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Firmware test engineer salary
Average firmware test engineer salary
$84,319
Comprehensive Overview of Firmware Test Engineer Salaries
The role of a Firmware Test Engineer is critical in the tech industry, with an average salary of $84,319 per year or $41 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly based on factors such as state, experience, and industry. For example, firmware test engineers in high-demand areas like California or New York often earn higher wages due to the cost of living and competition for skilled professionals.
Additionally, engineers with specialized skills in embedded systems or software testing may command higher salaries. Industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, and consumer electronics tend to offer the most lucrative opportunities. The job market for firmware test engineers is robust, with numerous openings across various sectors, reflecting the continuous need for skilled professionals in quality assurance and testing.
Understanding the salary landscape is essential for job seekers. By exploring salary estimates from various sources and comparing regional averages, candidates can make informed career decisions that align with their financial goals.
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Where can a Firmware Test Engineer earn more?
Firmware test engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average firmware test engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for firmware test engineers are California, Washington, and Oregon. The lowest average firmware test engineer salary states are New Mexico, Kansas, and Vermont.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for firmware test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $109,001 | $52.40 |
| 2 | Washington | $95,963 | $46.14 |
| 3 | Oregon | $95,451 | $45.89 |
| 4 | New Hampshire | $94,028 | $45.21 |
| 5 | Arizona | $85,302 | $41.01 |
| 6 | Nevada | $88,516 | $42.56 |
| 7 | Alaska | $88,661 | $42.63 |
| 8 | Massachusetts | $85,781 | $41.24 |
| 9 | Wyoming | $81,677 | $39.27 |
| 10 | Delaware | $83,901 | $40.34 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $89,590 | $43.07 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $87,083 | $41.87 |
| 13 | New York | $89,075 | $42.82 |
| 14 | North Carolina | $81,940 | $39.39 |
| 15 | Illinois | $85,673 | $41.19 |
| 16 | Michigan | $79,601 | $38.27 |
| 17 | Idaho | $82,416 | $39.62 |
| 18 | Pennsylvania | $81,409 | $39.14 |
| 19 | South Carolina | $82,765 | $39.79 |
| 20 | Virginia | $79,816 | $38.37 |
| 21 | Maine | $82,036 | $39.44 |
| 22 | Texas | $78,785 | $37.88 |
| 23 | Utah | $77,570 | $37.29 |
| 24 | Wisconsin | $78,217 | $37.60 |
| 25 | Nebraska | $78,266 | $37.63 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $79,753 | $38.34 |
| 27 | South Dakota | $78,121 | $37.56 |
| 28 | Arkansas | $77,344 | $37.18 |
| 29 | Tennessee | $78,311 | $37.65 |
| 30 | Montana | $79,959 | $38.44 |
| 31 | North Dakota | $76,616 | $36.83 |
| 32 | Louisiana | $78,346 | $37.67 |
| 33 | Georgia | $78,213 | $37.60 |
| 34 | Iowa | $76,481 | $36.77 |
| 35 | Minnesota | $75,863 | $36.47 |
| 36 | Colorado | $73,769 | $35.47 |
| 37 | Oklahoma | $76,858 | $36.95 |
| 38 | Maryland | $70,596 | $33.94 |
| 39 | Missouri | $75,059 | $36.09 |
| 40 | Rhode Island | $71,505 | $34.38 |
| 41 | Indiana | $72,196 | $34.71 |
| 42 | Vermont | $69,658 | $33.49 |
| 43 | Hawaii | $74,848 | $35.98 |
| 44 | Florida | $70,896 | $34.08 |
| 45 | Alabama | $67,020 | $32.22 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $70,093 | $33.70 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $72,828 | $35.01 |
| 48 | Kentucky | $70,593 | $33.94 |
| 49 | Ohio | $68,742 | $33.05 |
| 50 | Kansas | $69,924 | $33.62 |
| 51 | West Virginia | $69,383 | $33.36 |
Highest paying cities for firmware test engineers
The highest-paying cities for firmware test engineers are San Francisco, CA, Vancouver, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $125,410 | $60.29 |
| 2 | Vancouver, WA | $97,039 | $46.65 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $89,132 | $42.85 |
| 4 | Chicago, IL | $85,931 | $41.31 |
| 5 | Mesa, AZ | $85,261 | $40.99 |
| 6 | Cary, NC | $82,419 | $39.62 |
| 7 | Manassas, VA | $80,031 | $38.48 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $79,355 | $38.15 |
| 9 | Milwaukee, WI | $78,258 | $37.62 |
| 10 | Eden Prairie, MN | $75,814 | $36.45 |
| 11 | Boulder, CO | $73,781 | $35.47 |
| 12 | Orlando, FL | $72,102 | $34.66 |
| 13 | Indianapolis, IN | $72,093 | $34.66 |
| 14 | Cleveland, OH | $69,273 | $33.30 |
Firmware test engineer salary details
A firmware test engineer's salary ranges from $62,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $114,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a firmware test engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $114,000 | $9,500 | $55 |
| 75th Percentile | $98,000 | $8,167 | $47 |
| Average | $84,319 | $7,027 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $71,000 | $5,917 | $34 |
| 10th Percentile | $62,000 | $5,167 | $30 |
Highest paying firmware test engineer jobs
The highest paying types of firmware test engineers are senior quality assurance engineer, performance engineer, and system test engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance | $51,313 | $4,276 | $24.67 | 69,366 |
| Quality Analyst | $71,957 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 110,980 |
| Quality Assurance Lead | $94,758 | $7,897 | $45.56 | 82,242 |
| Quality Assurance Analyst | $73,532 | $6,128 | $35.35 | 108,078 |
| Quality Assurance Coordinator | $57,130 | $4,761 | $27.47 | 79,427 |
| Quality Assurance Internship | $37,029 | $3,086 | $17.80 | 121,163 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for firmware test engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring firmware test engineers now:
Which companies pay firmware test engineers the most?
