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Best states for a test engineer
Quoted expert
Jared Wilson
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Not all states present equal opportunity for employees, and when it comes to test engineer jobs, it's no different. We know how hard job search can be, and in order to make your life a little easier, we have the information you need in order to determine where you might want to start your job search. Our research found that California is the best state for test engineers, while California and Washington are ranked highest in terms of median salary. California has a median salary of $97,982 and California has the highest median salary among all 50 states for test engineers.
To that end, we dove into our dataset of job and salary numbers to figure out which states have the best opportunities for test engineers. California is the best state for test engineers, where the median salary is $97,982.We found that the South is best for test engineers, and the West is the worst. San Francisco, CA is the best city in the country for test engineer jobs, where as California is the best state in the country.
10 best states for test engineers in 2026
1. California
Total test engineer jobs: 12,770 Average annual salary: $97,982 Lowest 10 percent earn: $71,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $133,000 Location Quotient: 1.72
2. Washington
Total test engineer jobs: 3,691 Average annual salary: $87,701 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $116,000 Location Quotient: 2
3. New Hampshire
Total test engineer jobs: 438 Average annual salary: $86,276 Lowest 10 percent earn: $66,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $111,000 Location Quotient: 0.99
4. Oregon
Total test engineer jobs: 1,453 Average annual salary: $83,014 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $110,000 Location Quotient: 1.39
5. Nevada
Total test engineer jobs: 417 Average annual salary: $84,470 Lowest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $114,000 Location Quotient: 0.79
6. Arizona
Total test engineer jobs: 1,441 Average annual salary: $79,991 Lowest 10 percent earn: $60,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 0.97
7. Idaho
Total test engineer jobs: 344 Average annual salary: $81,932 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $109,000 Location Quotient: 0.83
8. Maryland
Total test engineer jobs: 2,427 Average annual salary: $82,105 Lowest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $105,000 Location Quotient: 1.51
9. Massachusetts
Total test engineer jobs: 3,163 Average annual salary: $79,559 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $102,000 Location Quotient: 1.36
10. Virginia
Total test engineer jobs: 3,438 Average annual salary: $78,359 Lowest 10 percent earn: $61,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $100,000 Location Quotient: 1.44
Test engineer jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a test engineer
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a test engineer
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,982 | $71,000 | 39,536,653 | 12,770 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,701 | $65,000 | 7,405,743 | 3,691 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $86,276 | $66,000 | 1,342,795 | 438 |
| 4 | Oregon | $83,014 | $62,000 | 4,142,776 | 1,453 |
| 5 | Nevada | $84,470 | $62,000 | 2,998,039 | 417 |
| 6 | Arizona | $79,991 | $60,000 | 7,016,270 | 1,441 |
| 7 | Idaho | $81,932 | $61,000 | 1,716,943 | 344 |
| 8 | Maryland | $82,105 | $64,000 | 6,052,177 | 2,427 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $79,559 | $61,000 | 6,859,819 | 3,163 |
| 10 | Virginia | $78,359 | $61,000 | 8,470,020 | 3,438 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $80,809 | $62,000 | 9,005,644 | 1,894 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,977 | $62,000 | 693,972 | 791 |
| 13 | Delaware | $76,851 | $59,000 | 961,939 | 401 |
| 14 | Vermont | $74,858 | $58,000 | 623,657 | 230 |
| 15 | Michigan | $73,640 | $58,000 | 9,962,311 | 1,647 |
| 16 | Utah | $73,068 | $54,000 | 3,101,833 | 1,080 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $74,833 | $58,000 | 12,805,537 | 2,025 |
| 18 | New York | $78,303 | $60,000 | 19,849,399 | 3,253 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $72,803 | $56,000 | 1,059,639 | 327 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $73,367 | $57,000 | 1,920,076 | 453 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $73,434 | $56,000 | 2,088,070 | 384 |
| 22 | Texas | $72,777 | $55,000 | 28,304,596 | 4,620 |
