SDET is not automatically a dead end, but a career built only on writing UI scripts can stall. Blind threads from SDETs describe prepping for the same coding and system-design interviews as engineers, building real systems while in the SDET role (internal tools, CI infrastructure, test platforms) so you can show engineering scope, and note that internal transfers can be slow or blocked depending on the company. Others report that big tech has parallel ladders for SDETs and that some companies value the role highly. Practical steps: build tooling with production-level design, learn data structures and system design, get code merged into the product codebase, and ask your manager for a transfer path in writing. These are anecdotes, not statistics.

Sources: Blind: SDET to SDE transition, Blind: QA engineers in big tech, Blind: SDET to SDE switch, Testomat.io career guide