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Test Engineer vs Systems Engineer: pay, jobs and what each takes
Test engineers and systems engineers side by side: what each earns by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and by the jobs open today, how many jobs there are, and the education and credentials each takes.
Test Engineer vs Systems Engineer, side by side
| Test engineer | Systems engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Open jobs on this board today | 482 | 711 |
| Median posted hourly pay (open jobs) | $144,000 | $155,250 |
| Median hourly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Median yearly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Projected employment change (BLS) | - | - |
| Openings a year (BLS) | - | - |
| Typical education to enter (BLS) | - | - |
| Credentials | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) |
Test Engineer vs Systems Engineer: common questions
Are there more test engineer or systems engineer jobs?
On this board today: 482 open test engineer jobs and 711 systems engineer jobs, read from each employer's own job board.
What is the difference between a test engineer and a systems engineer?
Space companies hire test engineers to prove hardware before it flies: on engine test stands, in thermal vacuum chambers and on the integration floor. Space companies hire systems engineers to hold a vehicle or mission together: its requirements, its interfaces and the proof that it all works as one.
How do you become a test engineer or a systems engineer?
An engineering degree and time running tests: instrumentation, data and the test procedure. An engineering degree in any discipline and years on a vehicle, payload or mission. Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Test engineers, Systems engineers.
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Sources and method
Pay and outlook are BLS's figures for each occupation's main SOC code; open jobs and their posted median are this board's, counted as each occupation's own page counts them.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Employment Projections
- SpaceJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Test Engineer vs Systems Engineer: Pay, Jobs and Requirements Compared. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/compare-careers/test-engineer-vs-systems-engineer