Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
System test engineer salary
Average system test engineer salary
$100,751
Average System Test Engineer Salary
The average salary for a System Test Engineer in the United States is approximately $100,751 annually or about $48 per hour. Salaries may vary based on experience, education, and industry, with more experienced engineers typically earning higher wages. For instance, those with specialized skills in software testing can command even higher salaries.
Salary by State
Some states offer better compensation for System Test Engineers. States like California, Washington, and New York are known for competitive salaries, reflecting the cost of living and demand for tech talent. In contrast, regions with lower living costs may offer slightly lower salaries.
Opportunities for Growth
System Test Engineers can explore various industries, including technology, aerospace, and automotive, each presenting unique opportunities. Many companies are increasingly investing in quality assurance, leading to growth in this field. As you advance in your career, you may find opportunities to take on leadership roles, further enhancing your earning potential.
Let Zippi find your next system test engineer job
Let Zippi find your next system test engineer job
Where can a System Test Engineer earn more?
Average system test engineer salary by state
The average system test engineer salary in Nevada, California, and New Hampshire are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average system test engineer salary states are Tennessee, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for system test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah | $98,909 | $47.55 |
| 2 | New Hampshire | $108,002 | $51.92 |
| 3 | California | $108,928 | $52.37 |
| 4 | Nevada | $119,082 | $57.25 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $108,028 | $51.94 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $95,133 | $45.74 |
| 7 | Virginia | $96,421 | $46.36 |
| 8 | Washington | $95,546 | $45.94 |
| 9 | Vermont | $94,315 | $45.34 |
| 10 | Wyoming | $92,820 | $44.63 |
| 11 | Idaho | $98,687 | $47.45 |
| 12 | Massachusetts | $92,938 | $44.68 |
| 13 | New Jersey | $96,634 | $46.46 |
| 14 | North Dakota | $89,163 | $42.87 |
| 15 | Delaware | $91,352 | $43.92 |
| 16 | Montana | $92,415 | $44.43 |
| 17 | Maryland | $92,232 | $44.34 |
| 18 | New Mexico | $88,329 | $42.47 |
| 19 | Texas | $86,111 | $41.40 |
| 20 | Maine | $91,821 | $44.14 |
| 21 | Pennsylvania | $88,939 | $42.76 |
| 22 | Oregon | $87,354 | $42.00 |
| 23 | New York | $91,646 | $44.06 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $85,980 | $41.34 |
| 25 | Alaska | $88,600 | $42.60 |
| 26 | Iowa | $85,209 | $40.97 |
| 27 | Colorado | $84,249 | $40.50 |
| 28 | Mississippi | $86,007 | $41.35 |
| 29 | Connecticut | $86,634 | $41.65 |
| 30 | West Virginia | $83,910 | $40.34 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $84,852 | $40.79 |
| 32 | Michigan | $80,756 | $38.83 |
| 33 | Arizona | $82,202 | $39.52 |
| 34 | Nebraska | $82,601 | $39.71 |
| 35 | Arkansas | $82,177 | $39.51 |
| 36 | Kentucky | $82,924 | $39.87 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $83,002 | $39.90 |
| 38 | Ohio | $79,736 | $38.33 |
| 39 | North Carolina | $78,623 | $37.80 |
| 40 | Missouri | $81,476 | $39.17 |
| 41 | Alabama | $73,646 | $35.41 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $81,176 | $39.03 |
| 43 | Georgia | $80,016 | $38.47 |
| 44 | Hawaii | $77,501 | $37.26 |
| 45 | Florida | $77,764 | $37.39 |
| 46 | Minnesota | $76,323 | $36.69 |
| 47 | Indiana | $74,516 | $35.83 |
| 48 | Tennessee | $75,247 | $36.18 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $74,513 | $35.82 |
| 50 | Illinois | $73,851 | $35.51 |
| 51 | Kansas | $72,149 | $34.69 |
Highest paying cities for system test engineers
The highest-paying cities for system test engineers are Petaluma, CA, Nashua, NH, and Roy, UT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petaluma, CA | $121,809 | $58.56 |
| 2 | Nashua, NH | $108,462 | $52.15 |
| 3 | Roy, UT | $98,286 | $47.25 |
| 4 | Bridgewater, NJ | $96,389 | $46.34 |
| 5 | Redmond, WA | $95,936 | $46.12 |
| 6 | Billerica, MA | $92,723 | $44.58 |
| 7 | Austin, TX | $86,581 | $41.63 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh, PA | $85,004 | $40.87 |
| 9 | Boulder, CO | $84,433 | $40.59 |
| 10 | Bellevue, NE | $82,462 | $39.65 |
| 11 | Sterling Heights, MI | $81,160 | $39.02 |
| 12 | Atlanta, GA | $79,910 | $38.42 |
| 13 | Melbourne, FL | $79,155 | $38.06 |
| 14 | Kokomo, IN | $74,716 | $35.92 |
| 15 | Rockford, IL | $73,833 | $35.50 |
| 16 | Huntsville, AL | $72,798 | $35.00 |
