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Software test engineer salary in California (Updated 2026)

How much does a Software Test Engineer make in California?

Average base salary

$158,263
20%
above national average
Average $158,263
Low $105,644
High $237,091

The average salary for a software test engineer is $158,263 per year in California and $5,600 cash bonus per year.869 salaries taken from job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months (updated May 11, 2026).

Software Test Engineer job openings in California

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Principal Software (Automation...
Palo Alto Networks3.8out of 5 stars.
Santa Clara, CA
$147,000 - $237,500 a year
Full-time
18 hours ago

Highest paying companies for Software Test Engineer in California

Average year pay is based on job postings on Indeed in the past 36 months.
IBM
 
$285,494per year
View company
GFiber
 
$267,000per year
View company
StubHub
 
$247,500per year
View company
Cimarron Software Services Inc
 
$233,750per year
View company
Everpure
 
$230,214per year
View company
Riot Games
 
$226,488per year
View company

Highest paying cities for Software Test Engineers near California

  1. Costa Mesa, CA
    $181,065 per year
  2. Mountain View, CA
    $168,614 per year
  3. Sunnyvale, CA
    $166,193 per year
  4. Santa Clara, CA
    $160,604 per year
  5. San Francisco, CA
    $159,581 per year

Where can a Software Test Engineer earn more?

Compare salaries for Software Test Engineers in different locations
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How much do similar professions as Software Test Engineer get paid in California?

Junior Software Test Engineer

Job openings
Average $64,244 per year

Senior Software Test Engineer

Job openings
Average $156,643 per year