Senior Software Engineer In Test Jobs in California

Senior Software Engineer In Test jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in enterprise software, cloud infrastructure, fintech, and consumer technology, with openings at every level from associate to staff engineer. The largest hiring hubs are the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Google, Apple, and Salesforce maintain substantial quality engineering teams. Demand is strongest in test automation, continuous integration and delivery pipelines, and performance testing for distributed systems. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.

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Overview

Open roles180+
Top employerApple
Top citySan Diego, CA
Cities hiring39
Work type51% Hybrid
Top industryTechnology

Showing 5 of 180+ Senior Software Engineer In Test jobs

Senior Software Development Engineer in Test
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New 19h ago
Senior Software Development Engineer in Test
SDVI
Sunnyvale, California
Customer Support
Solutions Engineering & Architecture
Technical Product & Program Management
Technical Program Management
$140k - $185k/yr
Remote (US)
11-50

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Prototype Software Test Engineer
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Added 1d ago
Prototype Software Test Engineer
Sigma Design
Burlingame, California
Embedded Systems Engineering
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
$119k - $141k/yr
Bachelor's degree in engineering
201-500

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Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)
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Added 1d ago
Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET)
Robotics Technologies
Culver City, California
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
Technical Program Management
Remote (US)

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Software Test Engineer I
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Added 2d ago
Software Test Engineer I
Applied Medical
Rancho Santa Margarita, California
Quality Assurance & Testing (QA Testing)
Software Engineering
$73k - $85k/yr
On-Site
Bachelor's
1,001-5,000

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Spacecraft Software Simulation & Test Engineer - Millennium Space Systems
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Added 2d ago
Spacecraft Software Simulation & Test Engineer - Millennium Space Systems
Boeing
El Segundo, California
Backend Engineering
Data Science
Software Engineering
$83k - $123k/yr
Bachelor's degree in systems engineering
10,000+

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See All 180+ Senior Software Engineer In Test Jobs in California

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Senior Software Engineer In Test Jobs by City in California

Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.

San Diego
34 jobs
Sunnyvale
21 jobs
San Jose
12 jobs
Cupertino
12 jobs
San Mateo
10 jobs
Santa Clara
10 jobs
San Francisco
9 jobs
Palo Alto
8 jobs
Hawthorne
7 jobs

Senior Software Engineer In Test Job Market in California

A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.

Who's Hiring

  • Apple25
  • Northrop Grumman12
  • Sony Interactive Entertainment11
  • SpaceX6
  • TikTok6

Top Industries Hiring

  • Technology & Software15
  • Aerospace & Defense4
  • Electronics & Hardware4
  • Manufacturing3
  • Automotive1

What California Employers Look For

The qualifications that appear most often in senior software engineer in test jobs across California.

  • Five or more years of experience in software development in test or quality engineering
  • Proficiency in at least one automation framework such as Selenium, Cypress, or Playwright
  • Hands-on experience designing and maintaining CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or similar tools
  • Strong coding skills in Java, Python, or TypeScript applied to test infrastructure development
  • Experience testing distributed systems, microservices, or cloud-native applications at scale
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a closely related technical field

Senior Software Engineer In Test Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions

How do you become a senior software engineer in test in California?

There is no state-issued license required to work as a senior software engineer in test in California. The standard path is a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering followed by several years in quality engineering or software development roles. California employers weight hands-on automation experience heavily, so building a portfolio of test frameworks and CI/CD work in progressively complex environments is the most direct route to a senior-level offer.

How much do senior software engineer in tests make in California?

Senior software engineer in tests 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 senior software engineer in tests in California?

Employers hiring senior software engineer in tests in California right now include Apple, Northrop Grumman, and Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of major cloud, enterprise software, and consumer technology headquarters means opportunities are distributed across both well-known large companies and fast-growing mid-size product organizations throughout the Bay Area and Southern California.

Which California cities have the most senior software engineer in test jobs?

The cities with the most senior software engineer in test openings in California are San Diego, Sunnyvale, and San Jose. The Bay Area's density of enterprise software and cloud infrastructure companies drives the largest share of postings, while Los Angeles reflects growth in streaming, fintech, and e-commerce platforms, and San Diego draws openings from defense technology and biotech firms with significant software quality needs.

Are there remote senior software engineer in test jobs in California?

Yes, and more than most fields. About 54% of senior software engineer in test openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the desk-based and tooling-driven nature of quality engineering work. Test automation, framework development, and code review work are the areas most consistently offered remotely, while roles requiring hardware-in-the-loop or on-site lab testing tend to require in-person presence.

How can I get hired as a senior software engineer in test in California with little or no experience?

The most realistic entry path is a junior software development or associate quality engineering role at a California-based technology company, where many large employers run structured new-graduate programs. Companies like Apple, Google, and Salesforce hire associate engineers and quality engineers who grow into senior SDET roles. Transitioning from a software development engineer role is another common route, and building visible automation projects in open-source repositories strengthens applications when formal experience is limited.

Where can I find and apply to senior software engineer in test jobs in California?

You can find and apply to senior software engineer in test jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings. Find roles that fit your experience and apply directly to the ones that match.

See All 180+ Senior Software Engineer In Test Jobs in California

Find roles in California that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.

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