146 OPEN
SALARIES · TEST ENGINEER
Test Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for test engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$155,000 – $200,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$115K
[ SENIOR ]
$155K
[ STAFF ]
$200K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$250K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01
Head of Manufacturing Test EngineeringAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$254K–$336K - 02Director, Test Engineering - ACP Programs (R5044)Shield AI·Washington, DC$210K–$310K
- 03Staff NPI Test EngineerAurora Innovation·Mountain View, California$181K–$262K
- 04
Sr. Hardware Test EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$180K–$260K - 05Sr. Flight Test EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$190K–$260K
- 06Senior/Staff System Integration and Test EngineerZoox·Foster City, CA$199K–$256K
- 07Senior FPGA Test Engineer, Intelligence SystemsAnduril Industries·Reston, Virginia, United States$191K–$253K
- 08Sr. Electrical Test EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$188K–$250K
- 09Senior Platform System Vehicle Test EngineerZoox·Foster City, CA$175K–$239K
- 10Propulsion Test Engineer (R4380)Shield AI·Wichita Metro Area$150K–$230K
§ 03Top employers hiring test engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | 70 | $148K |
| Saronic | 11 | — |
| Zoox | 7 | $173K |
| Rockwell Automation | 7 | — |
| Reliable Robotics | 6 | $201K |
| Shield AI | 6 | $155K |
| Apptronik | 5 | — |
| Aurora Innovation | 4 | $166K |
§ 04Top cities hiring test engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 39 | $165K |
| Austin | 15 | — |
| Mountain View | 8 | $219K |
| Foster City | 5 | $192K |
| Ashville | 5 | $138K |
| Quincy | 4 | $116K |
| Lexington | 4 | $114K |
| Quonset | 4 | $121K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do test engineers make in the robotics industry?
- Senior test engineers in the robotics industry typically earn $155K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $200K and principal-level reach $250K. Numbers are median base salary across 64 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private robotics employers.
- Who is hiring the most test engineers right now?
- Anduril Industries (70 open roles), Saronic (11 open roles), and Zoox (7 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 146 open test engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most test engineer jobs located?
- The top robotics industry hubs for test engineer roles right now are Costa Mesa, Austin, and Mountain View. Defense robotics tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do test engineer roles in robotics, AI, and autonomy require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense robotics programs at Anduril, Shield AI, Saronic, and defense primes require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial robotics roles at Boston Dynamics, Apptronik, 1X, Skydio, and Wayve generally do not. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — many sensor, autonomy, and unmanned-systems roles require it.
§ 06See all open roles
Browse every test engineer role