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Senior test engineer salary
Average senior test engineer salary
$82,775
Understanding Senior Test Engineer Salaries
The average annual salary for a Senior Test Engineer in the United States is $82,775. This figure can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, industry, and individual experience. For instance, states like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for tech professionals.
In addition to geographic factors, the industry also plays a significant role in salary variation. Senior Test Engineers in the technology and finance sectors typically earn more than those in other fields. Moreover, years of experience can impact salary potential, with seasoned professionals commanding higher pay. For those seeking to maximize earning potential, pursuing certifications and ongoing education can be beneficial.
To summarize, aspiring Senior Test Engineers should focus on gaining experience and considering roles in high-paying industries and regions. Such strategic career decisions can lead to enhanced salary opportunities and professional growth.
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Where can a Senior Test Engineer earn more?
Senior test engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average senior test engineer salary by state
The highest-paying states for senior test engineers are California, Maryland, and New Hampshire. The lowest average senior test engineer salary states are Mississippi, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Hampshire | $90,663 | $43.59 |
| 2 | California | $96,495 | $46.39 |
| 3 | Virginia | $88,923 | $42.75 |
| 4 | Maryland | $93,148 | $44.78 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $88,401 | $42.50 |
| 6 | Washington | $85,020 | $40.88 |
| 7 | Alabama | $81,399 | $39.13 |
| 8 | Illinois | $84,980 | $40.86 |
| 9 | Vermont | $82,581 | $39.70 |
| 10 | North Carolina | $81,267 | $39.07 |
| 11 | District of Columbia | $88,550 | $42.57 |
| 12 | Georgia | $82,122 | $39.48 |
| 13 | Texas | $79,491 | $38.22 |
| 14 | Kansas | $80,696 | $38.80 |
| 15 | Arizona | $79,754 | $38.34 |
| 16 | Michigan | $79,403 | $38.17 |
| 17 | Massachusetts | $81,722 | $39.29 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $86,364 | $41.52 |
| 19 | Louisiana | $82,116 | $39.48 |
| 20 | Oregon | $80,335 | $38.62 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $80,776 | $38.83 |
| 22 | Utah | $77,529 | $37.27 |
| 23 | Maine | $79,559 | $38.25 |
| 24 | Alaska | $83,085 | $39.94 |
| 25 | Delaware | $79,013 | $37.99 |
| 26 | Colorado | $78,401 | $37.69 |
| 27 | Ohio | $77,659 | $37.34 |
| 28 | Rhode Island | $76,688 | $36.87 |
| 29 | Iowa | $77,882 | $37.44 |
| 30 | New York | $80,286 | $38.60 |
| 31 | Indiana | $75,392 | $36.25 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $77,092 | $37.06 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $77,902 | $37.45 |
| 34 | West Virginia | $75,747 | $36.42 |
| 35 | Wyoming | $71,511 | $34.38 |
| 36 | Minnesota | $73,791 | $35.48 |
| 37 | Nevada | $74,579 | $35.86 |
| 38 | Idaho | $72,822 | $35.01 |
| 39 | Montana | $72,644 | $34.92 |
| 40 | Hawaii | $73,731 | $35.45 |
| 41 | South Carolina | $74,743 | $35.93 |
| 42 | Missouri | $73,831 | $35.50 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $72,417 | $34.82 |
| 44 | South Dakota | $71,834 | $34.54 |
| 45 | Florida | $72,832 | $35.02 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $71,766 | $34.50 |
| 47 | Mississippi | $71,721 | $34.48 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $69,590 | $33.46 |
| 49 | Oklahoma | $71,099 | $34.18 |
| 50 | Tennessee | $69,796 | $33.56 |
| 51 | North Dakota | $67,134 | $32.28 |
Highest paying cities for senior test engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior test engineers are Palo Alto, CA, Annapolis, MD, and McLean, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto, CA | $103,915 | $49.96 |
| 2 | Annapolis, MD | $93,296 | $44.85 |
| 3 | McLean, VA | $89,080 | $42.83 |
| 4 | Washington, DC | $88,562 | $42.58 |
| 5 | Seattle, WA | $85,515 | $41.11 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $85,154 | $40.94 |
| 7 | Alpharetta, GA | $82,362 | $39.60 |
| 8 | Marlborough, MA | $81,843 | $39.35 |
| 9 | Huntsville, AL | $81,710 | $39.28 |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | $81,604 | $39.23 |
| 11 | Philadelphia, PA | $81,133 | $39.01 |
| 12 | Hillsboro, OR | $80,758 | $38.83 |
| 13 | New York, NY | $80,382 | $38.65 |
| 14 | Austin, TX | $80,121 | $38.52 |
| 15 | Phoenix, AZ | $79,842 | $38.39 |
| 16 | Farmington Hills, MI | $79,495 | $38.22 |
| 17 | Englewood, CO | $78,445 | $37.71 |
| 18 | Columbus, OH | $77,717 | $37.36 |
| 19 | Bellevue, NE | $77,168 | $37.10 |
| 20 | Columbus, IN | $75,497 | $36.30 |
Senior test engineer salary details
A senior test engineer's salary ranges from $63,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $107,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior test engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $107,000 | $8,917 | $51 |
| 75th Percentile | $95,000 | $7,917 | $46 |
| Average | $82,775 | $6,898 | $40 |
| 25th Percentile | $72,000 | $6,000 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $63,000 | $5,250 | $30 |
Highest paying senior test engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior test engineers are software engineer lead, senior systems software engineer, and senior software development engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Assurance Team Leader | $97,476 | $8,123 | $46.86 | 131,886 |
| Test Analyst | $70,997 | $5,916 | $34.13 | 91,308 |
| Lead Test Technician | $81,566 | $6,797 | $39.21 | 51,060 |
| Software Engineer Lead | $125,565 | $10,464 | $60.37 | 342,462 |
| Software Engineer | $100,260 | $8,355 | $48.20 | 339,938 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for senior 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 senior test engineers now:
Which companies pay senior test engineers the most?
