Quality engineer salary in California
In California, space employers offer quality engineers and inspectors a median of $148k a year, the middle half $122k–$166k $18k above the national posted median. From 128 jobs at 26 employers that name a salary in their postings.
- 25th percentile$122,275/hr
- Median (50th)$148,000/hr
- 75th percentile$166,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates128
- Jobs stating an hourly rate128
- Employers26
The median is the middle of the 128 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $122,275–$166,000 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$122,275/hr
- Median (50th)$148,000/hr
- 75th percentile$166,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates128
- Jobs stating an hourly rate128
- Employers26
The median is the middle of the 128 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $122,275–$166,000 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted pay, a year$148,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$71.15/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- SpaceX26 jobs
- Vast15 jobs
- Relativity Space15 jobs
- Northrop Grumman15 jobs
- Impulse Space8 jobs
- K2 Space5 jobs
- Rocket Lab5 jobs
- Muon Space4 jobs
- Millennium Space Systems4 jobs
- Lockheed Martin4 jobs
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 101 at the 10 shown and 27 at 16 other employers, 128 in all.
The jobs themselves: Quality engineer jobs in California · Quality engineer pay nationwide
What quality engineers and inspectors are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting pay in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $148k a year. Middle half $122k to $166k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 128 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $148k. 71% of the 181 open quality engineer jobs in California state pay.
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Quality engineer pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state pay, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | $152k | $70k–$268k | 36 (5) |
| Hawthorne | $134k | $85k–$230k | 28 (3) |
| Redondo Beach | $165k | $91.8k–$225k | 11 (2) |
| Los Angeles | $158k | $114k–$240k | 8 (3) |
| El Segundo | $150k | $107k–$193k | 6 (3) |
| Sunnyvale | $142k | $79.3k–$288k | 5 (2) |
| San Diego | $105k | $51.4k–$194k | 4 (1) |
| Oxnard | $104k | $61.1k–$200k | 4 (1) |
| Carlsbad | $152k | $64.5k–$224k | 3 (1) |
| San Jose | $148k | $139k–$233k | 3 (1) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Quality engineer pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for quality engineers and inspectors here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for quality engineers and inspectors nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open quality engineer jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest pay figures tonight, at most two from one employer.
$213,000–$287,500/yr
$209,000–$233,000/yr
$162,360–$265,392/yr- $162,360–$265,392/yr
$190,000–$225,000/yr- $197,000–$218,000/yr
$171,093–$239,529/yr
$185,000–$225,000/yr
$185,000–$220,000/yr
$175,000–$220,000/yr
$165,000–$230,000/yr- $165,000–$230,000/yr
Quality engineer salary in California: common questions
How much does a quality engineer make in California?
Open quality engineer jobs in California that state pay post a median of $148k, the middle half $122k–$166k (128 jobs from 26 employers).
Where in California do quality engineers and inspectors earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Long Beach ($152k), Hawthorne ($134k), Redondo Beach ($165k) and Los Angeles ($158k). The town table lists 10.
Which employers in California pay quality engineers and inspectors the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Astrolab ($183k), Muon Space ($178k) and Impulse Space ($168k).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($148k) is $18k above the national posted median of $130k.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 128 of 181 open quality engineer jobs in California (71%) state pay. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Quality engineer pay in other states
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Quality engineer salary in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/quality-engineers/california