QA Automation Engineer Jobs in California
QA Automation Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in software, enterprise technology, fintech, and healthcare tech across a seniority range from entry-level SDET to principal automation architect. The heaviest hiring happens in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Apple, Google, and Salesforce maintain large engineering organizations that run continuous test automation pipelines. The most in-demand specialties are Selenium and Playwright framework development, CI/CD pipeline integration, and API and performance testing. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
Find QA Automation Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 18+ QA Automation Engineer jobs
Locations: Austin, TX & Cupertino, CA (Onsite)
Compensation: Up to $7,500 USD/month
Employment Type: W2 / W9
We are hiring experienced QA Automation Engineers / SDETs to support exciting engineering initiatives within Apple. We currently have two onsite opportunities, each with a different technical focus.
Position 1: SDET – Wallet Services Team
Austin, TX (Onsite)
Join the Wallet Services Quality Engineering team and help deliver high-quality backend services and APIs used by millions of users.
Required Skills
- Strong Java and/or Kotlin programming experience
- API integration testing
- Backend / Server-side automation testing
- Test framework development and enhancement
- Gradle
- Git
- CI/CD concepts and pipelines
- Debugging and troubleshooting
- Agile development environments
- Automation failure triage
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain server automation test suites
- Create API integration and backend automation tests
- Review automation failures and file defects
- Investigate partner-facing automation issues
- Extend and improve existing testing frameworks
- Work closely with development teams to improve software quality
Education
- BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience
Position 2: QA Automation Engineer / SDET
Cupertino, CA or Austin, TX (Onsite)
This position focuses on quality engineering, AI-assisted development tools, automation frameworks, and end-to-end software validation.
Required Skills
- Test automation framework development
- Manual and automated testing
- Quality Engineering methodologies
- CI/CD experience
- Strong programming skills (Java/Kotlin preferred, but not required)
- Test planning and execution
- Software debugging and troubleshooting
- Agile development experience
Preferred Skills
- AI-powered coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Codeium, etc.)
- UI/UX testing
- Continuous testing infrastructure
- Test scheduling systems
- Consumer product testing
- Automation tooling and framework development
Responsibilities
- Build scalable and repeatable automation solutions
- Execute manual and automated testing efforts
- Partner with development teams throughout the SDLC
- Create test strategies and identify deployment risks
- Develop and maintain test documentation
- Drive defects through resolution
- Improve quality using AI-powered development workflows
Education
- BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience
Pay: $7,588.00 per month
Application Question(s):
- Do you have at least 4 years of experience developing automated test frameworks and test automation solutions?
- Have you worked with Java and/or Kotlin for automation or software development?
- Do you have hands-on experience with API integration testing and backend/service-level automation?
- Have you used CI/CD tools and source control systems such as Git in a production environment?
- Are you comfortable working onsite in either Austin, TX or Cupertino, CA, depending on project assignment?
- Have you used AI-powered development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codeium, Claude Code, ChatGPT, etc.) to improve development, testing, or debugging workflows?
- Are you authorized to work under W2 or W9? Are you willing to work onsite in either Austin, TX or Cupertino, CA?
- Share monthly salary exp for these positions
Work Location: In person
Locations: Austin, TX & Cupertino, CA (Onsite)
Compensation: Up to $7,500 USD/month
Employment Type: W2 / W9
We are hiring experienced QA Automation Engineers / SDETs to support exciting engineering initiatives within Apple. We currently have two onsite opportunities, each with a different technical focus.
Position 1: SDET – Wallet Services Team
Austin, TX (Onsite)
Join the Wallet Services Quality Engineering team and help deliver high-quality backend services and APIs used by millions of users.
Required Skills
- Strong Java and/or Kotlin programming experience
- API integration testing
- Backend / Server-side automation testing
- Test framework development and enhancement
- Gradle
- Git
- CI/CD concepts and pipelines
- Debugging and troubleshooting
- Agile development environments
- Automation failure triage
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain server automation test suites
- Create API integration and backend automation tests
- Review automation failures and file defects
- Investigate partner-facing automation issues
- Extend and improve existing testing frameworks
- Work closely with development teams to improve software quality
Education
- BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience
Position 2: QA Automation Engineer / SDET
Cupertino, CA or Austin, TX (Onsite)
This position focuses on quality engineering, AI-assisted development tools, automation frameworks, and end-to-end software validation.
