Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The average salary for a Test Project Engineer is approximately $84,707 per year or about $41 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on experience, with entry-level positions earning less while seasoned professionals command higher pay. For example, those with 5-10 years of experience typically see a notable increase in their earnings.
Geographic location plays a crucial role in salary differences. States like California and New York often offer higher salaries due to the cost of living and demand for skilled engineers. In contrast, states with a lower cost of living may have lower average salaries.
Cities such as San Francisco and Seattle rank among the highest paying locations for Test Project Engineers. This is largely due to the concentration of technology firms and innovative companies in these areas.
As the demand for technology and engineering skills continues to grow, opportunities for Test Project Engineers are expected to expand. Staying updated with industry trends and gaining relevant certifications can further enhance earning potential in this field.
Let Zippia find your next test project engineer job
Let Zippia find your next test project engineer job
The average test project engineer salary in California, New Mexico, and Maryland are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average test project engineer salary states are Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Hawaii.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $104,484 | $50.23 |
| 2 | New Mexico | $101,037 | $48.58 |
| 3 | Texas | $91,226 | $43.86 |
| 4 | Oregon | $95,834 | $46.07 |
| 5 | Idaho | $90,620 | $43.57 |
| 6 | Washington | $92,749 | $44.59 |
| 7 | Maryland | $96,261 | $46.28 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | $96,201 | $46.25 |
| 9 | Massachusetts | $91,646 | $44.06 |
| 10 | Delaware | $93,673 | $45.04 |
| 11 | Nevada | $86,375 | $41.53 |
| 12 | Georgia | $93,431 | $44.92 |
| 13 | New Hampshire | $82,351 | $39.59 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | $82,447 | $39.64 |
| 15 | Alabama | $81,229 | $39.05 |
| 16 | Louisiana | $88,549 | $42.57 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $86,150 | $41.42 |
| 18 | Arizona | $83,434 | $40.11 |
| 19 | Kansas | $79,406 | $38.18 |
| 20 | Minnesota | $79,152 | $38.05 |
| 21 | Connecticut | $86,992 | $41.82 |
| 22 | Virginia | $82,478 | $39.65 |
| 23 | Michigan | $75,723 | $36.41 |
| 24 | Maine | $79,941 | $38.43 |
| 25 | New York | $88,631 | $42.61 |
| 26 | Ohio | $76,585 | $36.82 |
| 27 | Indiana | $76,562 | $36.81 |
| 28 | Alaska | $85,659 | $41.18 |
| 29 | North Carolina | $80,341 | $38.63 |
| 30 | Rhode Island | $80,628 | $38.76 |
| 31 | Iowa | $75,706 | $36.40 |
| 32 | Vermont | $74,529 | $35.83 |
| 33 | New Jersey | $85,560 | $41.13 |
| 34 | Colorado | $75,136 | $36.12 |
| 35 | Illinois | $79,458 | $38.20 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $75,142 | $36.13 |
| 37 | Utah | $74,842 | $35.98 |
| 38 | Tennessee | $72,922 | $35.06 |
| 39 | Missouri | $73,704 | $35.43 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $70,800 | $34.04 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $70,910 | $34.09 |
| 42 | Wyoming | $74,357 | $35.75 |
| 43 | South Dakota | $71,731 | $34.49 |
| 44 | Kentucky | $71,333 | $34.29 |
| 45 | Florida | $74,044 | $35.60 |
| 46 | South Carolina | $71,375 | $34.31 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $68,065 | $32.72 |
| 48 | Montana | $72,306 | $34.76 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $65,150 | $31.32 |
| 50 | Mississippi | $68,755 | $33.06 |
| 51 | Hawaii | $70,690 | $33.99 |
The highest-paying cities for test project engineers are Newark, CA, Redmond, WA, and Shelton, CT.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newark, CA | $112,948 | $54.30 |
| 2 | Redmond, WA | $93,053 | $44.74 |
| 3 | Shelton, CT | $87,086 | $41.87 |
| 4 | Lynchburg, VA | $80,784 | $38.84 |
| 5 | Huntsville, AL | $80,758 | $38.83 |
| 6 | Parma, OH | $77,761 | $37.39 |
| 7 | Troy, MI | $75,958 | $36.52 |
| 8 | Orlando, FL | $74,982 | $36.05 |
| 9 | Lebanon, TN | $73,067 | $35.13 |
