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Test pilot salary
Average test pilot salary
$96,060
Comprehensive Overview of Test Pilot Salaries
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Test Pilot in the United States is approximately $96,060 per year, translating to about $46 per hour. Salaries can differ significantly based on various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry. For instance, test pilots in high-demand states are often compensated more generously than their counterparts in other regions.
In addition to base salaries, test pilots may also receive bonuses and other incentives that further enhance their total compensation packages. The highest paying states for test pilots include California, Texas, and Florida, with salaries in these regions often exceeding the national average. Furthermore, test pilots who specialize in advanced aircraft or work with cutting-edge technology typically earn higher wages due to the specialized skills required.
For those considering a career as a test pilot, it is vital to understand the educational requirements and certification processes necessary to excel in this field. Aspiring test pilots often pursue degrees in aerospace engineering or related fields, along with rigorous training programs to hone their skills.
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Where can a Test Pilot earn more?
Test pilot salary estimates from across the web
Average test pilot salary by state
The average test pilot salary in California, New Jersey, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average test pilot salary states are Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Indiana.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for test pilots
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $126,212 | $60.68 |
| 2 | Nevada | $111,959 | $53.83 |
| 3 | Oregon | $105,468 | $50.71 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $118,394 | $56.92 |
| 5 | Wyoming | $101,695 | $48.89 |
| 6 | New York | $118,282 | $56.87 |
| 7 | Iowa | $96,264 | $46.28 |
| 8 | Washington | $99,685 | $47.93 |
| 9 | Kansas | $96,862 | $46.57 |
| 10 | Alaska | $98,399 | $47.31 |
| 11 | Rhode Island | $93,790 | $45.09 |
| 12 | Utah | $90,698 | $43.60 |
| 13 | Florida | $95,174 | $45.76 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $91,282 | $43.89 |
| 15 | New Hampshire | $91,911 | $44.19 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $95,935 | $46.12 |
| 17 | Connecticut | $93,080 | $44.75 |
| 18 | Montana | $97,584 | $46.92 |
| 19 | Massachusetts | $93,113 | $44.77 |
| 20 | Colorado | $90,132 | $43.33 |
| 21 | Maryland | $90,146 | $43.34 |
| 22 | West Virginia | $93,091 | $44.76 |
| 23 | Texas | $90,398 | $43.46 |
| 24 | Arizona | $89,472 | $43.02 |
| 25 | Vermont | $88,884 | $42.73 |
| 26 | Delaware | $91,684 | $44.08 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $85,503 | $41.11 |
| 28 | District of Columbia | $89,622 | $43.09 |
| 29 | Idaho | $84,201 | $40.48 |
| 30 | Ohio | $86,487 | $41.58 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $87,991 | $42.30 |
| 32 | Hawaii | $97,463 | $46.86 |
| 33 | Illinois | $90,188 | $43.36 |
| 34 | North Carolina | $87,108 | $41.88 |
| 35 | Virginia | $82,550 | $39.69 |
| 36 | Michigan | $76,872 | $36.96 |
| 37 | South Carolina | $86,509 | $41.59 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $84,920 | $40.83 |
| 39 | Arkansas | $80,788 | $38.84 |
| 40 | South Dakota | $80,403 | $38.66 |
| 41 | Mississippi | $76,643 | $36.85 |
| 42 | Alabama | $66,852 | $32.14 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | $71,522 | $34.39 |
| 44 | Maine | $75,706 | $36.40 |
| 45 | Missouri | $72,307 | $34.76 |
| 46 | Wisconsin | $71,543 | $34.40 |
| 47 | Pennsylvania | $74,664 | $35.90 |
| 48 | Minnesota | $65,337 | $31.41 |
| 49 | Nebraska | $70,527 | $33.91 |
| 50 | Indiana | $70,842 | $34.06 |
| 51 | Georgia | $74,873 | $36.00 |
Highest paying cities for test pilots
The highest-paying cities for test pilots are Mountain View, CA, Reno, NV, and Niagara Falls, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain View, CA | $137,090 | $65.91 |
| 2 | Reno, NV | $117,789 | $56.63 |
| 3 | Niagara Falls, NY | $111,090 | $53.41 |
| 4 | Tacoma, WA | $100,602 | $48.37 |
| 5 | Helena, MT | $99,790 | $47.98 |
| 6 | Cheyenne, WY | $98,291 | $47.26 |
| 7 | Wichita, KS | $97,868 | $47.05 |
| 8 | Urban Honolulu, HI | $97,584 | $46.92 |
| 9 | Shreveport, LA | $95,350 | $45.84 |
| 10 | San Antonio, TX | $91,396 | $43.94 |
| 11 | Baltimore, MD | $90,482 | $43.50 |
| 12 | Centennial, CO | $90,096 | $43.32 |
| 13 | Phoenix, AZ | $89,860 | $43.20 |
| 14 | Newport News, VA | $82,910 | $39.86 |
| 15 | Meridian, MS | $76,680 | $36.87 |
| 16 | Springfield, MO | $73,147 | $35.17 |
| 17 | Gary, IN | $70,672 | $33.98 |
| 18 | Duluth, MN | $66,841 | $32.14 |
| 19 | Huntsville, AL | $66,261 | $31.86 |
Test pilot salary details
A test pilot's salary ranges from $67,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $137,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a test pilot's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $137,000 | $11,417 | $66 |
| 75th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| Average | $96,060 | $8,005 | $46 |
| 25th Percentile | $79,000 | $6,583 | $38 |
| 10th Percentile | $67,000 | $5,583 | $32 |
Highest paying test pilot jobs
The highest paying types of test pilots are fighter pilot, air tour pilot, and private pilot.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviator | $97,217 | $8,101 | $46.74 | 3,482 |
| Pilot Instructor | $90,143 | $7,512 | $43.34 | 26,978 |
| Pilot Captain | $68,096 | $5,675 | $32.74 | 5,093 |
| Corporate Pilot | $87,661 | $7,305 | $42.14 | 12,371 |
| Aircraft Pilot | $94,207 | $7,851 | $45.29 | 5,585 |
| Air Tour Pilot | $101,440 | $8,453 | $48.77 | 3,885 |
Top companies hiring test pilots now:
Which companies pay test pilots the most?
