How much does a Drive Test Engineer make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Drive Test Engineer in the United States is $81,220 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $39.
However, a Drive Test Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $94,588
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $75,026 to $88,217
Key Factors That Influence Drive Test Engineer Salaries
A Drive Test Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how geographic location, education
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Do Drive Test Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Drive Test Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
District of Columbia: $89,926.
California: $89,585.
Massachusetts: $88,391.
District of Columbia$89,926
California$89,585
Massachusetts$88,391
Washington$88,066
New Jersey$88,034
Alaska$87,920
Connecticut$86,799
New York$86,344
Hawaii$84,891
Rhode Island$84,208
Maryland$83,745
Minnesota$83,112
Colorado$82,868
Illinois$82,787
Oregon$82,478
Delaware$82,251
New Hampshire$82,108
Virginia$81,788
Pennsylvania$80,854
Nevada$80,383
North Dakota$80,229
Michigan$79,985
Wisconsin$79,896
Vermont$79,717
Texas$79,222
Maine$79,189
Arizona$79,140
Ohio$79,083
Georgia$78,336
Indiana$77,963
Wyoming$77,890
Utah$77,776
Iowa$77,727
Kansas$77,337
Louisiana$77,224
North Carolina$77,183
Missouri$77,167
Florida$76,850
Montana$76,679
Nebraska$76,517
Kentucky$76,428
South Carolina$76,103
Tennessee$75,900
Idaho$75,818
New Mexico$75,226
Oklahoma$75,096
Alabama$74,616
South Dakota$73,812
Arkansas$73,374
West Virginia$73,138
Mississippi$72,432
Top Paying Cities for Drive Test Engineers
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $102,442
San Francisco: $101,321
Oakland: $99,185
San Jose, CA$102,442
San Francisco, CA$101,321
Oakland, CA$99,185
New York, NY$93,515
Paramus, NJ$92,378
Queens Village, NY$92,374
Passaic, NJ$92,297
Bergenfield, NJ$92,290
Stamford, CT$92,111
Huntington, NY$92,078
Newark, NJ$91,478
Bridgeport, CT$91,306
Vallejo, CA$91,145
New Brunswick, NJ$91,112
Petaluma, CA$91,063
Middlesex, NJ$90,909
Somerset, NJ$90,852
Santa Cruz, CA$90,747
Boston, MA$90,251
Monterey, CA$89,966
Seattle, WA$89,780
Santa Rosa, CA$89,764
Los Angeles, CA$89,739
Juneau, AK$89,528
Washington, DC$89,439
Orange, CA$89,150
Santa Ana, CA$88,935
Long Beach, CA$88,854
Anaheim, CA$88,838
Anchorage, AK$88,797
Santa Maria, CA$88,554
Everett, WA$88,537
Danbury, CT$88,251
Bremerton, WA$88,139
Tacoma, WA$87,847
New Suffolk, NY$87,845
Sacramento, CA$87,823
Santa Barbara, CA$87,733
Trenton, NJ$87,644
San Diego, CA$87,644
Brockton, MA$87,555
Fairbanks, AK$87,356
Lompoc, CA$87,149
Lowell, MA$87,083
Ventura, CA$87,067
Nashua, NH$87,051
Stockton, CA$87,043
Modesto, CA$86,450
Poughkeepsie, NY$86,271
Olympia, WA$86,117
Kennewick, WA$86,117
New Haven, CT$86,085
Lawrence, MA$85,792
Hartford, CT$85,711
