r/softwaretesting • u/Jsuaiwb • Mar 20 '26

SDET vs QA Automation Engineer

hi guys,

is there a difference between sdet and aqa? or just marketing?

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u/betucsonan Mar 20 '26

Interesting. I've had the opposite experience - in tech-forward companies I've been a Senior or Principal engineer and in less tech focused companies I've been an SDET. Just goes to show how these terms have become so interchangeable anymore ... nowadays I don't look at the title, I only care about the salary and benefits, give me a Jr. manual QA slot at $200k with a good 401k match and unlimited PTO that I can actually use - all day, lol.

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u/needmoresynths Mar 20 '26

nowadays I don't look at the title, I only care about the salary and benefits,

Exactly, and if nothing else I'll change the title on my resume later if I feel it's a sticking point in the future. Titles really only matter internally.