| 23 | Colorado | $73,459 | $56,000 | 5,607,154 | 2,150 |
| 24 | Kansas | $72,884 | $57,000 | 2,913,123 | 501 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $73,483 | $56,000 | 4,684,333 | 428 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $74,515 | $57,000 | 3,588,184 | 721 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $70,426 | $55,000 | 10,273,419 | 2,210 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $69,822 | $55,000 | 755,393 | 190 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $69,656 | $53,000 | 579,315 | 147 |
| 30 | Alaska | $74,511 | $60,000 | 739,795 | 150 |
| 31 | Maine | $72,153 | $55,000 | 1,335,907 | 230 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $70,042 | $55,000 | 5,576,606 | 1,637 |
| 33 | Ohio | $69,591 | $54,000 | 11,658,609 | 1,646 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $70,280 | $55,000 | 2,984,100 | 236 |
| 35 | Indiana | $68,665 | $54,000 | 6,666,818 | 1,282 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $69,420 | $54,000 | 869,666 | 157 |
| 37 | Illinois | $70,314 | $55,000 | 12,802,023 | 2,461 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $70,840 | $55,000 | 5,024,369 | 430 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $68,268 | $53,000 | 1,815,857 | 236 |
| 40 | Montana | $68,161 | $52,000 | 1,050,493 | 257 |
| 41 | Iowa | $69,074 | $54,000 | 3,145,711 | 571 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $69,217 | $56,000 | 1,427,538 | 176 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $68,698 | $54,000 | 5,795,483 | 895 |
| 44 | Missouri | $68,569 | $54,000 | 6,113,532 | 1,035 |
| 45 | Alabama | $66,157 | $51,000 | 4,874,747 | 951 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $67,294 | $53,000 | 6,715,984 | 603 |
| 47 | Georgia | $67,555 | $53,000 | 10,429,379 | 1,992 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $65,649 | $51,000 | 3,004,279 | 449 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $66,522 | $52,000 | 4,454,189 | 484 |
| 50 | Florida | $63,335 | $48,000 | 20,984,400 | 3,056 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $65,020 | $51,000 | 3,930,864 | 366 |
Highest paying states for test engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. Test Engineer Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $97,982 |
| 2 | Washington | $87,701 |
| 3 | New Hampshire | $86,276 |
| 4 | Oregon | $83,014 |
| 5 | Nevada | $84,470 |
| 6 | Arizona | $79,991 |
| 7 | Idaho | $81,932 |
| 8 | Maryland | $82,105 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $79,559 |
| 10 | Virginia | $78,359 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $80,809 |
| 12 | District of Columbia | $79,977 |
| 13 | Delaware | $76,851 |
| 14 | Vermont | $74,858 |
| 15 | Michigan | $73,640 |
| 16 | Utah | $73,068 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania | $74,833 |
| 18 | New York | $78,303 |
| 19 | Rhode Island | $72,803 |
| 20 | Nebraska | $73,367 |
| 21 | New Mexico | $73,434 |
| 22 | Texas | $72,777 |
| 23 | Colorado | $73,459 |
| 24 | Kansas | $72,884 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $73,483 |
| 26 | Connecticut | $74,515 |
| 27 | North Carolina | $70,426 |
| 28 | North Dakota | $69,822 |
| 29 | Wyoming | $69,656 |
| 30 | Alaska | $74,511 |
| 31 | Maine | $72,153 |
| 32 | Minnesota | $70,042 |
| 33 | Ohio | $69,591 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $70,280 |
| 35 | Indiana | $68,665 |
| 36 | South Dakota | $69,420 |
| 37 | Illinois | $70,314 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $70,840 |
| 39 | West Virginia | $68,268 |
| 40 | Montana | $68,161 |
| 41 | Iowa | $69,074 |
| 42 | Hawaii | $69,217 |
| 43 | Wisconsin | $68,698 |
| 44 | Missouri | $68,569 |
| 45 | Alabama | $66,157 |
| 46 | Tennessee | $67,294 |
| 47 | Georgia | $67,555 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $65,649 |
| 49 | Kentucky | $66,522 |
| 50 | Florida | $63,335 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $65,020 |
Expert opinions on the best states for test engineers
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for test engineers to find work opportunities?
Jared Wilson
Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, East Tennessee State University
Within the field of land surveying and related employment opportunities, work is available. However, in my experience, work may not be in the exact location a person wishes to live. So, a move may be necessary, or potentially traveling to where the work is located. Should a graduate, or person for that matter, want to work, work is available.
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Updated January 8, 2025