How to hire a flight test engineer

How to hire a flight test engineer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step flight test engineer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a flight test engineer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new flight test engineer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a flight test engineer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the flight test engineer you need to hire. Certain flight test engineer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a flight test engineer to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a flight test engineer that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of flight test engineers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Flight Test Engineer	Description	Hourly rate
   Flight Test Engineer	Aerospace engineers design primarily aircraft, spacecraft, satellites, and missiles. In addition, they test prototypes to make sure that they function according to design.	$31-59
   Stress Analyst	A stress analyst is a type of aerospace engineer; they design, construct, and test aircraft. They may also work on missiles or spacecraft... Show more	$30-54
   Engineering Scientist	An engineering scientist is responsible for designing new technological systems through the evaluation of scientific methods and innovative solutions. Engineering scientists analyze technical parts and components, researching the current engineering trends to meet public demands and interests... Show more	$31-59

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Control Room
   • Data Analysis
   • Test Procedures
   • Avionics
   • DOD
   • Test Execution
   • Data Collection
   • FAA
   • Data Acquisition
   • MATLAB
   • Test Equipment
   • Test Results
   • RF
   • Flight Test

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Track and manage team budget, schedule, risks, change information, BOMs, labor and materials costs.
   • Manage Terraform and refactore from monolithic to application specific components.
   • Create complex flight test plans to meet DoD and FAA requirements.
   • Test facility engineer (TFE) responsible for design and development of test rigs, test stands, and fixtures.
   • Maintain a DOD secret security clearance.
   • Support both STC approval and design qualification.

   More flight test engineer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your flight test engineer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A flight test engineer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, flight test engineers' average salary in wisconsin is 43% less than in illinois.
   • Seniority. Entry-level flight test engineers 46% less than senior-level flight test engineers.
   • Certifications. A flight test engineer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a flight test engineer's salary.

   Average flight test engineer salary

   $90,538yearly

   $43.53 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level flight test engineer salary

   $66,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average flight test engineer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$112,045	$54
   2	Illinois	$109,333	$53
   3	Nevada	$105,098	$51
   4	Texas	$102,789	$49
   5	Washington	$97,756	$47
   6	Utah	$96,867	$47
   7	Alabama	$95,996	$46
   8	Georgia	$94,355	$45
   9	Virginia	$86,647	$42
   10	Hawaii	$82,928	$40
   11	Ohio	$82,839	$40
   12	Kansas	$81,596	$39
   13	Mississippi	$81,102	$39
   14	Indiana	$79,586	$38
   15	Florida	$73,986	$36

   Average flight test engineer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Amazon	$121,316	$58.33	103
   2	Joby Aviation	$115,837	$55.69	48
   3	Learjet	$115,812	$55.68
   4	Bell Flight	$98,733	$47.47
   5	Textron	$96,754	$46.52	82
   6	Boeing	$95,866	$46.09	113
   7	Stratolaunch	$94,931	$45.64	4
   8	Cubic	$94,896	$45.62
   9	Randstad North America, Inc.	$94,818	$45.59	2
   10	Apollo Professional Solutions	$93,026	$44.72	5
   11	General Electric	$92,740	$44.59	30
   12	Anduril	$92,631	$44.53	45
   13	Agente	$92,418	$44.43
   14	Reliable Robotics	$91,973	$44.22	41
   15	Skyryse	$91,972	$44.22	3
   16	Hawaii Aviation	$91,972	$44.22
   17	Shield AI	$91,972	$44.22	33
   18	JT3	$91,959	$44.21	3
   19	PDS Tech	$91,914	$44.19	4
   20	AEVEX Aerospace	$91,901	$44.18	5

4. Writing a flight test engineer job description

   A good flight test engineer job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a flight test engineer job description:

   Flight test engineer job description example

   Troy 7 Inc.
   
   Regular
   
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   Lead the execution of Missile Defense System test requirements, product definitions, integrated timelines, and authority/responsibility definitions Lead and participate in Tiger Teams to support critical customer technical needs, identify process and/or technical discrepancies, and propose innovate approaches to meeting customer expectations Apply exceptional understanding of the Missile Defense System (MDS) and its environment to identify, improve, or resolve MDA system test requirements issues, both internal and external to the division Develop executive-level briefings and coordinate and participate in technical meeting.Interface and coordinate with stakeholders to ensure technical accuracy and verify the correct capture of test requirements for the inclusion in MDA test documentation Identify, track, and assist in resolution of action and watch items resulting from the test requirements process Identify the needs of internal and external customers and address their concerns
   
   SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES (if applicable):
   
   This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.
   
   KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
   
   QUALIFICATIONS:
   
   REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
   Master's Degree in STEM degree with 12+ years' experience Proficiency with MS Office products (Outlook, Word, Excel, etc.) Active Secret ClearanceDemonstrated executive-level communication
   
   DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
   Understanding of MDA systems engineering processes and practices7+ years' experience in test requirements Demonstrated expertise in multiple aspects of the Missile Defense System
   
   The position may require a COVID vaccination or an approved accommodation/exemption for a disability/medical condition or religious belief as required by federal, state, provincial or local mandates or customer requirements.
   
   PREFERENCE STATEMENTPreference will be given to Calista shareholders and their descendants and to spouses of Calista shareholders, and to shareholders of other corporations created pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, in accordance with Title 43 U.S. Code 1626(g).
   
   EEO STATEMENTAdditionally, it is our policy to select, place, train and promote the most qualified individuals based upon relevant factors such as work quality, attitude and experience, so as to provide equal employment opportunity for all employees in compliance with applicable local, state and federal laws and without regard to non-work related factors such as race, color, religion/creed, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, genetic information, or other protected status. When applicable, our policy of non-discrimination applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, transfer, promotion, placement, layoff, compensation, termination, reduction in force and benefits. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONIt is Calista and Subsidiaries' business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right flight test engineer for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with flight test engineers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit flight test engineers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your flight test engineer job on Zippia to find and recruit flight test engineer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with flight test engineer candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new flight test engineer

   Once you've found the flight test engineer candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new flight test engineer. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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