A test project engineer's salary ranges from $65,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $110,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $110,000 | $9,167 | $53 |
| 75th Percentile | $97,000 | $8,083 | $47 |
| Average | $84,707 | $7,059 | $41 |
| 25th Percentile | $73,000 | $6,083 | $35 |
| 10th Percentile | $65,000 | $5,417 | $31 |
The highest paying types of test project engineers are senior staff engineer, senior principal engineer, and principal engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operations Engineer | $91,522 | $7,627 | $44.00 | 155,188 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Staff Engineer | $107,530 | $8,961 | $51.70 | 277,011 |
| Lead Engineer | $84,927 | $7,077 | $40.83 | 301,777 |
| Student Engineer | $71,947 | $5,996 | $34.59 | 98,036 |
| Design Engineer | $77,134 | $6,428 | $37.08 | 138,173 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for test project engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring test project engineers now:
Test project engineer salaries at Amazon and Joby Aviation are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average test project engineer salary at companies like Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc and Lockheed Martin are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amazon | $117,839 | $56.65 |
| 2 | Joby Aviation | $107,983 | $51.91 |
| 3 | Siemens Enterprise Communications Inc | $98,303 | $47.26 |
| 4 | Lockheed Martin | $90,744 | $43.63 |
| 5 | Raytheon Technologies | $88,958 | $42.77 |
| 6 | Corning Incorporated | $87,756 | $42.19 |
| 7 | Navistar | $87,250 | $41.95 |
| 8 | International Trucks | $86,323 | $41.50 |
| 9 | Lucid Motors | $85,535 | $41.12 |
| 10 | Northrop Grumman | $85,295 | $41.01 |
| 11 | Jabil | $82,674 | $39.75 |
| 12 | Viasat | $82,154 | $39.50 |
| 13 | iQor Holdings Inc. | $81,617 | $39.24 |
| 14 | Siemens | $81,565 | $39.21 |
| 15 | Pitney Bowes | $81,563 | $39.21 |
| 16 | KBR | $79,990 | $38.46 |
| 17 | Luminar Technologies | $79,686 | $38.31 |
| 18 | Framatome Technologies Inc | $79,373 | $38.16 |
| 19 | RGA Environmental, A Terracon Company | $77,116 | $37.08 |
| 20 | Altair | $75,320 | $36.21 |
The average test project engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transportation | $87,523 | $42.08 |
| 2 | Technology | $85,377 | $41.05 |
| 3 | Manufacturing | $81,568 | $39.22 |
| 4 | Automotive | $79,332 | $38.14 |
| 5 | Professional | $78,004 | $37.50 |
The average test project engineer salary has risen by $10,269 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average test project engineer earned $74,438 annually, but today, they earn $84,707 a year. That works out to a 7% change in pay for test project engineers over the last decade.
Compare test project engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare test project engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $84,700 | $40.72 | +1.9% |
| 2024 | $83,100 | $39.94 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | $82,100 | $39.46 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | $80,700 | $38.79 | +2.0% |
| 2021 | $79,100 | $38.03 | +0.7% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockheed Martin | Systems Test Project Engineer-IV | Huntsville, AL | 06/26/2025 | $120,100 |
| Swift Engineering Inc. | Project Engineer, Systems Test | San Clemente, CA | 06/19/2025 | $90,000 |
| Boeing | Project Engineer-Production, Test, & Launch Capability | Noma, FL | 06/18/2025 | $114,750 |
| MEDC | Project Engineer Concrete Testing | Rapid City, SD | 06/06/2025 | $52,175 |
| Actalent | Test Engineer-Project Engineer | Peoria, IL | 05/26/2025 | $56,349 |
| Lockheed Martin Corporation | Integration & Test Project Engineer-Secret Clearance | Colorado Springs, CO | 05/09/2025 | $104,500 |
| Amazon.com, Inc. | Dynamics Test Engineer-2Nd Shift, Project Kuiper | Kirkland, WA | 05/03/2025 | $89,500 |
| The Structures Company, LLC | Project Engineer-Integration, Test & Evaluation-Defense | Orlando, FL | 04/28/2025 | $73,045 |
| Boeing | Lead Project Engineer-Joint Common Test Set Program | Saint Charles, MO | 04/25/2025 | $114,750 |
| Joby Aviation | Senior Flight Test Aircraft Project Engineer | Marina, CA | 03/27/2025 | $135,132 |
Search for test project engineer jobs