Test Pilot
Test Pilot Salary
$87.6K is the 25th percentile. Wages below this are outliers.
$81.5K - $90K
35% of jobs
The median wage is $94.7K / yr.
$90K - $98.5K
27% of jobs
$105.1K is the 75th percentile. Wages above this are outliers.
$98.5K - $107K
16% of jobs
$107K - $115.5K
6% of jobs
$115.5K - $124K
3% of jobs
$124K - $132.5K
1% of jobs
$132.5K - $141K
1% of jobs
$141K - $149.5K
2% of jobs
$149.5K - $158K
4% of jobs
$158K - $166.5K
2% of jobs
$166.5K - $175K
2% of jobs
$81.5K
$93K
$176K
$105,110
/year
$50.53
/hour
Test Pilot Salary Comparison by Location
Nationwide
United States
$105,110
Columbus
Ohio
$101,525
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How much does a Test Pilot make?
As of Aug 7, 2026, the average annual pay for a Test Pilot in the United States is $105,110 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $50.53 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,021/week or $8,759/month.
While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $176,000 and as low as $81,500, the majority of Test Pilot salaries currently range between $84,500 (25th percentile) to $107,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $154,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Test Pilot varies greatly (by as much as 23000), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.
A Test Pilot in your area makes on average $101,525 per year, or $3,585 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $105,110. Ohio ranks number 42 out of 50 states nationwide for Test Pilot salaries.
To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Test Pilot jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.
Find your next high paying job as a Test Pilot on ZipRecruiter today.
What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Test Pilot Jobs
We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Test Pilot job is above the national average. Topping the list is Pennington County, SD, , with Beverly, MA, and Glenwood Springs, CO, close behind in the second and third positions. Glenwood Springs, CO, beats the national average by $34,453 (32.8%), and Pennington County, SD, furthers that trend with another $39,578 (37.7%) above the $105,110 average.
With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Test Pilot appears to be exceedingly fruitful.
Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 13% between Pennington County, SD, and Sitka, AK, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Test Pilot role.
City | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Pennington County, SD | $144,688 | $69.56 |
Beverly, MA | $142,018 | $68.28 |
Glenwood Springs, CO | $139,563 | $67.10 |
Lombard, IL | $133,155 | $64.02 |
Midland, MI | $132,799 | $63.85 |
Burleigh County, ND | $131,937 | $63.43 |
Niagara Falls, NY | $129,564 | $62.29 |
California City, CA | $128,911 | $61.98 |
Berkeley, CA | $128,700 | $61.88 |
Sitka, AK | $126,623 | $60.88 |
What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Test Pilot Jobs in the U.S.
Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Test Pilot job category, we found that Artificial Lift Engineer jobs have average salaries greater than Test Pilot jobs.
Significantly, Artificial Lift Engineer jobs pay $19,909 (18.9%) more than the average Test Pilot salary of $105,110. If you're qualified, finding work as a Artificial Lift Engineer may help you make more money than that of the average Test Pilot position.
Job Title | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
|---|---|---|
Artificial Lift Engineer | $125,019 | $60.11 |
Commissioning Project Manager | $98,070 | $47.15 |
Insurance Claims Supervisor | $87,861 | $42.24 |
Capa | $87,711 | $42.17 |
Olsson Associates | $63,493 | $30.53 |
About Our Data
ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.
