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Flight test engineer salary
Average flight test engineer salary
$90,538
Understanding Flight Test Engineer Salaries
The role of a Flight Test Engineer is crucial in the aerospace sector, with responsibilities ranging from developing flight test plans to analyzing data from test flights. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Flight Test Engineer is $90,538 per year, which translates to approximately $44 per hour. The salary can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, geographic location, and the specific industry within aerospace.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions may start at around $70,000, while seasoned professionals can earn over $110,000. This variation emphasizes the importance of gaining relevant experience and pursuing advanced certifications to enhance earning potential.
Top Paying States
Flight Test Engineers can find higher salaries in states such as California, Texas, and Virginia, driven by the presence of major aerospace companies and military contracts. Understanding these dynamics helps job seekers make informed decisions about their career paths.
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Where can a Flight Test Engineer earn more?
Flight test engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level flight test engineer | $60,000 | $28.83 |
| Mid-level flight test engineer | $82,400 | $39.62 |
| Senior-level flight test engineer | $130,000 | $62.71 |
Flight test engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average flight test engineer salary by state
The average flight test engineer salary in Illinois, Arizona, and Rhode Island are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average flight test engineer salary states are Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Arkansas.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for flight test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | $108,834 | $52.32 |
| 2 | Rhode Island | $105,922 | $50.92 |
| 3 | Colorado | $103,407 | $49.71 |
| 4 | Texas | $102,526 | $49.29 |
| 5 | Illinois | $109,244 | $52.52 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $103,329 | $49.68 |
| 7 | California | $104,602 | $50.29 |
| 8 | Utah | $97,219 | $46.74 |
| 9 | Idaho | $101,540 | $48.82 |
| 10 | Nevada | $99,471 | $47.82 |
| 11 | Minnesota | $102,780 | $49.41 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $104,169 | $50.08 |
| 13 | Alabama | $93,730 | $45.06 |
| 14 | Maryland | $98,547 | $47.38 |
| 15 | Washington | $97,194 | $46.73 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $94,719 | $45.54 |
| 17 | Vermont | $93,774 | $45.08 |
| 18 | Wyoming | $92,445 | $44.44 |
| 19 | Connecticut | $95,843 | $46.08 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $100,852 | $48.49 |
| 21 | Michigan | $89,590 | $43.07 |
| 22 | Oregon | $91,384 | $43.93 |
| 23 | Alaska | $93,818 | $45.10 |
| 24 | North Dakota | $89,929 | $43.24 |
| 25 | West Virginia | $92,296 | $44.37 |
| 26 | Louisiana | $94,299 | $45.34 |
| 27 | Montana | $94,148 | $45.26 |
| 28 | Georgia | $94,177 | $45.28 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $88,521 | $42.56 |
| 30 | Virginia | $86,691 | $41.68 |
| 31 | Delaware | $86,603 | $41.64 |
| 32 | Maine | $89,684 | $43.12 |
| 33 | Ohio | $83,324 | $40.06 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | $82,265 | $39.55 |
| 35 | New York | $87,584 | $42.11 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $87,151 | $41.90 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | $84,162 | $40.46 |
| 38 | Kansas | $80,940 | $38.91 |
| 39 | Missouri | $82,595 | $39.71 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $82,694 | $39.76 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $82,183 | $39.51 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $78,701 | $37.84 |
| 43 | Indiana | $79,480 | $38.21 |
| 44 | North Carolina | $78,282 | $37.64 |
| 45 | Florida | $72,934 | $35.06 |
| 46 | Kentucky | $79,380 | $38.16 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $74,842 | $35.98 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $76,246 | $36.66 |
| 49 | Iowa | $73,030 | $35.11 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $75,143 | $36.13 |
| 51 | Wisconsin | $62,480 | $30.04 |
Highest paying cities for flight test engineers
The highest-paying cities for flight test engineers are Palo Alto, CA, Des Plaines, IL, and Reno, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $112,045 | $53.87 |
| 2 | Des Plaines, IL | $109,333 | $52.56 |
| 3 | Reno, NV | $105,098 | $50.53 |
| 4 | Waco, TX | $102,789 | $49.42 |
| 5 | Everett, WA | $97,756 | $47.00 |