Required Skills
- Test automation framework development
- Manual and automated testing
- Quality Engineering methodologies
- CI/CD experience
- Strong programming skills (Java/Kotlin preferred, but not required)
- Test planning and execution
- Software debugging and troubleshooting
- Agile development experience
Preferred Skills
- AI-powered coding tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude, ChatGPT, Codeium, etc.)
- UI/UX testing
- Continuous testing infrastructure
- Test scheduling systems
- Consumer product testing
- Automation tooling and framework development
Responsibilities
- Build scalable and repeatable automation solutions
- Execute manual and automated testing efforts
- Partner with development teams throughout the SDLC
- Create test strategies and identify deployment risks
- Develop and maintain test documentation
- Drive defects through resolution
- Improve quality using AI-powered development workflows
Education
- BS/MS in Computer Science or equivalent experience
Pay: $7,588.00 per month
Application Question(s):
- Do you have at least 4 years of experience developing automated test frameworks and test automation solutions?
- Have you worked with Java and/or Kotlin for automation or software development?
- Do you have hands-on experience with API integration testing and backend/service-level automation?
- Have you used CI/CD tools and source control systems such as Git in a production environment?
- Are you comfortable working onsite in either Austin, TX or Cupertino, CA, depending on project assignment?
- Have you used AI-powered development tools (GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Codeium, Claude Code, ChatGPT, etc.) to improve development, testing, or debugging workflows?
- Are you authorized to work under W2 or W9? Are you willing to work onsite in either Austin, TX or Cupertino, CA?
- Share monthly salary exp for these positions
Work Location: In person
See All 18 QA Automation Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find QA Automation Engineer JobsQA Automation Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
QA Automation Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
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What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in QA automation engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- Proficiency in at least one automation framework such as Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress
- Experience writing test scripts in Python, Java, or JavaScript for automated test suites
- Hands-on experience integrating automated tests into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins or GitHub Actions
- Familiarity with API testing tools such as Postman or RestAssured for backend validation
- Experience with Agile or Scrum workflows and tools like Jira for defect tracking and sprint planning
QA Automation Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a qa automation engineer in California?
Becoming a qa automation engineer in California does not require a state-issued license or registration. Most roles require a bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or information systems, though some employers accept demonstrated portfolio work in place of a formal degree. Building expertise in automation frameworks like Selenium or Playwright, earning vendor-neutral certifications such as ISTQB, and contributing to open-source or personal test projects strengthens a California application significantly.
How much do QA automation engineers make in California?
QA automation engineers in California earn a median of about $128,740 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $65,890 for the lowest 10% to over $201,070 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire qa automation engineers in California?
Employers hiring qa automation engineers in California right now include AeroVironment, Cisco, and Praxis, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, and health tech companies means qa automation roles appear across a wide range of industries, from consumer apps to regulated medical device software.
Which California cities have the most qa automation engineer jobs?
Fremont, Moorpark, and Santa Clara have the most qa automation engineer openings in California. The Bay Area leads because of its dense concentration of software and cloud companies headquartered there, while Los Angeles draws openings from entertainment technology and e-commerce platforms, and San Diego's strong biotech and defense tech sectors generate consistent demand for automation engineers working in regulated testing environments.
Are there remote qa automation engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 60% of qa automation engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how naturally the work adapts to distributed engineering teams. Roles focused on writing and maintaining automated test scripts, reviewing CI/CD pipeline results, and reporting on test coverage tend to be the most fully remote, while positions requiring lab environments or hardware-in-the-loop testing typically stay on-site.
How can I get hired as a qa automation engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is securing a junior SDET or QA analyst role that involves some manual testing alongside automation work, then building automation skills on the job. Large California technology employers and staffing firms that support Bay Area and Los Angeles tech companies regularly hire associate-level QA engineers for teams transitioning from manual to automated testing. Earning the ISTQB Foundation certificate, completing a bootcamp with a capstone automation project, and publishing test scripts on GitHub give candidates a concrete portfolio that offsets limited professional experience.
Where can I find and apply to qa automation engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to qa automation engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other markets. Find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 18 QA Automation Engineer Jobs in California
Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find QA Automation Engineer Jobs