Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Best states for a principal test engineer
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
We decided to bring you a list of the best states for jobs for principal test engineers in the United States. Principal test engineer positions are available in every state, but not all states are the same. Some states do not offer the same wages, benefits, time off, etc for principal test engineers.Pay, benefits, and opportunities vary greatly by state, and it's no different for principal test engineers. We found that Oregon is the best state in the nation for principal test engineers, and people in Windsor earn the most in the field.
The median salary for principal test engineers in Oregon is $136,238. Compare that to the median salary in Kentucky of $87,627, which ranked worst for principal test engineers, and you can see how your location is important for your career.We found that Oregon is the best state for principal test engineer jobs, whereas Kentucky is the worst.
10 best states for principal test engineers in 2025
1. Oregon
Total principal test engineer jobs: 1,196 Average annual salary: $136,238 Lowest 10 percent earn: $93,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $199,000 Location Quotient: 1.712. California
Total principal test engineer jobs: 7,521 Average annual salary: $142,752 Lowest 10 percent earn: $99,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $205,000 Location Quotient: 1.523. Washington
Total principal test engineer jobs: 1,790 Average annual salary: $134,660 Lowest 10 percent earn: $92,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $196,000 Location Quotient: 1.454. New Hampshire
Total principal test engineer jobs: 382 Average annual salary: $123,610 Lowest 10 percent earn: $90,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $168,000 Location Quotient: 1.295. Nevada
Total principal test engineer jobs: 346 Average annual salary: $117,607 Lowest 10 percent earn: $80,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $171,000 Location Quotient: 0.986. Utah
Total principal test engineer jobs: 590 Average annual salary: $111,203 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $164,000 Location Quotient: 1.097. Idaho
Total principal test engineer jobs: 276 Average annual salary: $112,250 Lowest 10 percent earn: $75,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $166,000 Location Quotient: 0.998. Arizona
Total principal test engineer jobs: 1,237 Average annual salary: $108,004 Lowest 10 percent earn: $74,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 1.259. Montana
Total principal test engineer jobs: 228 Average annual salary: $108,379 Lowest 10 percent earn: $73,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $159,000 Location Quotient: 1.1710. Delaware
Total principal test engineer jobs: 194 Average annual salary: $113,191 Lowest 10 percent earn: $82,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $155,000 Location Quotient: 0.91
Principal test engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a principal test engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a principal test engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $136,238 | $93,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,196 |
| 2 | California | $142,752 | $99,000 | 39,536,653 | 7,521 |
| 3 | Washington | $134,660 | $92,000 | 7,405,743 | 1,790 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $123,610 | $90,000 | 1,342,795 | 382 |
| 5 | Nevada | $117,607 | $80,000 | 2,998,039 | 346 |
| 6 | Utah | $111,203 | $75,000 | 3,101,833 | 590 |
| 7 | Idaho | $112,250 | $75,000 | 1,716,943 | 276 |
| 8 | Arizona | $108,004 | $74,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,237 |
| 9 | Montana | $108,379 | $73,000 | 1,050,493 | 228 |
| 10 | Delaware | $113,191 | $82,000 | 961,939 | 194 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $109,509 | $74,000 | 579,315 | 84 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $111,125 | $81,000 | 6,859,819 | 1,546 |
| 13 | Alaska | $119,162 | $84,000 | 739,795 | 85 |
| 14 | Virginia | $104,439 | $76,000 | 8,470,020 | 2,880 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $111,874 | $81,000 | 693,972 | 614 |
| 16 | Texas | $101,454 | $71,000 | 28,304,596 | 3,470 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $105,893 | $77,000 | 3,588,184 | 537 |
| 18 | Michigan | $102,181 | $74,000 | 9,962,311 | 949 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $100,198 | $73,000 | 12,805,537 | 1,859 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $111,050 | $81,000 | 9,005,644 | 768 |
