Who is a QA Automation Engineer and How to Become a Test Automation Specialist

What a QA Automation Engineer Does: Responsibilities and Daily Tasks

A QA Automation Engineer’s workday mostly consists of writing and maintaining automated tests to check product functionality. The specialist works with test documentation (test plans, test cases, checklists, bug reports), uses programming languages (most often Python or Java), and special automation tools (Selenium, Playwright, or Cypress). They analyze test run results and work in a team with developers to fix errors before release.

Why Automated Testing Is Relevant for Business and Beginners

The more complex and large-scale a product is, the harder it is to check manually after every code update. Businesses are actively implementing test automation, as it speeds up development and reduces the risk of errors. Without Automation QA, a team cannot release quality updates quickly.

This is also one of the best directions for entering IT without a deep technical background: the basic programming skills needed to start in QA Automation can be acquired in just a few months of practice.

Manual QA, QA Automation, or Developer: What’s the Difference?

• Manual QA: checks the application manually, clicking through the interface and recording errors.
• QA Automation Engineer: writes code that performs these checks automatically and repeatedly. This is an intermediate role between testing and development.
• Developer: creates the product itself, while Automation QA ensures its quality and stability.

Automated or Manual Testing: Which Is Better to Start With?

Manual testing is a simpler entry point into the profession for beginners. Automation requires basic coding knowledge but opens up a higher salary range, broader prospects, and the ability to build entire automated testing systems for large projects.

Who Is Suited for the Test Automation Engineer Profession

QA Automation suits people with an analytical mindset who enjoy finding discrepancies, working methodically, and seeing a clear result. Prior programming experience is not required — attention to detail and a willingness to learn matter more.

For veterans, this is one of the most convenient paths for retraining and entering the IT field. The profession combines technical skills with measurable results, and specialists are in demand at product companies, outsourcing firms, and startups.

Free QA Automation Training for Veterans

Veterans and their family members can obtain the QA Automation Engineer profession free of charge through a course at the Academy for Heroes. The training includes practice with real cases, work with test documentation, English language study, and interview preparation.