Riverside, CA$85,695
New Bedford, MA$85,613
Richland, WA$85,613
Bakersfield, CA$85,500
San Bernardino, CA$85,467
New Britain, CT$85,459
Atlantic City, NJ$85,459
New London, CT$85,427
Norwich, CT$85,402
Portsmouth, NH$85,386
Boulder, CO$85,214
Portland, OR$85,102
Worcester, MA$85,094
Minneapolis, MN$84,842
Philadelphia, PA$84,728
Honolulu, HI$84,460
Saint Paul, MN$84,421
Vineland, NJ$84,403
Providence, RI$84,168
Chicago, IL$83,932
Bellingham, WA$83,835
Springfield, MA$83,770
Baltimore, MD$83,745
Chico, CA$83,542
Pittsfield, MA$83,323
Manchester, NH$83,169
Spokane, WA$82,811
Denver, CO$82,803
Albany, NY$82,422
Troy, NY$82,389
Nassau, NY$82,302
Schenectady, NY$82,218
Wilmington, DE$82,154
Burlington, VT$82,040
Salem, OR$82,007
Portland, ME$81,756
Yakima, WA$81,674
Rochester, MN$81,423
Reno, NV$81,382
Fresno, CA$81,382
Milwaukee, WI$81,309
Detroit, MI$81,228
Ann Arbor, MI$81,214
Allentown, PA$81,203
Colorado Springs, CO$81,065
Syracuse, NY$81,025
Carson City, NV$81,025
Houston, TX$80,911
Eugene, OR$80,870
Gary, IN$80,773
Springfield, OR$80,708
Bismarck, ND$80,692
Galveston, TX$80,635
Medford, OR$80,513
Fort Collins, CO$80,480
Concord, NH$80,440
Austin, TX$80,415
Mesa, AZ$80,245
Reading, PA$80,237
Phoenix, AZ$80,229
Dallas, TX$80,204
Saint Cloud, MN$80,126
Madison, WI$80,017
Utica, NY$79,798
Rochester, NY$79,668
Des Moines, IA$79,660
Raleigh, NC$79,652
Atlanta, GA$79,530
Battle Creek, MI$79,506
Salt Lake City, UT$79,481
Lancaster, PA$79,360
Harrisburg, PA$79,246
Kansas City, MO$79,165
Champaign, IL$79,148
Kansas City, KS$79,148
Fort Worth, TX$79,140
Columbus, OH$79,126
Boca Raton, FL$79,108
Pittsburgh, PA$79,075
Richmond, VA$79,043
Indianapolis, IN$79,027
Cleveland, OH$79,018
Las Vegas, NV$78,921
Cincinnati, OH$78,921
Petersburg, VA$78,799
Huntsville, AL$78,677
Lansing, MI$78,623
Lebanon, PA$78,612
Pueblo, CO$78,604
Appleton, WI$78,580
Buffalo, NY$78,547
Dayton, OH$78,523
Racine, WI$78,507
Charlotte, NC$78,499
Saint Louis, MO$78,474
York, PA$78,426
Elkhart, IN$78,426
Gastonia, NC$78,410
Billings, MT$78,391
Beaumont, TX$78,369
Lorain, OH$78,352
Benton Harbor, MI$78,336
Toledo, OH$78,320
Binghamton, NY$78,279
Rock Hill, SC$78,271
Rockford, IL$78,231
Springfield, IL$78,198
Elyria, OH$78,190
Fargo, ND$78,190
Flagstaff, AZ$78,133
Fort Lauderdale, FL$78,084
Duluth, MN$78,036
Miami, FL$78,036
Cheyenne, WY$77,979
Grand Forks, ND$77,979
Bangor, ME$77,800
Cedar Rapids, IA$77,711
Durham, NC$77,677
Louisville, KY$77,670
Grand Rapids, MI$77,654
Hialeah, FL$77,646
Casper, WY$77,532
Scranton, PA$77,435
New Orleans, LA$77,410
Virginia Beach, VA$77,402
Akron, OH$77,362
Peoria, IL$77,256
Sarasota, FL$77,240
Nashville, TN$77,183
Omaha, NE$77,183
Green Bay, WI$77,183
Baton Rouge, LA$77,142
Charleston, SC$77,126
Jamestown, NY$77,085
Davenport, IA$77,085
Tucson, AZ$77,045
Saint Petersburg, FL$76,996
Tampa, FL$76,980
Evansville, IN$76,931
Port Arthur, TX$76,931
