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Field test engineer salary
Average field test engineer salary
$74,767
The Field Test Engineer plays a crucial role in ensuring the functionality and quality of products before they hit the market. As of October 2025, the average salary for a Field Test Engineer stands at $74,767 per year, or $36 per hour. This salary can fluctuate based on factors such as experience level, geographic location, and specific industry demands.
Entry-level positions typically offer lower compensation, while seasoned professionals can earn significantly more. For those interested in maximizing their earnings, states such as California, Texas, and New York consistently report higher salaries for Field Test Engineers. Additionally, sectors such as technology and telecommunications often provide competitive pay.
Understanding the salary landscape for Field Test Engineers is essential for job seekers aiming to negotiate effectively. As the demand for skilled engineers grows, opportunities abound in various industries. Prospective engineers should consider the long-term career path and potential for advancement within their chosen field.
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Where can a Field Test Engineer earn more?
Field test engineer salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level field test engineer | $49,900 | $23.97 |
| Mid-level field test engineer | $79,500 | $38.21 |
| Senior-level field test engineer | $118,000 | $56.50 |
Field test engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average field test engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for field test engineers are Virginia, California, and Tennessee. The lowest average field test engineer salary states are Ohio, Kansas, and Arizona.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for field test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virginia | $95,882 | $46.10 |
| 2 | California | $94,699 | $45.53 |
| 3 | Washington | $88,139 | $42.37 |
| 4 | New Mexico | $85,955 | $41.32 |
| 5 | Vermont | $81,951 | $39.40 |
| 6 | Utah | $79,105 | $38.03 |
| 7 | Massachusetts | $82,783 | $39.80 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $87,045 | $41.85 |
| 9 | Idaho | $80,060 | $38.49 |
| 10 | Tennessee | $88,233 | $42.42 |
| 11 | Alabama | $78,427 | $37.71 |
| 12 | Alaska | $84,885 | $40.81 |
| 13 | Florida | $79,353 | $38.15 |
| 14 | Maryland | $80,417 | $38.66 |
| 15 | North Dakota | $73,510 | $35.34 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $81,387 | $39.13 |
| 17 | Delaware | $78,091 | $37.54 |
| 18 | Iowa | $75,239 | $36.17 |
| 19 | Georgia | $77,962 | $37.48 |
| 20 | Texas | $73,761 | $35.46 |
| 21 | North Carolina | $74,442 | $35.79 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $75,495 | $36.30 |
| 23 | Oregon | $73,390 | $35.28 |
| 24 | Maine | $71,577 | $34.41 |
| 25 | Michigan | $71,975 | $34.60 |
| 26 | Wyoming | $69,991 | $33.65 |
| 27 | Oklahoma | $72,047 | $34.64 |
| 28 | New Jersey | $77,381 | $37.20 |
| 29 | Hawaii | $74,556 | $35.84 |
| 30 | Nevada | $71,085 | $34.18 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $71,506 | $34.38 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $70,920 | $34.10 |
| 33 | Illinois | $73,631 | $35.40 |
| 34 | Colorado | $68,744 | $33.05 |
| 35 | New York | $71,383 | $34.32 |
| 36 | Rhode Island | $71,390 | $34.32 |
| 37 | Minnesota | $69,755 | $33.54 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $70,361 | $33.83 |
| 39 | Missouri | $69,836 | $33.58 |
| 40 | Arkansas | $69,202 | $33.27 |
| 41 | Connecticut | $68,558 | $32.96 |
| 42 | New Hampshire | $67,737 | $32.57 |
| 43 | Arizona | $64,849 | $31.18 |
| 44 | Indiana | $66,831 | $32.13 |
| 45 | Nebraska | $68,481 | $32.92 |
| 46 | Ohio | $66,271 | $31.86 |
| 47 | South Carolina | $67,879 | $32.63 |
| 48 | Montana | $60,234 | $28.96 |
| 49 | Kansas | $66,003 | $31.73 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $64,414 | $30.97 |
| 51 | Kentucky | $63,287 | $30.43 |
Highest paying cities for field test engineers
The highest-paying cities for field test engineers are Livermore, CA, Lynchburg, VA, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Livermore, CA | $101,489 | $48.79 |
| 2 | Lynchburg, VA | $94,699 | $45.53 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $88,825 | $42.70 |
| 4 | Oak Ridge, TN | $88,372 | $42.49 |
| 5 | Quincy, MA | $82,850 | $39.83 |
| 6 | Houma, LA | $81,509 | $39.19 |
| 7 | Frederick, MD | $80,154 | $38.54 |
| 8 | Jersey City, NJ | $77,381 | $37.20 |
| 9 | Waterloo, IA | $75,371 | $36.24 |
| 10 | Raleigh, NC | $74,764 | $35.94 |
| 11 | Sparks, NV | $74,522 | $35.83 |
| 12 | San Angelo, TX | $74,120 | $35.63 |
| 13 | Chicago, IL | $73,685 | $35.43 |
| 14 | New York, NY | $71,515 | $34.38 |
| 15 | Bensalem, PA | $71,436 | $34.34 |
| 16 | Denver, CO | $68,657 | $33.01 |
Field test engineer salary details
A field test engineer's salary ranges from $57,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $96,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a field test engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| 75th Percentile | $85,000 | $7,083 | $41 |
| Average | $74,767 | $6,231 | $36 |
| 25th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
| 10th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
Highest paying field test engineer jobs
The highest paying types of field test engineers are electrical engineer lead, senior electrical engineer, and system design engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Instrumentation Designer | $81,188 | $6,766 | $39.03 | 81,243 |
| Instrumentation & Control Engineer | $92,464 | $7,705 | $44.45 | 51,065 |
| Electrical Engineer Internship | $63,398 | $5,283 | $30.48 | 80,744 |
| Electrical Designer | $64,930 | $5,411 | $31.22 | 82,332 |
| Instrumentation Engineer | $88,783 | $7,399 | $42.68 | 45,735 |
| Electrical Engineer Lead | $111,251 | $9,271 | $53.49 | 82,196 |
Top companies hiring field test engineers now:
Which companies pay field test engineers the most?
