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The role of a Test Engineering Manager is pivotal in the tech industry, with an average salary of $117,209 annually. This figure can vary based on factors like experience, education, and location. For instance, professionals with extensive experience see significant salary increases, often exceeding the average. Geographical location plays a major role, with states like California and New York typically offering higher salaries due to their concentrated tech markets.
Entry-level positions start at lower wages, while seasoned managers can earn upwards of $150,000. Additionally, industries such as software development and aerospace tend to pay higher salaries compared to manufacturing. Understanding these dynamics can help candidates negotiate better compensation packages.
With the demand for high-quality software products, the need for skilled Test Engineering Managers continues to rise. Job seekers can explore various avenues for career advancement, including certifications in quality assurance and project management. For those looking to maximize their earning potential, pursuing leadership roles within organizations can provide substantial financial rewards.
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The average test engineering manager salary in California, Nevada, and Massachusetts are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average test engineering manager salary states are Louisiana, Wyoming, and Iowa.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $137,057 | $65.89 |
| 2 | California | $147,785 | $71.05 |
| 3 | Oregon | $136,546 | $65.65 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $136,753 | $65.75 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $137,580 | $66.14 |
| 6 | Utah | $121,533 | $58.43 |
| 7 | Arizona | $128,963 | $62.00 |
| 8 | Nevada | $142,826 | $68.67 |
| 9 | Alaska | $128,904 | $61.97 |
| 10 | Michigan | $121,384 | $58.36 |
| 11 | Idaho | $120,631 | $58.00 |
| 12 | Montana | $120,488 | $57.93 |
| 13 | New York | $126,799 | $60.96 |
| 14 | Wisconsin | $115,327 | $55.45 |
| 15 | Virginia | $114,170 | $54.89 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $117,737 | $56.60 |
| 17 | Maryland | $118,618 | $57.03 |
| 18 | Colorado | $112,872 | $54.27 |
| 19 | New Hampshire | $113,138 | $54.39 |
| 20 | District of Columbia | $114,111 | $54.86 |
| 21 | Tennessee | $114,325 | $54.96 |
| 22 | Texas | $112,713 | $54.19 |
| 23 | New Jersey | $123,444 | $59.35 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $110,541 | $53.14 |
| 25 | Maine | $110,232 | $53.00 |
| 26 | Ohio | $111,466 | $53.59 |
| 27 | Indiana | $111,167 | $53.45 |
| 28 | North Carolina | $110,680 | $53.21 |
| 29 | Illinois | $113,527 | $54.58 |
| 30 | Alabama | $105,230 | $50.59 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $111,605 | $53.66 |
| 32 | North Dakota | $104,517 | $50.25 |
| 33 | Hawaii | $111,490 | $53.60 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $110,311 | $53.03 |
| 35 | Delaware | $108,527 | $52.18 |
| 36 | Arkansas | $103,536 | $49.78 |
| 37 | Vermont | $102,135 | $49.10 |
| 38 | West Virginia | $102,597 | $49.33 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $102,014 | $49.05 |
| 40 | Georgia | $110,015 | $52.89 |
| 41 | Wyoming | $97,491 | $46.87 |
| 42 | Nebraska | $104,199 | $50.10 |
| 43 | Kansas | $103,814 | $49.91 |
| 44 | Missouri | $107,797 | $51.83 |
| 45 | Minnesota | $103,612 | $49.81 |
| 46 | New Mexico | $99,666 | $47.92 |
| 47 | Iowa | $97,331 | $46.79 |
| 48 | Florida | $93,633 | $45.02 |
| 49 | Louisiana | $98,286 | $47.25 |
| 50 | Kentucky | $95,960 | $46.13 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $96,960 | $46.62 |
The highest-paying cities for test engineering managers are San Francisco, CA, Las Vegas, NV, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $159,649 | $76.75 |
| 2 | Las Vegas, NV | $141,532 | $68.04 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $138,307 | $66.49 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $137,693 | $66.20 |
| 5 | Tempe, AZ | $128,974 | $62.01 |
| 6 | New York, NY | $126,890 | $61.00 |
| 7 | Detroit, MI | $121,714 | $58.52 |
| 8 | Roy, UT | $121,479 | $58.40 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $118,803 | $57.12 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $118,050 | $56.75 |
| 11 | Arlington, VA | $114,974 | $55.28 |
| 12 | Chicago, IL | $113,894 | $54.76 |
| 13 | Littleton, CO | $112,980 | $54.32 |
| 14 | Arlington, TX | $112,963 | $54.31 |
| 15 | Columbus, OH | $111,108 | $53.42 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $110,094 | $52.93 |