Bradenton, FL$76,899
Santa Fe, NM$76,752
Orlando, FL$76,606
Clearwater, FL$76,582
Canton, OH$76,411
La Crosse, WI$76,411
Albuquerque, NM$76,363
Newport News, VA$76,354
High Point, NC$76,330
Ogden, UT$76,298
Corpus Christi, TX$76,233
Norfolk, VA$76,184
Laramie, WY$76,184
Rock Island, IL$76,135
Saginaw, MI$76,119
Jacksonville, FL$76,111
Salisbury, NC$76,095
Boise, ID$76,078
Moline, IL$76,038
Fort Myers, FL$76,013
Memphis, TN$75,997
Tulsa, OK$75,956
Waterloo, IA$75,908
Spartanburg, SC$75,827
Lincoln, NE$75,786
Fort Wayne, IN$75,770
Provo, UT$75,762
Cedar Falls, IA$75,664
San Antonio, TX$75,632
Greensboro, NC$75,599
South Bend, IN$75,591
Savannah, GA$75,502
Muskegon, MI$75,469
Birmingham, AL$75,461
Winston Salem, NC$75,421
Lake Charles, LA$75,226
Anderson, IN$75,209
Lexington, KY$75,185
Augusta, GA$75,161
Greenville, SC$75,161
Lima, OH$75,096
Wichita, KS$75,087
Tuscaloosa, AL$75,087
Columbia, SC$75,014
Springfield, OH$74,998
Asheville, NC$74,868
Bloomington, IN$74,811
Knoxville, TN$74,519
Shreveport, LA$74,511
Wilmington, NC$74,405
Roanoke, VA$74,405
Topeka, KS$74,259
Frankfort, KY$74,250
Oklahoma City, OK$74,194
Chillicothe, OH$74,162
Longview, TX$74,153
Melbourne, FL$74,145
Sioux Falls, SD$74,015
Mobile, AL$74,007
Terre Haute, IN$73,975
Altoona, PA$73,926
Amarillo, TX$73,869
Killeen, TX$73,845
Fayetteville, AR$73,780
Chattanooga, TN$73,755
Sioux City, IA$73,682
Idaho Falls, ID$73,666
Lynchburg, VA$73,601
Gainesville, FL$73,496
Portsmouth, OH$73,455
Little Rock, AR$73,439
Lafayette, LA$73,406
Youngstown, OH$73,406
Daytona Beach, FL$73,357
Clarksville, TN$73,349
Pensacola, FL$73,341
Temple, TX$73,336
Hopkinsville, KY$73,098
Erie, PA$73,081
Florence, SC$73,049
Charleston, WV$72,919
Great Falls, MT$72,878
Macon, GA$72,765
Tallahassee, FL$72,756
Fayetteville, NC$72,740
Waco, TX$72,724
Helena, MT$72,667
Pine Bluff, AR$72,636
Vincennes, IN$72,537
Lubbock, TX$72,505
Alamogordo, NM$72,456
Twin Falls, ID$72,383
Rapid City, SD$72,358
Jackson, MS$72,212
Huntington, WV$72,207
Greenville, MS$72,204
Parkersburg, WV$72,121
Montgomery, AL$72,107
Wichita Falls, TX$72,025
Springfield, MO$72,025
Biloxi, MS$71,985
Monroe, LA$71,904
Johnstown, PA$71,847
Sumter, SC$71,814
Columbus, GA$71,806
Pascagoula, MS$71,652
Abilene, TX$71,652
Kingsport, TN$71,441
Albany, GA$71,441
Gulfport, MS$71,416
Alexandria, LA$71,148
Fort Smith, AR$70,945
El Paso, TX$70,726
Las Cruces, NM$70,360
Harlingen, TX$70,154
Pocatello, ID$70,141
Florence, AL$70,036
Brownsville, TX$70,019
Mcallen, TX$69,849
Dothan, AL$69,735
Columbus, MS$69,253
Altus, OK$68,874
Lawton, OK$68,720
Pierre, SD$68,427
Drive Test Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Drive Test Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 100% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Software & Networking and Energy & Utilities
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 40% above the average.
