In 2025, test drivers received annual earnings ranged from $20,000 to $65,000 or more, according to ZipRecruiter.com. They earned average salaries of $39,807.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) does not provide salary information for test drivers. Some test drivers have backgrounds in mechanical engineering. The DOL reports that mechanical engineers earned salaries that ranged from less than $68,740 to $161,240 or more.
Reporters and correspondents, which includes newspaper and magazine writers, earned salaries that ranged from less than $34,590 to more than $162,430 in May 2024, according to the DOL. Earnings of technical writers ranged from less than $54,400 to $130,430 or higher.
Benefits for full-time workers include vacation and sick time, health, and sometimes dental, insurance, and pension or 401(k) plans. Self-employed test drivers must provide their own benefits.
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