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The functional test engineer role is pivotal in ensuring software quality and performance. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $77,780 per year. Salary variations can occur based on several factors, including geographic location, level of experience, and industry sector. For instance, functional test engineers in high-demand tech hubs often see salaries exceeding the national average.
In states like California and New York, salaries can significantly rise due to the cost of living and competitive job markets. Engineers can expect higher compensation in industries such as software development and telecommunications. Understanding these dynamics can help job seekers navigate their career paths more effectively.
As technology continues to evolve, the demand for skilled functional test engineers is expected to grow. This offers promising career advancement opportunities, especially for those who pursue further certifications and specialize in emerging technologies.
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The average functional test engineer salary in California, New Hampshire, and Washington are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average functional test engineer salary states are West Virginia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $90,386 | $43.45 |
| 2 | Washington | $89,896 | $43.22 |
| 3 | California | $93,398 | $44.90 |
| 4 | Oregon | $88,159 | $42.38 |
| 5 | Delaware | $83,909 | $40.34 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $80,832 | $38.86 |
| 7 | New York | $86,884 | $41.77 |
| 8 | Pennsylvania | $81,745 | $39.30 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $77,981 | $37.49 |
| 10 | Michigan | $75,579 | $36.34 |
| 11 | Illinois | $79,598 | $38.27 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $83,441 | $40.12 |
| 13 | Virginia | $78,742 | $37.86 |
| 14 | Alaska | $82,384 | $39.61 |
| 15 | Connecticut | $77,380 | $37.20 |
| 16 | Nebraska | $75,233 | $36.17 |
| 17 | Maine | $78,219 | $37.61 |
| 18 | Arizona | $74,183 | $35.66 |
| 19 | Texas | $73,745 | $35.45 |
| 20 | Montana | $74,483 | $35.81 |
| 21 | South Dakota | $74,631 | $35.88 |
| 22 | Idaho | $73,555 | $35.36 |
| 23 | Utah | $71,216 | $34.24 |
| 24 | Ohio | $73,308 | $35.24 |
| 25 | Nevada | $72,952 | $35.07 |
| 26 | New Jersey | $76,967 | $37.00 |
| 27 | Georgia | $74,114 | $35.63 |
| 28 | Minnesota | $73,726 | $35.45 |
| 29 | Iowa | $73,065 | $35.13 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $71,781 | $34.51 |
| 31 | Colorado | $72,020 | $34.63 |
| 32 | Rhode Island | $69,558 | $33.44 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | $70,261 | $33.78 |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $71,769 | $34.50 |
| 35 | Maryland | $69,026 | $33.19 |
| 36 | Vermont | $68,788 | $33.07 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $71,735 | $34.49 |
| 38 | Hawaii | $72,569 | $34.89 |
| 39 | Indiana | $68,542 | $32.95 |
| 40 | Missouri | $70,192 | $33.75 |
| 41 | Florida | $66,069 | $31.76 |
| 42 | Kansas | $66,826 | $32.13 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $66,935 | $32.18 |
| 44 | Arkansas | $65,698 | $31.59 |
| 45 | West Virginia | $66,060 | $31.76 |
| 46 | Alabama | $62,242 | $29.92 |
| 47 | North Carolina | $65,806 | $31.64 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $66,635 | $32.04 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $67,256 | $32.33 |
| 50 | New Mexico | $64,266 | $30.90 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $65,839 | $31.65 |
The highest-paying cities for functional test engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $101,407 | $48.75 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $90,954 | $43.73 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $86,988 | $41.82 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $80,886 | $38.89 |
| 5 | Chicago, IL | $79,759 | $38.35 |
| 6 | Arlington, VA | $79,437 | $38.19 |
| 7 | Troy, MI | $75,750 | $36.42 |
| 8 | Phoenix, AZ | $74,214 | $35.68 |
| 9 | Austin, TX | $74,143 | $35.65 |
| 10 | Westerville, OH | $73,174 | $35.18 |
| 11 | Littleton, CO | $72,043 | $34.64 |
| 12 | Lehi, UT | $71,136 | $34.20 |
