150 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
§ 01
Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$115K
[ SENIOR ]
$155K
[ STAFF ]
$200K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$250K
§ 02
Top-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
- 03WHead of Flight Test EngineeringWing·Palo Alto, California$276K–$293K
- 04
Systems Integration and Test Engineer (Senior to Staff Level)Skydio·San Mateo, California, United States$196K–$270K - 05
Sr. Flight Test EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$190K–$260K - 06Staff Manufacturing Test EngineerSkydio·Hayward, California, United States$196K–$257K
- 07Staff Design Verification Test EngineerAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K
- 08Senior FPGA Test Engineer, Intelligence SystemsAnduril Industries·Reston, Virginia, United States$191K–$253K
- 09Sr. Electrical Test EngineerReliable Robotics·Mountain View, CA$188K–$250K
- 10Senior Platform System Vehicle Test EngineerZoox·Foster City, CA$184K–$250K
§ 03
Top employers hiring test engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | 76 | $150K |
| Skydio | 6 | $177K |
| Shield AI | 6 | $165K |
| Rockwell Automation | 6 | $98K |
| Saronic | 6 | — |
| Zoox | 5 | $181K |
| Apptronik | 4 | — |
| Reliable Robotics | 4 | $201K |
§ 04
Top cities hiring test engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 32 | $158K |
| Irvine | 9 | $170K |
| Austin | 9 | — |
| Ashville | 7 | $146K |
| Lexington | 5 | $114K |
| Waltham | 5 | $147K |
| Foster City | 4 | $185K |
| Mountain View | 4 | $219K |
§ 05
FAQ
- 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 (76 open roles), Skydio (6 open roles), and Shield AI (6 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 150 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, Irvine, and Austin. 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.
§ 06
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