Test engineer salary in California
In California, space employers offer test engineers a median of $155k a year, the middle half $135k–$177k $11k above the national posted median. From 179 jobs at 37 employers that name a salary in their postings.
- 25th percentile$135,000/hr
- Median (50th)$155,000/hr
- 75th percentile$177,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates179
- Jobs stating an hourly rate179
- Employers37
The median is the middle of the 179 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $135,000–$177,000 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$135,000/hr
- Median (50th)$155,000/hr
- 75th percentile$177,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates179
- Jobs stating an hourly rate179
- Employers37
The median is the middle of the 179 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $135,000–$177,000 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$155,000
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$74.52/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
- Relativity Space16 jobs
- Vast14 jobs
- Impulse Space14 jobs
- K2 Space13 jobs
- Muon Space10 jobs
- Rocket Lab9 jobs
- True Anomaly8 jobs
- Amazon Leo6 jobs
- Inversion Space5 jobs
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 121 at the 10 shown and 58 at 27 other employers, 179 in all.
The jobs themselves: Test engineer jobs in California · Test engineer pay nationwide
What test engineers are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting pay in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $155k a year. Middle half $135k to $177k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 179 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $155k. 94% of the 191 open test engineer jobs in California state pay.
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Test 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 | $154k | $83k–$246k | 44 (4) |
| Hawthorne | $138k | $100k–$265k | 27 (3) |
| Los Angeles | $158k | $77k–$220k | 21 (3) |
| El Segundo | $167k | $86.8k–$332k | 13 (8) |
| Redondo Beach | $130k | $100k–$180k | 11 (1) |
| San Jose | $196k | $143k–$265k | 9 (1) |
| Mojave | $141k | $86k–$220k | 7 (3) |
| Carlsbad | $155k | $95k–$242k | 5 (1) |
| San Diego | $191k | $135k–$377k | 4 (3) |
| San Francisco | $183k | $130k–$215k | 4 (1) |
| Alameda | $160k | $92.2k–$190k | 4 (1) |
| Torrance | $135k | $84k–$170k | 4 (1) |
| Tustin | $181k | $130k–$269k | 3 (1) |
| Burlingame | $155k | $130k–$178k | 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.
Test engineer pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for test engineers 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 test engineers nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open test engineer jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest pay figures tonight, at most two from one employer.
$269,175–$376,844/yr
$178,500–$331,500/yr
$240,000–$265,000/yr- $213,000–$237,000/yr
$176,598–$269,442/yr
$185,200–$250,000/yr
$165,000–$265,000/yr
$176,800–$239,200/yr- $145,100–$269,500/yr
$164,000–$246,000/yr- $164,000–$246,000/yr
$150,000–$250,000/yr
Test engineer salary in California: common questions
How much does a test engineer make in California?
Open test engineer jobs in California that state pay post a median of $155k, the middle half $135k–$177k (179 jobs from 37 employers).
Where in California do test engineers earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Long Beach ($154k), Hawthorne ($138k), Los Angeles ($158k) and El Segundo ($167k). The town table lists 14.
Which employers in California pay test engineers the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: Muon Space ($196k), Astranis ($183k) and Virgin Galactic ($181k).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($155k) is $11k above the national posted median of $144k.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 179 of 191 open test engineer jobs in California (94%) state pay. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Test engineer pay in other states
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Test engineer salary in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/test-engineers/california