| 21 | Maine | $105,188 | $77,000 | 1,335,907 | 111 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $98,767 | $71,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,159 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $98,461 | $69,000 | 1,920,076 | 322 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $100,262 | $70,000 | 869,666 | 90 |
| 25 | Colorado | $98,286 | $67,000 | 5,607,154 | 1,510 |
| 26 | Ohio | $97,155 | $70,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,232 |
| 27 | Georgia | $99,935 | $72,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,197 |
| 28 | New York | $99,152 | $72,000 | 19,849,399 | 2,401 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $99,653 | $70,000 | 4,684,333 | 245 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $96,720 | $69,000 | 755,393 | 89 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $95,756 | $70,000 | 1,059,639 | 165 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $102,395 | $76,000 | 1,427,538 | 85 |
| 33 | Maryland | $92,553 | $67,000 | 6,052,177 | 1,672 |
| 34 | Iowa | $96,606 | $68,000 | 3,145,711 | 268 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $92,586 | $67,000 | 5,795,483 | 655 |
| 36 | Illinois | $93,528 | $67,000 | 12,802,023 | 1,989 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $94,961 | $67,000 | 3,930,864 | 212 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $92,184 | $63,000 | 2,088,070 | 314 |
| 39 | Florida | $92,947 | $66,000 | 20,984,400 | 2,426 |
| 40 | Vermont | $92,552 | $68,000 | 623,657 | 106 |
| 41 | Indiana | $90,499 | $65,000 | 6,666,818 | 683 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $87,728 | $64,000 | 10,273,419 | 1,567 |
| 43 | Missouri | $91,628 | $65,000 | 6,113,532 | 598 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $87,584 | $63,000 | 1,815,857 | 176 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $87,003 | $62,000 | 3,004,279 | 323 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $91,291 | $65,000 | 2,984,100 | 135 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $88,687 | $64,000 | 6,715,984 | 421 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $88,930 | $65,000 | 5,024,369 | 384 |
| 49 | Kansas | $86,966 | $61,000 | 2,913,123 | 340 |
| 50 | Alabama | $84,162 | $60,000 | 4,874,747 | 579 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $87,627 | $63,000 | 4,454,189 | 339 |
Highest paying states for principal test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Principal Test Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $136,238 |
| 2 | California | $142,752 |
| 3 | Washington | $134,660 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $123,610 |
| 5 | Nevada | $117,607 |
| 6 | Utah | $111,203 |
| 7 | Idaho | $112,250 |
| 8 | Arizona | $108,004 |
| 9 | Montana | $108,379 |
| 10 | Delaware | $113,191 |
| 11 | Wyoming | $109,509 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $111,125 |
| 13 | Alaska | $119,162 |
| 14 | Virginia | $104,439 |
| 15 | District of Columbia | $111,874 |
| 16 | Texas | $101,454 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $105,893 |
| 18 | Michigan | $102,181 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $100,198 |
| 20 | New Jersey | $111,050 |
| 21 | Maine | $105,188 |
| 22 | Minnesota | $98,767 |
| 23 | Nebraska | $98,461 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $100,262 |
| 25 | Colorado | $98,286 |
| 26 | Ohio | $97,155 |
| 27 | Georgia | $99,935 |
| 28 | New York | $99,152 |
| 29 | Louisiana | $99,653 |
| 30 | North Dakota | $96,720 |
| 31 | Rhode Island | $95,756 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $102,395 |
| 33 | Maryland | $92,553 |
| 34 | Iowa | $96,606 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | $92,586 |
| 36 | Illinois | $93,528 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $94,961 |
| 38 | New Mexico | $92,184 |
| 39 | Florida | $92,947 |
| 40 | Vermont | $92,552 |
| 41 | Indiana | $90,499 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $87,728 |
| 43 | Missouri | $91,628 |
| 44 | West Virginia | $87,584 |
| 45 | Arkansas | $87,003 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $91,291 |
| 47 | Tennessee | $88,687 |
| 48 | South Carolina | $88,930 |
| 49 | Kansas | $86,966 |
| 50 | Alabama | $84,162 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $87,627 |
Principal test engineer best states FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
Search for principal test engineer jobs
Updated January 8, 2025