Field test engineer salaries at Apple and NVIDIA are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average field test engineer salary at companies like Intel and Tesla are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Apple | $124,674 | $59.94 |
| 2 | NVIDIA | $111,687 | $53.70 |
| 3 | Intel | $93,613 | $45.01 |
| 4 | Tesla | $93,298 | $44.85 |
| 5 | John Deere | $89,840 | $43.19 |
| 6 | Nokia | $84,909 | $40.82 |
| 7 | Nuclear Fuel Services | $82,382 | $39.61 |
| 8 | BWX Technologies | $81,960 | $39.40 |
| 9 | FirstEnergy | $81,354 | $39.11 |
| 10 | Polaris | $80,705 | $38.80 |
| 11 | The Computer Merchant | $80,126 | $38.52 |
| 12 | LG Electronics | $80,044 | $38.48 |
| 13 | Assure | $79,929 | $38.43 |
| 14 | Topcon Positioning Systems | $79,892 | $38.41 |
| 15 | MiFiHotspot | $79,450 | $38.20 |
| 16 | V2Soft | $79,328 | $38.14 |
| 17 | Capgemini | $79,026 | $37.99 |
| 18 | SAIC | $77,022 | $37.03 |
| 19 | Oxford Solutions | $76,726 | $36.89 |
| 20 | Thales | $76,120 | $36.60 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Field Test Engineer salary by industry
The average field test engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average field test engineer salary in the technology industry is $91,276, the highest of any industry.
- The average field test engineer salary in the finance industry is $83,093.
- Field test engineers in the professional industry earn an average salary of $74,888, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for field test engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $91,276 | $43.88 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $83,093 | $39.95 |
| 3 | Energy | $80,750 | $38.82 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $76,975 | $37.01 |
| 5 | Professional | $74,888 | $36.00 |
High paying field test engineer jobs
Field test engineer salary trends
The average field test engineer salary has risen by $11,056 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average field test engineer earned $63,711 annually, but today, they earn $74,767 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for field test engineers over the last decade.
Compare field test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average field test engineer salary over time
Compare field test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Field test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $74,800 | $35.95 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | $73,100 | $35.13 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | $71,700 | $34.45 | +1.6% |
| 2022 | $70,500 | $33.89 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | $69,900 | $33.59 | +1.3% |
Recently added field test engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | Field Test Engineer, Maritime | Quincy, MA | 06/29/2025 | $76,000 |
| Spacepalm | Mobile Device Modem Field Test Engineer/Dallas, TX/Mobile/MMK | Dallas, TX | 06/26/2025 | $73,045 |
| OSI Engineering | Cellular Test Engineer (5Gnr/Lte)-Product Field Testing of Smartphones/Devices | San Diego, CA | 06/24/2025 | $104,350 |
| Minerals Technologies | Well Test Field Engineer Trainee | New Iberia, LA | 06/15/2025 | $75,000 |
| Spacepalm | Mobile Device Modem Field Test Engineer/Seattle, WA/Mobile/MMK | Bellevue, WA | 06/14/2025 | $73,045 |
| Scale Ai Inc. | Field Test Engineer, Public Sector | Washington, DC | 06/09/2025 | $144,900 |
| Thales E-Security, Inc. | Field Test Engineer | New York, NY | 06/09/2025 | $93,690 |
| Hitachi | Field Test Engineer | New York, NY | 06/03/2025 | $93,690 |
| Motive | Field Reliability Tester-SAN | San Francisco, CA | 06/02/2025 | $52,175 |
| Roadway Management Services | Bicycle Field Tester-Sidewalks | Lanham, MD | 06/02/2025 | $41,740 |
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