SQE/SDET/QA Career Levels & Responsibilities & Skills

Career Levels & Responsibilities

Level	Experience	Responsibilities	Leadership Role	Technical Depth	Key Focus
Junior Engineer (SDET I / QA I)	0-2 years	Executes test cases, writes basic automation scripts, learns tools & frameworks	None	Low	Basic manual & automation testing, bug reporting
Mid-Level Engineer (SDET II / QA II)	2-5 years	Develops test automation, contributes to CI/CD, analyzes test failures	Limited (mentors juniors)	Medium	Test automation, API testing, CI/CD
Senior Engineer (Senior SDET / QA III)	5-8 years	Designs test strategies, improves test coverage, optimizes frameworks	Medium (mentors team members)	High	Test architecture, performance testing, AI-driven testing
Lead Engineer (Lead SDET / QA Lead)	8-12 years	Leads QA team, defines test strategies, works with developers & product teams	High (manages teams)	High	Test planning, risk assessment, automation frameworks
Staff Engineer (Staff SDET / QA Architect)	12-15 years	Defines test architecture, works across multiple teams, ensures scalability	Very High (advises org-wide testing)	Very High	Enterprise-wide testing strategies, CI/CD, performance testing
Principal Engineer (Principal SDET / Distinguished QA Engineer)	15+ years	Drives innovation, develops company-wide frameworks, sets QA vision	Very High (shapes company strategy)	Expert-Level	Defines QA standards, AI/ML in testing, large-scale automation
Expert Engineer (Distinguished Engineer / Fellow)	18+ years	Industry-recognized leader, patents, research publications, new testing paradigms	Very High (mentors staff/principal engineers)	Expert-Level	Researching emerging technologies, AI/ML-driven testing, industry talks
Consultant (QA Consultant / External Advisor)	10+ years (varies)	Works externally or internally advising companies on best testing practices	Varies (client/project-based leadership)	High-Expert	Large-scale QA transformation, compliance audits, advising teams

Skills Comparison

Skills	Junior	Mid	Senior	Lead	Staff	Principal	Expert	Consultant
Test Automation	Medium	High	Very High	High	High	Medium	Low	Medium
Programming (Python, Java, C#)	Medium	High	Very High	High	High	Medium	Low	Low
CI/CD, DevOps, Cloud	Low	Medium	High	High	Very High	Expert	Expert	Medium
System Design & Architecture	Low	Medium	Medium	High	Very High	Expert	Expert	Expert
AI & ML in Testing	Low	Low	Medium	High	High	Very High	Expert	High
Mentoring & Leadership	None	Limited	Medium	High	Very High	Expert	Expert	High
Strategy & Decision Making	Low	Medium	Medium	High	Very High	Expert	Expert	Expert

ISTQB CTAL-TTA Technical Test Analyst Keys

(1) The Technical Test Analyst's Tasks in Risk-Based Testing

Risk-Based Testing: Risk Identification - Risk Assessment - Risk Mitigation - Project and Product risks

(2) White-Box Test Techniques

Techniques: Statement testing - Decision testing - Branch testing - Modified Condition/Decision Testing (MC/DC) - Multiple condition testing - API testing 

Selecting White-Box Techniques:  Test non-safety critical systems - Test Safety Critical systems

(3) Static and Dynamic Analysis

Static Analysis: Control Flow Analysis - Cyclomatic complexity - Data Flow Analysis - Improving Maintainability of code

Dynamic Analysis: - Detecting Memory Leaks - Detecting Wild Pointers - Analysis for Performance effeciency

(4) Quality Characteristics for Technical Testing 

Product quality characteristics: Functional suitability - Reliability - Usability - Performance - Maintainability - Portability - Security - Compatibility

Quality characteristic testing: Lifecycle timing - Required tools - Required standards - Software and documentation availability - Technical expertise

General Planning Issues: Stakeholder requirements - Test Environment requirements - Required tool acquisition and training - Organizational considerations - Data security considerations

Security Testing: Reasons for Considering Security Testing - Security Test Planning - Security Test Specification - Confidentiality - Integrity - Non-repudiation - Accountability - Authenticity

Reliability Testing: Reliability Test Planning - Reliability Test Specification - Testing for Maturity - Testing for Availability - Testing for Fault Tolerance - Testing for Recoverability

Performance Testing: Performance Test Planning  - Performance Test Specification - Testing for Time Behavior - Testing for Resource Utilization - Testing for Capacity - Aspects of Performance Testing - Load Testing - Stress Testing - Scalability Testing - Operational Profiles

Maintainability Testing: Static and Dynamic Maintainability Testing - Analyzability - Modifiability - Testability - Modularity - Reusability

Portability Testing: Installability Testing - Adaptability Testing - Replaceability Testing

Compatibility Testing: Coexistence Testing 

(5) Reviews

Technical Test Analyst Tasks in Reviews - Checklists in Reviews - Architectural Reviews - Code Reviews

(6) Test Tools and Automation

Defining the Test Automation Project: Technical Test Analyst Tasks in Test Automation  - Selecting the Automation Approach  - Automating through the GUI, API and CLI - Applying a Data-driven Approach - Applying a Keyword-driven Approach - Handling Software Failures - Considering System State - Modeling Business Processes for Automation  

Specific Test Tools: Fault Seeding Tools - Fault Injection Tools - Performance Testing Tools - Tools for Testing Websites - Tools to Support Model-Based Testing - Component Testing and Build Tools - Tools to Support Mobile Application Testing - Simulators - Emulators