Automation Tester Roles and Responsibilities: What Does an Automation Tester Do?

Your work as an automation tester follows the life of a test, from deciding it’s worth automating to keeping it working for years. These steps follow the work ISTQB describes for test automation engineers, plus the tasks O*NET lists. Each step sets up the next one.

1. Study the app and choose what to automate
   You start by looking at the app you’ll test and what the project needs. ISTQB says to do this with manual testers, business analysts, and other teammates, so you spot risks early. Together you decide which checks are worth turning into code.

2. Pick your tools and language
   ISTQB suggests a simple comparison table, with tools across the top and your needs down the side. Needs include the language, reporting, and how each tool works with your bug tracker and build pipeline. No single tool may fit every need.

3. Design the test framework
   A test framework is the base your tests sit on: the runner, the shared code, and the reports. ISTQB describes a few layers, with tests on top, app-specific steps in the middle, and shared code at the bottom. It says to keep the layers few.

4. Write the automated tests
   Each test follows steps in the app, then compares what happened with what should have happened. O*NET lists updating automated test scripts and building automated testing tools as tester tasks.

5. Run the tests in the pipeline
   A pipeline is an automatic line that builds the software, tests it, and moves it along. ISTQB says automated tests can run on their own inside it. Quick checks run during the build, and system tests act as a final check before release. Many teams also run all their regression tests, which check that old features still work, every night. Then everyone sees the results in the morning.

6. Work out why a test failed
   A failure can mean a bug in the app, a bug in the test, or a broken test setup. ISTQB’s steps are to check whether the same failure happened before, find the step that failed, and look at screenshots and logs. If the app is really wrong, you log a bug with proof. O*NET also lists reviewing logs and code to find the source of a problem.

7. Report the results
   ISTQB says a test report should show the results, details about the app, and the test setup. Managers often care about trends, like how many tests pass. Technical readers want more detail.

8. Keep the tests working
   Apps change, so tests need care. ISTQB points to clean habits: clear names, a tidy project, no values typed straight into the code, and version control with a clear branching plan. It also suggests a chart of past results to spot fragile tests worth reworking.

9. Improve the setup
   You remove duplicate tests, run tests side by side to save time, and check your own automation too. ISTQB says tests that give unreliable results should come out of the main set until you find the cause. It also says to scan test code for mistakes like a plain-text password.

Automation isn’t a goal on its own. A test is worth automating only when the effort pays off. ISTQB lays out the gains and the costs clearly, and they help you decide what to build first and what to keep as a check you do yourself.

What you gain. According to ISTQB, automation lets you:

• run more tests on each new version of the software

• run tests that people can’t, like checks that need split-second timing or many tests at once

• get faster feedback, with fewer human slips and the same steps every time

What it costs. ISTQB lists these:

• You may need to hire an automation engineer, buy equipment, and pay for training.

• You need time to build tests and keep them working.

• Tests can be rigid and may not adapt well when the app changes. The automation can also add bugs of its own.

What it can’t do. ISTQB says not all manual tests can be automated. Automated tests check only what they’re programmed to check, and only results that a program can judge. A program can’t tell you if a page feels confusing, for example. That one’s our example, not ISTQB’s.

A strong first pick is regression testing. ISTQB’s Foundation syllabus says regression tests run many times and grow with each release, so they’re a strong candidate for automation. It also says to start automation early. Even so, it says manual testing, especially from the user’s point of view, is still needed on teams with lots of automation.

Choosing well is one of your biggest automation testing responsibilities. Knowing what not to automate saves as much time as the tests you write.

There’s more than one way to turn a test into code, and each way has trade-offs. ISTQB names the common ones. Knowing them helps you pick an approach that you can still maintain a year from now, not just one that’s fast to start.

• Record and play back - A tool records what you do in the app and turns it into a script. It’s easy to start, but ISTQB says it’s hard to maintain and only suits a small app that rarely changes.

• Simple scripts - You write the steps one after another. They’re easy to begin, but hard to maintain as they grow.

• Structured scripts - You build reusable pieces, like a “log in” step. ISTQB says this is easy to maintain, scale, and adapt, but you need programming skill and time to set it up.

• Data-driven tests - One script runs many times with different data from a file. You can add tests quickly, but you need to manage your test data well.

• Keyword-driven tests - Steps are written as keywords from the user’s point of view. ISTQB says people who don’t code can help write tests, but keeping the keywords up to date gets complex as the app grows.

• Behavior-driven development (BDD) - You write scenarios in plain language, using “given, when, then,” and a tool runs them. ISTQB says it helps people talk to each other. It also warns that complicated steps make debugging hard.

Many testers also use the page object model. You create one class (a reusable block of code) for each page of the app. When a button moves, you fix its address, called a locator, in one place, not in every test.

Waiting is a common trap. ISTQB says fixed pauses, like “wait five seconds,” cause many test problems, because the app’s speed changes. It’s better to check for a condition, like “the page has loaded,” and add a time limit so the test doesn’t wait forever.

Your automation tester responsibilities change as you grow. At first you follow patterns others set up. Later you choose tools and design the framework. No official group fixes these levels, so treat the table as a typical pattern.

Built from ISTQB’s descriptions of pilot projects, design, and upkeep.