Test pilot salaries at Learjet and Joby Aviation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average test pilot salary at companies like Cirrus Aircraft and Bell Flight are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Learjet | $156,939 | $75.45 |
| 2 | Joby Aviation | $154,755 | $74.40 |
| 3 | Cirrus Aircraft | $154,591 | $74.32 |
| 4 | Bell Flight | $137,668 | $66.19 |
| 5 | Stratolaunch | $110,913 | $53.32 |
| 6 | Scaled Composites | $108,942 | $52.38 |
| 7 | SDI International | $108,268 | $52.05 |
| 8 | Aurora Flight Sciences | $108,171 | $52.01 |
| 9 | Northrop Grumman | $107,559 | $51.71 |
| 10 | Textron | $105,350 | $50.65 |
| 11 | Calspan | $101,363 | $48.73 |
| 12 | Modern Technology Solutions | $97,720 | $46.98 |
| 13 | General Atomics | $96,940 | $46.61 |
| 14 | Boeing | $95,987 | $46.15 |
| 15 | Boom Supersonic | $93,756 | $45.08 |
| 16 | Piper Aircraft | $91,821 | $44.14 |
| 17 | Zenetex | $90,047 | $43.29 |
| 18 | Metro Aviation | $86,973 | $41.81 |
| 19 | Merlin 200 | $86,568 | $41.62 |
| 20 | Honeywell | $86,107 | $41.40 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Test Pilot salary by industry
The average test pilot salary varies across industries:
- The average test pilot salary in the transportation industry is $92,463, the highest of any industry.
- The average test pilot salary in the finance industry is $92,401.
- Test pilots in the telecommunication industry earn an average salary of $78,755, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for test pilots
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $92,463 | $44.45 |
| 2 | Technology | $92,401 | $44.42 |
| 3 | Professional | $86,231 | $41.46 |
| 4 | Telecommunication | $78,755 | $37.86 |
High paying test pilot jobs
Test pilot salary trends
The average test pilot salary has risen by $23,989 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average test pilot earned $72,071 annually, but today, they earn $96,060 a year. That works out to a 21% change in pay for test pilots over the last decade.
Compare test pilot salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average test pilot salary over time
Compare test pilot salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Test pilot salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $96,100 | $46.18 | +7.7% |
| 2024 | $88,600 | $42.61 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | $84,700 | $40.71 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | $81,100 | $38.98 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $79,500 | $38.21 | +1.4% |
Recently added test pilot salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amentum | Maintenance Test Pilot (Ah-64 D/E) Jblm | Lewisville, WA | 06/26/2025 | $139,370 |
| Hermeus | Lead Test Pilot | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $175,000 |
| Flyby Robotics | Drone Test Pilot | Los Angeles, CA | 06/21/2025 | $62,610 |
| Reliable Robotics | Lead Test Pilot | Mountain View, CA | 06/18/2025 | $150,000 |
| Amentum | Uh60 A/L/M MTP-Maintenance Test Pilot (Uh-60)-Drum | Fort Drum, NY | 06/06/2025 | $127,328 |
| Swift Engineering Inc. | UAS Test Pilot | San Clemente, CA | 05/20/2025 | $120,000 |
| Anduril Industries | Senior Test Pilot | Costa Mesa, CA | 05/16/2025 | $100,000 |
| General Atomics | Test Pilot | Palmdale, CA | 05/10/2025 | $140,940 |
| Flock Safety | UAS Test Pilot | Austin, TX | 05/08/2025 | $70,000 |
| Aerovironment | Engineering Test Pilot, SR. | Simi Valley, CA | 04/28/2025 | $70,958 |
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