Senior test engineer salaries at Twitter and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior test engineer salary at companies like Credit Karma and Roku are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $158,500 | $76.20 | |
| 2 | $152,751 | $73.44 | |
| 3 | Credit Karma | $150,581 | $72.39 |
| 4 | Roku | $150,428 | $72.32 |
| 5 | Apple | $145,757 | $70.08 |
| 6 | Marin Software | $144,608 | $69.52 |
| 7 | The Walt Disney Company | $140,162 | $67.39 |
| 8 | NVIDIA | $138,824 | $66.74 |
| 9 | Microsoft | $138,487 | $66.58 |
| 10 | Circle Internet Financial | $137,315 | $66.02 |
| 11 | Amazon | $134,323 | $64.58 |
| 12 | Rivian | $134,244 | $64.54 |
| 13 | $131,714 | $63.32 | |
| 14 | F5 | $129,163 | $62.10 |
| 15 | Netgear | $128,202 | $61.64 |
| 16 | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | $128,117 | $61.59 |
| 17 | Macy's | $127,952 | $61.52 |
| 18 | Comverse Technology | $127,798 | $61.44 |
| 19 | CyberCoders | $126,152 | $60.65 |
| 20 | The TJX Companies | $126,114 | $60.63 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior Test Engineer salary by industry
The average senior test engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average senior test engineer salary in the automotive industry is $104,711, the highest of any industry.
- The average senior test engineer salary in the finance industry is $103,346.
- Senior test engineers in the finance industry earn an average salary of $74,536, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for senior test engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $104,711 | $50.34 |
| 2 | Telecommunication | $103,346 | $49.69 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $98,852 | $47.52 |
| 4 | Technology | $94,963 | $45.66 |
| 5 | Finance | $74,536 | $35.83 |
High paying senior test engineer jobs
Senior test engineer salary trends
The average senior test engineer salary has risen by $13,550 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior test engineer earned $69,225 annually, but today, they earn $82,775 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for senior test engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior test engineer salary over time
Compare senior test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $82,800 | $39.80 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $80,000 | $38.48 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $78,200 | $37.61 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $76,700 | $36.88 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $75,000 | $36.05 | +1.5% |
Recently added senior test engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target | Senior Cybersecurity Engineer-Penetration Tester | Brooklyn Park, MN | 06/30/2025 | $95,000 |
| Blue Origin | Space Resources SR. Test Engineer | Los Angeles, CA | 06/30/2025 | $140,959 |
| Parsons | SR. Test Engineer | Colorado Springs, CO | 06/28/2025 | $100,900 |
| Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. | Senior Vehicle Test Data Engineer | Truth or Consequences, NM | 06/28/2025 | $108,871 |
| Caterpillar, Inc. | Senior Test & Validation Engineer | Rossville, IL | 06/27/2025 | $110,520 |
| Motorola Solutions | Senior Test Automation Engineer | Chicago, IL | 06/27/2025 | $116,085 |
| State Street Corporation | Senior Test Automation Engineer (AKA Quality Assurance) | Boston, MA | 06/27/2025 | $139,402 |
| Greenwave Radios | Senior Bench Test Engineer | San Diego, CA | 06/27/2025 | $150,000 |
| Nevada National Security Sites | Commissioning Startup and Testing Senior Engineer | Nevada | 06/27/2025 | $99,341 |
| X4 Engineering | Senior Test Engineer | San Jose, CA | 06/27/2025 | $100,000 |
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