% vs 7%) more often than automation postings.
- Automation postings name Selenium (61% vs 28%) and Cypress (42% vs 13%) more often than SDET postings.
- US posted annual pay (midpoints): SDET median $140k (n=49), QA automation median $140k (n=59). Both samples are small.
01Titles do not tell you much
We classify each posting into one of our 15 roles from its title and content. 358 public postings land in SDET and 1,023 in QA Automation Engineer. The titles employers use do not line up neatly with those two names.
| Title pattern | SDET group (n=358) | Automation group (n=1,023) |
|---|---|---|
| SDET / Software Engineer in Test | 239 (67%) | 4 (0%) |
| Quality Engineer | 115 (32%) | 0 (0%) |
| Automation (QA / Test / Engineer) | 1 (0%) | 569 (56%) |
| QA Engineer / Quality Assurance | 0 (0%) | 191 (19%) |
| Other | 3 (1%) | 259 (25%) |
The word SDET is rare in titles. 247 public postings use it or 'Software Engineer in Test', and 115 postings in the SDET group are simply 'Quality Engineer'. What separates the groups is the work and the stack, not the title.
02The stacks differ
Share of postings in each group that name the tool. Differences of ten points or more are the signal; smaller ones are noise at these sample sizes.
| Tool | SDET group | Automation group | Gap (SDET minus automation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Playwright | 61% | 57% | +4 pts |
| Selenium | 28% | 61% | -33 pts |
| Cypress | 13% | 42% | -29 pts |
| Python | 24% | 22% | +2 pts |
| Docker | 37% | 7% | +30 pts |
| REST Assured | 37% | 7% | +30 pts |
| Postman | 13% | 20% | -7 pts |
| Jira | 11% | 14% | -3 pts |
| TestRail | 2% | 3% | -1 pts |
| Appium | 10% | 9% | +1 pts |
| Jenkins | 13% | 10% | +3 pts |
| GitHub Actions | 13% | 4% | +9 pts |
SDET postings carry more of REST Assured and Docker. Automation postings carry more of Selenium and Cypress. One reading: SDET postings describe testing built into the engineering stack (containers, API libraries), automation postings describe driving the product from outside through the browser.
03Level and work mode
Senior or lead: 42% of SDET postings and 27% of automation postings.
| Level | SDET (n=358) | Automation (n=1,023) |
|---|---|---|
| Junior | 9 (3%) | 83 (8%) |
| Mid | 198 (55%) | 664 (65%) |
| Senior | 122 (34%) | 234 (23%) |
| Lead | 29 (8%) | 42 (4%) |
| Mode | SDET | Automation |
|---|---|---|
| Remote | 20% | 24% |
| Hybrid | 19% | 16% |
| On-site | 62% | 61% |
04Posted pay
Only postings with an employer-published US dollar annual range can be compared: 49 for SDET and 59 for automation.
- Middle half of ranges
- Median
- Lowest to highest
- › line continues past the axis
The SDET median is $0k below the automation median. With under 40 ranges in each group this is a signal, not a measurement. Our salary guides combine posted ranges with a model to smooth it.
05How to choose
Pick by what you want to do all day, not by the title.
- You like building frameworks, services and CI plumbing: aim at SDET. Expect to be asked about code design, containers and API-level tests.
- You like exploring a product through the UI and keeping regression green: aim at QA automation. Expect to be asked about browser frameworks, selectors and flaky tests.
- You are unsure: apply to both. Many 'Quality Engineer' postings fit either.
Next steps: the QA Level Test places you at junior to lead, and the SDET interview guide covers the stages.
06Method and limits
Sample: 3,863 public postings harvested 20 Oct 2026 from employer career pages and public job feeds. Listings are postings, not people or confirmed openings: one role open in several cities counts several times (2,417 distinct titles across 3,863 postings). PassRidge talent-pipeline roles (149) are excluded from every statistic.
Role is assigned by our classifier from the title and body. A posting titled 'Quality Engineer' can land in either group.
Tool shares use the same stack field as our tools analysis.
Pay figures use only ranges the employer published (605 postings). Ranges in other currencies are converted at the indicative rates in our rate table dated 2026-10-01; hourly ranges are annualised at 2,080 hours. Employers that publish a range are not a random sample of employers, and most of them are US companies.
The method for roles, tools and pay is documented on our salary methodology page. Spot an error? Write to [email protected].
Go deeper
Sources
- PassRidge public listing snapshot, 20 Oct 2026