| 17 | Charlotte, NC | $109,855 | $52.81 |
| 18 | Saint Louis, MO | $107,961 | $51.90 |
| 19 | Minneapolis, MN | $103,689 | $49.85 |
| 20 | Florence, KY | $96,715 | $46.50 |
A test engineering manager's salary ranges from $89,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $153,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $153,000 | $12,750 | $74 |
| 75th Percentile | $135,000 | $11,250 | $65 |
| Average | $117,209 | $9,767 | $56 |
| 25th Percentile | $101,000 | $8,417 | $49 |
| 10th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
The highest paying types of test engineering managers are engineering director, senior engineering manager, and vice president of engineering.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research And Development Director | $137,944 | $11,495 | $66.32 | 102,901 |
| Research And Development Manager | $117,507 | $9,792 | $56.49 | 125,447 |
| Vice President Of Engineering | $150,651 | $12,554 | $72.43 | 92,133 |
| Manager, Systems Engineering | $130,127 | $10,844 | $62.56 | 174,962 |
| Design Manager | $102,637 | $8,553 | $49.34 | 61,273 |
| Engineering Supervisor | $97,535 | $8,128 | $46.89 | 57,046 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for test engineering managers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring test engineering managers now:
Test engineering manager salaries at Google and Duolingo are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average test engineering manager salary at companies like Apple and LinkedIn are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $172,814 | $83.08 | |
| 2 | Duolingo | $157,879 | $75.90 |
| 3 | Apple | $156,398 | $75.19 |
| 4 | $152,479 | $73.31 | |
| 5 | Juniper Networks | $151,252 | $72.72 |
| 6 | Brocade Services Corporation | $146,913 | $70.63 |
| 7 | Zoox | $143,653 | $69.06 |
| 8 | Fitbit | $141,857 | $68.20 |
| 9 | ViacomCBS | $139,813 | $67.22 |
| 10 | Broadcom | $137,188 | $65.96 |
| 11 | Tandem Diabetes Care | $135,081 | $64.94 |
| 12 | Tesla | $134,969 | $64.89 |
| 13 | Amazon | $134,373 | $64.60 |
| 14 | BorgWarner | $134,291 | $64.56 |
| 15 | Lattice Semiconductor | $133,206 | $64.04 |
| 16 | Neiman Marcus Group | $132,856 | $63.87 |
| 17 | SMTC | $132,270 | $63.59 |
| 18 | Best Buy | $131,406 | $63.18 |
| 19 | CyberCoders | $131,382 | $63.16 |
| 20 | Groupon | $130,434 | $62.71 |
The average test engineering manager salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $118,096 | $56.78 |
| 2 | Automotive | $117,256 | $56.37 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $113,896 | $54.76 |
| 4 | Professional | $108,039 | $51.94 |
The average test engineering manager salary has risen by $21,430 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average test engineering manager earned $95,779 annually, but today, they earn $117,209 a year. That works out to a 11% change in pay for test engineering managers over the last decade.
Compare test engineering manager salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare test engineering manager salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $117,000 | $56.35 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | $114,000 | $54.58 | +2.8% |
| 2023 | $110,000 | $53.05 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $108,000 | $51.90 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $106,000 | $50.77 | +1.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Relativity | Manager, Test, Release & Deployment Engineering | Long Beach, CA | 06/29/2025 | $198,000 |
| Staffmark Group | Test Engineering Manager | Torrance, CA | 06/27/2025 | $120,000 |
| Anduril Industries | Flight Test Engineering Manager, Roadrunner | Costa Mesa, CA | 06/21/2025 | $142,000 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Flight Test Discipline Engineering Associate Manager-FQ and Perf | Maryland | 06/20/2025 | $109,200 |
| Northrop Grumman | Rfic Test Engineering Manager | Linthicum, MD | 06/18/2025 | $112,600 |
| Boeing | Structures Test Engineering Manager | Berkeley, MO | 06/18/2025 | $129,200 |
| General Atomics | Structural Test Engineering Manager | Adelanto, CA | 06/18/2025 | $100,290 |
| Northrop Grumman | Test Engineering Manager 2-FTO Flight Sciences | Edwards Air Force Base, CA | 06/13/2025 | $142,200 |
| Huntington Ingalls Industries | Test Manager/Engineer (Engineer Test 3) | Albuquerque, NM | 06/10/2025 | $81,973 |
| Job Listingsitt Inc. | Manufacturing, Integration & Test Engineering Manager | Santa Clarita, CA | 06/10/2025 | $144,600 |
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