System test engineer salary details
A system test engineer's salary ranges from $76,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $132,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a system test engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $132,000 | $11,000 | $63 |
| 75th Percentile | $116,000 | $9,667 | $56 |
| Average | $100,751 | $8,396 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $87,000 | $7,250 | $42 |
| 10th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
Highest paying system test engineer jobs
The highest paying types of system test engineers are senior engineer, senior systems engineer, and software systems engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Functional Tester | $76,647 | $6,387 | $36.85 | 37,146 |
| Quality Assurance Tester | $74,140 | $6,178 | $35.64 | 82,396 |
| Tester | $65,202 | $5,433 | $31.35 | 52,595 |
| ETL Tester | $80,801 | $6,733 | $38.85 | 35,095 |
| Lead Test Technician | $81,566 | $6,797 | $39.21 | 51,060 |
| Quality Assurance Engineer | $82,215 | $6,851 | $39.53 | 243,536 |
Top companies hiring system test engineers now:
Which companies pay system test engineers the most?
System test engineer salaries at Meta and Google are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average system test engineer salary at companies like Apple and Waymo are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meta | $156,886 | $75.43 |
| 2 | $144,240 | $69.35 | |
| 3 | Apple | $144,105 | $69.28 |
| 4 | Waymo | $142,708 | $68.61 |
| 5 | NVIDIA | $139,419 | $67.03 |
| 6 | Zoox | $133,977 | $64.41 |
| 7 | Argo AI | $132,539 | $63.72 |
| 8 | Rivian | $129,612 | $62.31 |
| 9 | Cruise Automation | $129,283 | $62.16 |
| 10 | Amazon | $128,736 | $61.89 |
| 11 | Intuitive Surgical | $128,727 | $61.89 |
| 12 | Dolby Laboratories | $127,711 | $61.40 |
| 13 | Arista Networks | $124,784 | $59.99 |
| 14 | Silver Peak | $124,694 | $59.95 |
| 15 | Karma Automotive | $123,473 | $59.36 |
| 16 | VMware | $122,517 | $58.90 |
| 17 | SpiderCloud Wireless | $121,218 | $58.28 |
| 18 | Kohl's | $117,587 | $56.53 |
| 19 | Splunk | $116,097 | $55.82 |
| 20 | Joby Aviation | $115,781 | $55.66 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
System Test Engineer salary by industry
The average system test engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average system test engineer salary in the professional industry is $104,792, the highest of any industry.
- The average system test engineer salary in the finance industry is $101,253.
- System test engineers in the technology industry earn an average salary of $94,229, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for system test engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Professional | $104,792 | $50.38 |
| 2 | Automotive | $101,253 | $48.68 |
| 3 | Telecommunication | $99,740 | $47.95 |
| 4 | Technology | $94,229 | $45.30 |
High paying system test engineer jobs
System test engineer salary trends
The average system test engineer salary has risen by $16,493 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average system test engineer earned $84,258 annually, but today, they earn $100,751 a year. That works out to a 10% change in pay for system test engineers over the last decade.
Compare system test engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average system test engineer salary over time
Compare system test engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
System test engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $101,000 | $48.44 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $97,400 | $46.84 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $95,200 | $45.78 | +1.9% |
| 2022 | $93,400 | $44.89 | +2.3% |
| 2021 | $91,300 | $43.87 | +1.5% |
Recently added system test engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relativity | Engine Systems & Test Team-Propulsion Test Responsible Engineer I | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $97,000 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Des Moines, IA | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Concord, NH | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Nashville, TN | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Jackson, MS | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Boise, ID | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Boston, MA | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Madison, WI | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Providence, RI | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
| General Motors | Systems Test Engineer | Columbia, SC | 06/28/2025 | $162,400 |
System test engineer salary FAQs
Search for system test engineer jobs