| 6 | Roy, UT | $96,867 | $46.57 |
| 7 | Mobile, AL | $95,996 | $46.15 |
| 8 | Savannah, GA | $94,355 | $45.36 |
| 9 | Arlington, VA | $86,647 | $41.66 |
| 10 | Kailua, HI | $82,928 | $39.87 |
| 11 | Beavercreek, OH | $82,839 | $39.83 |
| 12 | Wichita, KS | $81,596 | $39.23 |
| 13 | Columbus, MS | $81,102 | $38.99 |
| 14 | Indianapolis, IN | $79,586 | $38.26 |
| 15 | Melbourne, FL | $73,986 | $35.57 |
Flight test engineer salary details
A flight test engineer's salary ranges from $66,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $123,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a flight test engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $123,000 | $10,250 | $59 |
| 75th Percentile | $106,000 | $8,833 | $51 |
| Average | $90,538 | $7,545 | $44 |
| 25th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
| 10th Percentile | $66,000 | $5,500 | $32 |
Highest paying flight test engineer jobs
The highest paying types of flight test engineers are master lay out specialist, senior engineer/scientist, and stress engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stress Analyst | $85,194 | $7,100 | $40.96 | 8,437 |
| Engineering Scientist | $90,138 | $7,511 | $43.34 | 97,496 |
| Aeronautical Engineer | $80,442 | $6,703 | $38.67 | 28,911 |
| Structural Analysis Engineer | $98,208 | $8,184 | $47.22 | 26,462 |
| Aerodynamics Engineer | $99,629 | $8,302 | $47.90 | 20,152 |
| Simulation Engineer | $97,266 | $8,105 | $46.76 | 46,570 |
Top companies hiring flight test engineers now:
Which companies pay flight test engineers the most?
Flight test engineer salaries at Amazon and Joby Aviation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average flight test engineer salary at companies like Learjet and Bell Flight are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $121,316 | $58.33 |
| 2 | Joby Aviation | $115,837 | $55.69 |
| 3 | Learjet | $115,812 | $55.68 |
| 4 | Bell Flight | $98,733 | $47.47 |
| 5 | Textron | $96,754 | $46.52 |
| 6 | Boeing | $95,866 | $46.09 |
| 7 | Stratolaunch | $94,931 | $45.64 |
| 8 | Cubic | $94,896 | $45.62 |
| 9 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $94,818 | $45.59 |
| 10 | Apollo Professional Solutions | $93,026 | $44.72 |
| 11 | General Electric | $92,740 | $44.59 |
| 12 | Anduril | $92,631 | $44.53 |
| 13 | Agente | $92,418 | $44.43 |
| 14 | Reliable Robotics | $91,973 | $44.22 |
| 15 | Skyryse | $91,972 | $44.22 |
| 16 | Hawaii Aviation | $91,972 | $44.22 |
| 17 | Shield AI | $91,972 | $44.22 |
| 18 | JT3 | $91,959 | $44.21 |
| 19 | PDS Tech | $91,914 | $44.19 |
| 20 | AEVEX Aerospace | $91,901 | $44.18 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Flight test engineer salary trends
The average flight test engineer salary has risen by $12,358 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average flight test engineer earned $78,180 annually, but today, they earn $90,538 a year. That works out to a 8% change in pay for flight test engineers over the last decade.
Compare flight test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average flight test engineer salary over time
Compare flight test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Flight test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $90,500 | $43.53 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | $88,900 | $42.75 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $88,000 | $42.28 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $86,300 | $41.48 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $83,700 | $40.24 | +1.7% |
Recently added flight test engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | Principal Flight Test Engineer, Vtol | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/29/2025 | $170,000 |
| Pivotal | Senior Flight Test Engineer | Palo Alto, CA | 06/27/2025 | $135,000 |
| Joby Aviation Inc. | Staff Flight Test Engineer | Marina, CA | 06/26/2025 | $173,700 |
| Archer | Flight Test Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/26/2025 | $100,000 |
| Booz Allen Hamilton | F-35 Flight Test Infrastructure Engineer | Arlington, VA | 06/25/2025 | $86,800 |
| Rolls Royce | Flight Test Engine Management Engineer | Savannah, GA | 06/25/2025 | $90,985 |
| Archer Aviation | Flight Test Engineer | Salinas, CA | 06/25/2025 | $151,000 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Flight Test Discipline Engineer | Maryland | 06/20/2025 | $70,100 |
| Northrop Grumman | Senior Principal Flight Test Engineer | Edwards Air Force Base, CA | 06/18/2025 | $124,900 |
| ASEC | Acoustic Flight Test Engineer | Lexington Park, MD | 06/13/2025 | $110,000 |
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