Firmware test engineer salaries at Meta and Synaptics are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average firmware test engineer salary at companies like Populus Group and Kelly Services are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $159,264 | $76.57 |
| 2 | Synaptics | $123,203 | $59.23 |
| 3 | Populus Group | $114,413 | $55.01 |
| 4 | Kelly Services | $113,989 | $54.80 |
| 5 | General Motors | $99,639 | $47.90 |
| 6 | Samsung Electronics Device Solutions (Semiconductor & Display) | $98,542 | $47.38 |
| 7 | Aerotek | $98,122 | $47.17 |
| 8 | Micron Technology | $97,853 | $47.04 |
| 9 | Enphase Energy | $96,552 | $46.42 |
| 10 | Seagate Technology | $94,610 | $45.49 |
| 11 | Milwaukee Tool | $94,130 | $45.25 |
| 12 | Latch | $93,324 | $44.87 |
| 13 | Starkey Hearing Technologies | $92,653 | $44.54 |
| 14 | Tesla | $91,621 | $44.05 |
| 15 | Bio-Rad Laboratories | $91,549 | $44.01 |
| 16 | Qualcomm | $90,959 | $43.73 |
| 17 | Luminar Technologies | $90,780 | $43.64 |
| 18 | Trilliant | $90,591 | $43.55 |
| 19 | Techtronic Industries TTI | $89,373 | $42.97 |
| 20 | Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories | $89,213 | $42.89 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Firmware Test Engineer salary by industry
The average firmware test engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average firmware test engineer salary in the technology industry is $97,802, the highest of any industry.
- The average firmware test engineer salary in the finance industry is $95,345.
- Firmware test engineers in the health care industry earn an average salary of $91,099, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for firmware test engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $97,802 | $47.02 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $95,345 | $45.84 |
| 3 | Automotive | $91,600 | $44.04 |
| 4 | Health Care | $91,099 | $43.80 |
High paying firmware test engineer jobs
Firmware test engineer salary trends
The average firmware test engineer salary has risen by $13,803 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average firmware test engineer earned $70,516 annually, but today, they earn $84,319 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for firmware test engineers over the last decade.
Compare firmware test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average firmware test engineer salary over time
Compare firmware test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Firmware test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,300 | $40.54 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $81,500 | $39.20 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $79,700 | $38.31 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $78,100 | $37.57 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $76,400 | $36.72 | +1.5% |
Recently added firmware test engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Softworld, a Kelly Company | Firmware Test Engineer | Sunnyvale, CA | 06/28/2025 | $151,308 |
| Insight Global | Firmware Test Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/27/2025 | $146,090 |
| Capella Space | Embedded Firmware & Fpga Test Engineer | Louisville, CO | 06/16/2025 | $96,000 |
| Tata Consulting Services | Firmware Test/Validation Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/09/2025 | $63,400 |
| Samsara | Lead Firmware Test Engineer | San Francisco, CA | 06/09/2025 | $119,000 |
| Actalent | Firmware Test Engineer (Python/Hil) | Brookfield, WI | 05/23/2025 | $114,785 |
| Arrow | Firmware Test Automation Engineer (Einfochips INC.) | Noank, CT | 05/09/2025 | $110,000 |
| Arrow Electronics | Firmware Test Automation Engineer (Einfochips INC.) | Noank, CT | 05/08/2025 | $110,000 |
| Insight Global | Firmware Test Engineer | Columbus, IN | 04/21/2025 | $83,480 |
| Apple | Wireless Firmware Test Engineer | San Diego, CA | 04/20/2025 | $166,600 |
Firmware test engineer salary FAQs
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