These levels aren’t fixed, so automation testing roles and responsibilities vary from one company to the next. ISTQB’s career path leads from its advanced automation certification to Test Automation Strategy, and to the Test Analyst, Technical Test Analyst, and Test Manager levels.

On pay, BLS says QA analysts and testers earned a median of $104,300 in May 2025. BLS doesn’t split pay by experience or by automation work, so use it as a rough guide for the whole group. ASTQB, which runs ISTQB exams in the U.S., says test automation engineers are in high demand. That’s its view.

So what does an automation tester do all day? Less clicking than you might think, and more reading results and writing code. Your automation testing tasks shift with the project, but a normal day tends to follow this loop.

1. Check the overnight run - ISTQB says teams often run their regression tests every night, so you start by reading the results.

2. Sort the failures - For each failed test, you decide whether it’s a bug in the app, a bug in the test, or a setup problem. Real bugs go into the bug tracker, and O*NET says testers follow each one until it’s fixed.

3. Fix and update tests - When the app changes, you update steps and locators, and remove tests that repeat each other.

4. Write new tests - New features need new checks, and you add them to the pipeline.

5. Review code and talk with the team - ISTQB lists code reviews, pair programming, and frequent automated test runs as good habits on agile teams. You’ll also share results through reports and dashboards.

There’s no single toolkit, because it depends on the app and the team. The U.S. Department of Labor’s job-posting data shows what employers name most often. These numbers cover all postings for QA analysts and testers, not just automation roles.

Source: O*NET, using 2025 U.S. job postings from Lightcast. Each percentage is the share of postings for the job that mention the skill.

Nobody uses all of these. Selenium shows up in far more postings than Playwright, but O*NET lists both among its in-demand tools. ISTQB says to pick tools by looking at your app, your costs, and your team’s skills.

Automation work asks for more coding than other testing jobs, but it still starts with testing sense. ISTQB and O*NET points to the same mix: programming, careful thinking, and clear communication. Here’s how each one shows up in your day.

• Programming - ISTQB says an automation engineer is expected to have software engineering skills. Tools that need little code can help a team with little programming experience, but record-and-play tools suit only small apps that rarely change.

• Testing know-how - You need to know what’s worth checking. That’s why ISTQB says to work with manual testers and business analysts when you plan.

• Debugging - You’ll read logs and screenshots to find where a test went wrong. O*NET lists reviewing logs, files, and code to find the source of a problem.

• Clean habits - Clear names, tidy projects, and version control keep tests easy to fix later.

• Clear writing and speaking - O*NET lists reading, writing, speaking, active listening, and critical thinking as essential skills for this job.

• A habit of learning - O*NET lists keeping up with new technical knowledge as a main work activity. ISTQB notes that tool updates can break existing tests, so you’ll test new versions before rolling them out.

Sources: ISTQB and O*NET.

Automation looks like solo coding from the outside, but it isn’t. Tests need input from people who know the app, and fixes need help from the people who build it. These are the teammates you’ll talk to most.

• Manual testers and business analysts - ISTQB says to study the app with them to find risks. With keyword-driven tests, people who don’t code can help write the test steps.

• Developers - ISTQB says choosing a tool in the same language as the app helps you debug test problems together. O*NET says testers report defects to developers.

• Pipeline and test setup teammates - ISTQB notes that firewalls, computer resources, and test environments can all cause trouble for automation, so you’ll work with the people who run them.

• Managers and product owners - ISTQB says test reports go to managers, who look at trends, and to product owners and business analysts, who care about how the product is used.

Reading about automation is a start, but writing and running tests is how the skills stick. We offer two live, instructor-led programs for automation testers, and both include resume help, interview prep, and a four-week job assistance program.

QA Software Testing Training runs 8 weeks with 60+ live hours. It starts with QA basics, so you can begin without a testing background. Then you learn Java from the basics, Selenium WebDriver (including locators and cross-browser testing), TestNG, Playwright, API testing with Postman and Rest Assured, GitHub, Jenkins pipelines, and a capstone project. JIRA and Bugzilla are part of it too. O*NET marks Selenium, Postman, Jenkins, Git, and JIRA as in demand.

AI in Automation Testing runs 6 weeks with 45+ live hours. You learn JavaScript and Playwright, including locators, forms and frames, auto-waiting and retries, the page object model, reusable test steps, debugging, reports, and parallel runs in a pipeline. You also test APIs with Playwright and use AI tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Playwright MCP to help write and fix tests. The course also introduces self-healing locators, plus AI testing tools like Testim, Mabl, and Functionize and visual testing with Applitools and Percy. ISTQB notes that some tools use machine learning to find changed locators and fix tests.

Starting with no testing background at all? Our Manual Testing Training is a gentle first step. It runs 4 weeks and has no technical prerequisites.

One thing to know before you sign up: our course certificate shows you finished the program. It isn’t an ISTQB credential, and ISTQB exams are booked separately. Not sure which course fits you? A JanBask counselor can help you pick.

As an automation tester, you choose what’s worth automating, write the tests as code, run them in the pipeline, work out why they fail, and keep them healthy as the app changes. Do that well, and your team gets fast, steady feedback on every change.