| 13 | Rockville, MD | $68,899 | $33.12 |
| 14 | Columbus, IN | $68,239 | $32.81 |
| 15 | Overland Park, KS | $66,862 | $32.15 |
| 16 | Durham, NC | $66,490 | $31.97 |
| 17 | Hollywood, FL | $64,556 | $31.04 |
A functional test engineer's salary ranges from $61,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $98,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| 75th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| Average | $77,780 | $6,482 | $37 |
| 25th Percentile | $68,000 | $5,667 | $33 |
| 10th Percentile | $61,000 | $5,083 | $29 |
The highest paying types of functional test engineers are engineer lead quality assurance lead, senior quality assurance engineer, and system test engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Lead | $94,758 | $7,897 | $45.56 | 82,242 |
| Engineer Lead Quality Assurance Lead | $110,007 | $9,167 | $52.89 | 278,178 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Test Analyst | $70,997 | $5,916 | $34.13 | 91,308 |
| Quality Assurance Tester | $74,140 | $6,178 | $35.64 | 82,396 |
| Systems Tester | $95,834 | $7,986 | $46.07 | 112,985 |
Top companies hiring functional test engineers now:
Functional test engineer salaries at Apple and General Motors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average functional test engineer salary at companies like Micron Technology and ASML Holding are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $129,799 | $62.40 |
| 2 | General Motors | $99,983 | $48.07 |
| 3 | Micron Technology | $94,914 | $45.63 |
| 4 | ASML Holding | $92,741 | $44.59 |
| 5 | Amdocs | $90,603 | $43.56 |
| 6 | Continental | $86,227 | $41.46 |
| 7 | Magna International | $85,533 | $41.12 |
| 8 | Rockwell Automation | $85,449 | $41.08 |
| 9 | Generis | $85,383 | $41.05 |
| 10 | Paramount | $85,371 | $41.04 |
| 11 | BondLink | $85,361 | $41.04 |
| 12 | AvL Technologies | $85,270 | $41.00 |
| 13 | Kawasaki Rail Car | $85,179 | $40.95 |
| 14 | Qualitest | $84,112 | $40.44 |
| 15 | Pinnacle Technical Resources | $84,047 | $40.41 |
| 16 | Merck | $83,425 | $40.11 |
| 17 | IM Flash Technologies | $83,320 | $40.06 |
| 18 | Net2Source | $83,299 | $40.05 |
| 19 | Nexteer Automotive | $82,797 | $39.81 |
| 20 | Dell | $80,696 | $38.80 |
The average functional test engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Telecommunication | $90,573 | $43.54 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $88,126 | $42.37 |
| 3 | Technology | $83,280 | $40.04 |
| 4 | Automotive | $83,140 | $39.97 |
The average functional test engineer salary has risen by $12,732 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average functional test engineer earned $65,048 annually, but today, they earn $77,780 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for functional test engineers over the last decade.
Compare functional test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare functional test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $77,800 | $37.39 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $75,200 | $36.16 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $73,500 | $35.34 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $72,100 | $34.65 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $70,500 | $33.87 | +1.5% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Us01 | Function Engineer | San Diego, CA | 05/15/2025 | $100,875 |
| ASML | Function Engineer | San Diego, CA | 05/13/2025 | $100,875 |
| Scout Motors | Engineer, Functional Safety | Novi, MI | 04/30/2025 | $120,000 |
| Actalent | Functional Test Engineer | Detroit, MI | 04/24/2025 | $75,132 |
| Actalent | Functional Test Engineer | Detroit, MI | 03/27/2025 | $75,132 |
| Scoutmotors | Engineer, Functional Safety | Novi, MI | 03/26/2025 | $120,000 |
| Belcan | Avionics Functional Test Engineer | San Antonio, TX | 03/24/2025 | $95,000 |
| The Kemtah Group | Avionics Functional Test Engineer | San Antonio, TX | 03/24/2025 | $95,000 |
| Compest Solutions, Inc. | QA Functional Test Engineer | Frisco, TX | 03/14/2025 | $109,886 |
| Deloitte | Technology | PXE HXM | Successfactors Functional Engineer | Boston, MA | 03/11/2025 | $93,000 |
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