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Self-driving and ADAS test driving in California

Test driver jobs in California

$25–$35/hrmost jobs paymedian today $30/hr

Measured from 19 distinct advertised hourly rates, across 5 employers. 13 of these 39 openings give no hourly figure.

39 test driver and safety driver roles are open in California right now at Tesla, Transdev and TSMG and 3 other employers, in 16 cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. We re-read each employer's job board every day, so closed jobs drop off.

See 39 rolesEvery state and country →

Open test driver roles in California

Updated 26 Oct 2026, 14:29 UTC

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Show 3 more test driver roles

Before you apply

Check which kind of driving the posting is (supervising a self-driving car, or driving a sensor car by hand), the license and years of driving it asks for, the language, the shifts and travel, and whether you would be employed or an independent contractor. Applying costs nothing, and no real employer will ask you to pay.

Where the jobs are in California

Cities named in the open postings. A city with its own page lists every robot job there.

Who is hiring test drivers in California

EmployerOpen rolesPay stated
Tesla logoTesla13$23.99–$48/hr
Transdev logoTransdev9$21–$35/hr
TSMG logoTSMG9Not stated
Nuro logoNuro6$26–$33.25/hr
Gatik logoGatik1$24/hr
Scout AI logoScout AI1$25–$30/hr

What the jobs involve

Each job in our words, from the employer's own postings on the date shown. Counts are live.

Tesla · 10 open roles in California

SI Vehicle Operator, Self-Driving

Drives Tesla's engineering cars 6 to 8 hours a day, with Full Self-Driving (Supervised) and by hand, on set and open-road routes, collecting the camera and audio data that trains and validates it, and writes a daily drive report.

  • A valid driver's license with at least 3 years of driving history
  • Sitting for up to 2 hours at a time and staying alert for long stretches
  • Strong written and spoken English and solid PC skills
  • A schedule that includes at least one weekend day; travel when needed; drug testing

Read from Tesla's postings on October 26, 2026. Every Tesla job →

Transdev · 8 open roles in California

L2 Operator and Autonomous Vehicle Operator

Operates and evaluates self-driving vehicles in autonomous and manual modes on set routes, open routes and closed courses, monitors the onboard software and data recorders, gives ride-hail rides to the public and handles roadside recovery. New hires are trained across these duties and placed where needed.

  • Age 21 or older
  • Driving a manual transmission, and shifts in a compact crossover in all weather
  • Lifting up to 50 pounds, and occasionally riding a bicycle or scooter

Read from Transdev's postings on October 26, 2026. Every Transdev job →

TSMG · 7 open roles in California

Autonomous vehicle safety operator and driver

Sits behind the wheel of self-driving test cars, robotaxis and, with a commercial license, trucks, supervises the system, takes over when needed and logs what happens, for testing, validation and commercial ride-hailing fleets. The European postings say no autonomous-vehicle experience is needed and full training is given.

  • A valid driver's license, a clean record and, in most safety operator postings, at least 5 years of driving; the European ones also ask for experience as a professional, fleet, ride-hailing or chauffeur driver or vehicle tester
  • Upper-intermediate English in the European postings, and in some US postings a Bertha AV test certification and age 21 or older
  • A Class A commercial license for the "with CDL" truck roles, and in North America a background check and drug and alcohol screening
  • Variable shifts, including nights, weekends and early mornings

Read from TSMG's postings on October 26, 2026. Every TSMG job →

Tesla · 3 open roles in California

Data Collection Supervisor, Self-Driving

Trains and coaches the vehicle operators who collect self-driving data, plans weekly collection targets, audits their clips and rides along, and drives test routes too. A salaried role, posted in the US and in Europe.

  • A valid driver's license with at least 3 years of driving history
  • Experience managing hourly teams
  • Being on call for escalations outside the shift

Read from Tesla's postings on October 26, 2026. Every Tesla job →

TSMG · 2 open roles in California

ADAS test and data collection driver

Drives a sensor-equipped project vehicle by hand on set routes, or rides along as co-pilot, to record real-world driving data for driver-assistance systems and road maps or to evaluate those features, and looks after the recording equipment (cleaning the sensors every hour or two).

  • A valid license and a clean driving record; the "certified driver" postings ask for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 test-driver certification the client accepts, and the Canadian one for 5 years of driving
  • English from a basic professional level to B2, depending on the posting; earlier ADAS, autonomous-driving or engineering experience is not required in most
  • About 40 hours a week with 6.5 to 7 hours of driving a day, rotating shifts with some nights, and frequent travel; some projects run 1.5 to 2 years

Read from TSMG's postings on October 26, 2026. Every TSMG job →

Transdev · 1 open role in California

Vehicle Test Assistant

Helps test prototype self-driving cars by playing everyday traffic: acting as a pedestrian, cyclist, motorcyclist or driver around the test vehicles, setting up small props and reporting what happened to the safety operators.

  • Mostly outdoor work, lifting up to 50 pounds

Read from Transdev's postings on October 26, 2026. Every Transdev job →

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Frequently asked questions

How many test driver jobs are open in California?

39 test driver or safety driver roles are open in California today, at Tesla, Transdev, TSMG, Nuro, Gatik and Scout AI, in 16 cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. We read each employer's own job board every day, so a closed job leaves this page by the next morning.

How much do test drivers earn in California?

Across the 39 open postings in California, the ones that state an hourly rate put the typical pay at $25 to $35 an hour, with a median of $30 (19 distinct rates from 5 employers). 13 state no hourly rate. Advertised pay is not guaranteed earnings.

What do you need to become a test driver in California?

It depends on the job. Tesla, SI Vehicle Operator, Self-Driving: a valid driver's license with at least 3 years of driving history. Transdev, L2 Operator and Autonomous Vehicle Operator: age 21 or older. TSMG, Autonomous vehicle safety operator and driver: a valid driver's license, a clean record and, in most safety operator postings, at least 5 years of driving; the European ones also ask for experience as a professional, fleet, ride-hailing or chauffeur driver or vehicle tester. Each posting lists its own requirements.

Is it self-driving work or normal driving?

Both kinds are open in California. A safety driver or AV operator sits behind the wheel while the car drives itself and takes over when needed. An ADAS test or data collection driver drives a sensor-equipped car by hand on set routes, recording data that trains driver-assistance systems. The job descriptions on this page say which one each role is.

TSMG jobs and how TSMG pays →Drone and UAV pilot jobs →

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