In contrast, Drive Test Engineer positions in Telecom. or MFG Durable typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Drive Test Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Drive Test Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking
$113,707
$55.0
40%
Energy & Utilities
$97,463
$47.0
20%
Healthcare
$93,402
$45.0
15%
Business Services
$89,341
$43.0
10%
How Education impacts a Drive Test Engineer's Salary?
Your level of education can impact your salary potential.
While many Drive Test Engineers enter the field with a Associate's Degree degree,
higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.
According to our 100% employer-reported salary data,
the median salary for a Drive Test Engineer with a Associate's Degree is between
$86,658
and $91,283).
Drive Test Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Drive Test Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Hourly
Monthly
Weekly
Yearly
Table View
Last Updated on October 01, 2026
$75,026
Average$81,220/year
$88,217
$6,252
Average$6,768/month
$7,351
$1,443
Average$1,562/week
$1,696
$36
Average$39/hour
$42
Annual Salary
Monthly Pay
Weekly Pay
Hourly Wage
75th Percentile
$88,217
$7,351
$1,696
$42
Average
$81,220
$6,768
$1,562
$39
25th Percentile
$75,026
$6,252
$1,443
$36
Salaries of Jobs related to Drive Test Engineer
Test Engineer V$147,644
Test Engineer IV$135,387
Drive Test Technician$122,178
Automation Test Engineer$121,925
Test Engineer$112,553
Senior Test Engineer$112,190
Test Engineer III$112,170
Rf Drive Test Engineer$90,605
Test Engineer II$79,965
Flight Test Engineer$77,637
Test Engineer I$71,107
Salary Trends for Drive Test Engineer
Salaries for a Drive Test Engineer can change over time,
reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy.
The median salary decreased from $73,794 in 2023
to around $73,119 in 2025,
reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy.
For a detailed analysis of Drive Test Engineer salary trends,
.
Average Annual Salary of Drive Test Engineer Over Time
$???
$73,794
$73,506
$73,119
$???
$???
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Year
Average Annual Salary
2022
View More
2023
$73,794
2024
$73,506
2025
$73,119
2026
View More
2027
View More
Most common benefits for Drive Test Engineer
Social Security
401 (k)
Disability
Healthcare
Pension
Time Off (days)
Common company salaries for Drive Test Engineer
Here are companies hiring for Drive Test Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
K$114,295/per year
Kpmg Us LLPBusiness Servicesthe United States
W$114,096/per year
Warner Bros DiscoveryBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$111,927/per year
Dentsu International LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$111,873/per year
GroupM Worldwide IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$111,651/per year
CoWorx StaffingBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$110,194/per year
Contemporary Services CorpBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$107,128/per year
Showcase CinemasBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,429/per year
Amentum Services IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$106,199/per year
Allied Universal Security Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
S$106,104/per year
Sodexo USABusiness Servicesthe United States
J$105,192/per year
JLL TechnologiesBusiness Servicesthe United States
I$104,478/per year
Intact Insurance Group USA LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
N$101,619/per year
NielsenIQBusiness Servicesthe United States
T$101,470/per year
The Leading Edge AllianceBusiness Servicesthe United States
H$101,308/per year
Honeywell UOPBusiness Servicesthe United States
R$97,720/per year
Reeve & AssociatesBusiness Servicesthe United States
M$97,584/per year
ManpowerGroup Global IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
F$95,980/per year
Financial Sys NcoBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$95,314/per year
Arrow Global LtdBusiness Servicesthe United States
C$94,777/per year
CarMax Enterprise Services LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
D$94,479/per year
DZConneXBusiness Servicesthe United States
A$93,802/per year
Adecco Staffing, USABusiness Servicesthe United States
R$92,937/per year
Resource MFGBusiness Servicesthe United States
Z$92,774/per year
Zachry Brands IncBusiness Servicesthe United States
G$88,138/per year
Greystar Worldwide LLCBusiness Servicesthe United States
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FAQ about Drive Test Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Drive Test Engineer?
The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Drive Test Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 40% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
