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Performance Test Engineer Jobs in Washington, DC

INSPYR Solutions

Performance Test Engineer

Merrifield, VA · On-site

$50 - $56/hr

Performance Test Engineer Location: Vienna VA (Hybrid 3x) Duration: Initial 6-month contract with extensions Compensation: $50-56/hr Work Requirements: , HoldersNo C2CSummary The Digital Delivery ...

INSPYR Solutions

Performance Test Engineer

Merrifield, VA · On-site

$50 - $56/hr

Performance Test Engineer Location: Vienna VA (Hybrid 3x) Duration: Initial 6-month contract with extensions Compensation: $50-56/hr Work Requirements: US Citizen, GC Holders No C2C Summary The ...

USM

Urgent Need Performance Test Engineer

Vienna, VA

Performance Test Engineer Location: Vienna, VA (Locals Or Nearby) Duration: 6 +months Responsibilities * Work with Developers and Vendor teams to understand project requirements and create real-world ...

Apex Systems

QA Performance Engineer

Merrifield, VA · On-site

Merrifield, Virginia (Hybrid) Role Overview As a Performance Test Engineer, you will be responsible for executing end-to-end performance testing efforts. This role requires hands-on performance ...

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Performance Test Engineer information

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How much do performance test engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 24, 2026, the average hourly pay for performance test engineer in Washington, DC is $52.76, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $39.47 and $66.97 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What Is the Job of a Performance Test Engineer?

A performance test engineer conducts testing during the entire lifecycle process of software development to ensure an efficient and satisfactory outcome. As a performance test engineer, your primary responsibilities include providing extensive troubleshooting and offering recommendations to fix technical issues. Your duties involve running tests on capacity, endurance, scenarios, stress, and performance, and designing a test system to simulate traffic loads. You monitor application operations, analyze memory usage, generate graphs, identify potential problems, and prepare detailed status reports.

What are some common challenges faced by Performance Test Engineers when working on large-scale applications?

Performance Test Engineers working on large-scale applications often encounter challenges such as accurately simulating real-world user loads, identifying performance bottlenecks in complex systems, and ensuring tests reflect production environments. Coordinating with development and operations teams to set up realistic test data and environments can also be demanding. Additionally, interpreting and communicating test results to stakeholders requires strong analytical and communication skills to drive meaningful improvements.

What does a Performance Test Engineer do?

A Performance Test Engineer is responsible for evaluating the speed, responsiveness, and stability of software applications under various workloads. They design and execute test plans to identify bottlenecks, ensure systems perform well under expected and peak traffic, and recommend improvements. Their work helps ensure that applications deliver a smooth and reliable experience to end users, even in high-demand situations. Performance Test Engineers often use specialized tools to simulate large numbers of users and analyze system behavior.

What is the difference between Performance Test Engineer vs QA Tester?

AspectPerformance Test EngineerQA Tester
Primary FocusEvaluating system performance, load, and scalabilityVerifying overall software quality and functionality
Skills & CertificationsPerformance testing tools (JMeter, LoadRunner), scripting, performance analysisManual and automated testing, bug tracking, test case design
Work EnvironmentPerformance labs, testing environments, scriptingDevelopment, testing, and user environments
Industry UsageIT, software development, telecomIT, software, manufacturing, healthcare

While both roles are essential in software quality assurance, the Performance Test Engineer specializes in assessing system performance under load, whereas the QA Tester focuses on overall functionality and defect detection. Understanding these differences helps employers and professionals align skills with job requirements.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Performance Test Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Performance Test Engineer, you need expertise in software testing methodologies, performance analysis, and scripting languages, often supported by a degree in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with tools such as JMeter, LoadRunner, or Gatling, and experience with monitoring systems and cloud platforms are commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills set top performers apart in this role. These competencies are crucial for accurately identifying performance bottlenecks, ensuring system reliability, and collaborating across development teams.
More about Performance Test Engineer jobs
Performance Test Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Performance Test Engineer job openings in Washington, DC as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $109,742 per year, or $52.8 per hour.
Performance Test Engineer

Performance Test Engineer

INSPYR Solutions

Merrifield, VA • On-site

$50 - $56/hr

Other

Posted 9 days ago

Job description

Title: Performance Test Engineer
Location: Vienna VA (Hybrid 3x)
Duration: Initial 6-month contract with extensions
Compensation: $50-56/hr
Work Requirements: , HoldersNo C2CSummary

The Digital Delivery team is responsible for engineering and supporting modern web and mobile applications through scalable user interfaces, microservices, and cloud-based solutions.

The Performance Test Engineer will lead end-to-end performance testing efforts to ensure application scalability, reliability, and production readiness. This role requires hands-on expertise in performance engineering, test automation, workload modeling, bottleneck analysis, and performance optimization. The successful candidate will partner with QA leadership, development teams, and stakeholders to implement performance testing best practices, identify risks early, and drive continuous improvement across multiple initiatives.

Qualifications
  • 4+ years of experience in software testing with a focus on performance engineering.
  • Strong knowledge of performance testing methodologies, including load, stress, endurance, and scalability testing.
  • Experience defining performance baselines, SLAs, and workload models.
  • Hands-on experience with performance testing tools such as NeoLoad or similar platforms.
  • Experience with monitoring and observability tools such as Azure App Insights, Splunk, or equivalent.
  • Proficiency with Azure DevOps or similar test management tools.
  • Solid understanding of SDLC, STLC, Agile methodologies, DevOps practices, and CI/CD pipelines.
  • Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and root-cause analysis skills.
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
  • Experience with scripting and automation, including JavaScript-based performance test development.
Required Experience & SkillsPerformance Engineering
  • Design, develop, and execute performance testing strategies and scripts.
  • Conduct load, stress, endurance, and scalability testing.
  • Analyze performance results to identify bottlenecks, constraints, and optimization opportunities.
  • Define realistic performance goals and service-level objectives using production insights.
  • Identify performance risks and recommend actionable improvements before production deployment.
Technical Analysis & Automation
  • Develop, maintain, and enhance automated performance testing solutions.
  • Create repeatable and scalable testing processes.
  • Perform root-cause analysis across applications, services, and infrastructure layers.
  • Utilize monitoring and observability tools to assess system health and troubleshoot issues.
  • Support performance validation within microservices, containerized, and cloud-native environments.
Collaboration & Leadership
  • Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate performance testing early in the SDLC.
  • Support QA leadership with planning, prioritization, and execution of performance testing initiatives.
  • Mentor junior team members and promote testing best practices.
  • Communicate testing results, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders and leadership.
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of performance testing frameworks, standards, and processes.
Nice to Have
  • Experience with dependency mapping, service virtualization, and mocking tools (WireMock preferred).
  • Experience with Postman.
  • Understanding of functional testing and SDET practices.
  • Experience supporting distributed microservices architectures and cloud-native platforms.
  • Knowledge of shift-left testing and early performance validation strategies.

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