Any organization that develops software needs someone to test the efficiency of their products before they go live to end-users. One of the roles that handle this vital part of the application development process is the Quality Assurance (QA) Automation Engineer.
QA Automation Engineer Data
There are over 14,000 QA Engineer positions in the United States, and according to Glassdoor, the national average salary for this position is approximately $86,900.
Based on information available from the Dice Salary Calculator combined with CSS-Tec’s historical data, a QA Engineer in the Philadelphia area can expect to make the following salaries based on years of experience:
- Junior: $59,498 – $64,328
- Mid-Level: $63,129 – $94,583
- Senior: $88, 720 – $118,170
In 2019, the Greater Philadelphia area alone had over 1574 QA Automation open jobs posted for QA positions. The current demand for QA Automation candidates in the Philadelphia market currently outweighs the available candidate pool by about a 15.43/1 ratio and we see no signs that this demand will be slowing down any time soon.
“Indicating that for every 16 job postings, there is only 1 active candidate searching. We feel your pain in finding the right talent! Say Dino Grigorakakis, COO, Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
What is a QA Automation Engineer?
A QA Automation Engineer is a master programmer that uses their coding skills to develop scripts that test web and mobile apps for bugs. The QA Automation Engineer then reports these bugs to the development team for them to fix the software, repeating the process again as necessary.
How to Become an QA Automation Engineer
In order to create scripts, QA Automation Engineers need to be fluent in certain programming languages.
According to Dice, these programming languages typically include:
- JavaScript
- Perl
- Ruby
- SQL
Likewise, they need to proficient in frameworks that test applications, such as:
- Selenium
- Ranorex
- Sahi
- Watir
QA Automation Engineers also need to be detail-oriented and have strong communication skills. While they are not responsible for solving bugs, they must be keenly aware of why/where there is a bug and how to relay this to the software development team so they can fix the application.
“QA Automation really works! It is timely and it works if you have the right team that is willing to break it!” says Sharon Tsao, CMO of Contemporary Staffing Solutions.
Who is CSS Tec?
CSS Tec, a business unit of Contemporary Staffing Solutions, has been a leading provider of contract, contract-to-hire, and direct hire technology solutions while also offering Project Management and implementations of Salesforce solutions. CSS Tec prides itself on internal retention, with the average recruiter’s tenure exceeding five years, as well as their strong, established presence in the Philadelphia Metro area. The CSS Tec team coaches you with current business intelligence so that we can manage your expectations.
Are you looking for your nest QA Automation Engineer or Tester role? Check out our job board for all our open positions or contact a tech recruiter to help you in your job search!
Employers, looking to find skilled candidates for technical positions? Reach out to CSS Tec to discuss partnering with us!