SpaceX

Aerospace & Defense

Apt Insight

They're intensely mission-driven and tackling historic technical feats, though the pace can be grueling and relentless. Headquartered in Hawthorne, California, the company operates in the aerospace and defense sector. They are a large-to-giant private enterprise with thousands of personnel distributed across major test, launch, and engineering sites in California, Texas, Florida, and Washington. The organization focuses on orbital rocketry, spacecraft manufacturing, and satellite internet networks.

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About

We've assembled an exceptional team of scrappy innovators committed to our mission. Helping achieve these goals will be one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors of your career. You can expect to work alongside some of the brightest individuals and get exposure to leading-edge technology, while playing a direct role in shaping the future of humankind. We seek talented individuals with a pioneering spirit and a curiosity to seek what’s beyond the stars.

Founded2002

HeadquartersHawthorne, US

IndustryAerospace & Defense

Websitewww.spacex.com

Employees19.1K

Total Funding$15.2B

Posted base pay at SpaceX

Posted base pay ranges from 1,895 job listings posted in the US, Jan 2026 – Oct 2026. Bonus and equity are not included.

Software Engineer$125K–$175K/yr

85 listings · spread $124K–$200K/yr

Sr. Software Engineer$165K–$230K/yr

51 listings · spread $160K–$265K/yr

Mechanical Engineer$100K–$135K/yr

34 listings · spread $95K–$165K/yr

Manufacturing Engineer$100K–$140K/yr

25 listings · spread $97K–$163K/yr

New Graduate Engineer$125K–$170K/yr

24 listings · spread $100K–$207K/yr

Full Stack Software Engineer$125K–$185K/yr

21 listings · spread $125K–$195K/yr

Global Supply Manager$135K–$185K/yr

20 listings · spread $130K–$201K/yr

Operations Engineer$100K–$138K/yr

20 listings · spread $95K–$161K/yr

Each range is the median posted minimum and maximum for the role. Pay changes by location, so the spread shows the 10th to 90th percentile of all listings for the role.

Open roles at SpaceX

The 10 newest of 1,405 open roles.

PilotTexas · Onsite

Propulsion Engineer, Non-Destructive Evaluation (Raptor)Hawthorne, California · Onsite

Sr. Market Access & Development Manager (Africa)Bastrop, Texas · Onsite

Starlink Lifecycle Marketing Manager (Global)Bastrop, Texas · Onsite

Starlink Lifecycle Marketing Manager (LatAm)Bastrop, Texas · Onsite

Propulsion Engineer (Raptor Final Assembly & Tube Shop)Hawthorne, California · Onsite

Manufacturing Engineer (Raptor Final Assembly & Tube Shop)Hawthorne, California · Onsite

Entry Level Production Technician (Starlink Aviation)Woodinville, Washington · Onsite

Manager, Vehicle Engineer (Starlink Aviation)Woodinville, Washington · Onsite

Sr. Optical Transceiver Engineer - High Speed Links, Satelites (Starlink)Redmond, Washington · Onsite

Why people join & leave

Why join

World-shaping space exploration missionExceptional resume builder and learning curveOpportunity to work on bleeding-edge aerospace hardwareLucrative long-term stock growth

Why leave

Brutal work-life balance and long hoursHigh burnout and rapid team turnoverAggressive and cut-throat management style

Company Pulse

Headcount

-21%past year

Raised

$15.2Btotal

In the News

SpaceX's Starship engine failure could impact NASA's moon mission objectives | Reutersreuters.com · Sep 29, 2026

SpaceX is bringing jobs. Is Acadiana ready to fill them? • Louisiana Illuminatorlailluminator.com · Sep 29, 2026

After 3 years of testing, SpaceX's Starship finally makes it to orbitusatoday.com · Sep 29, 2026

SpaceX sends giant Starship into orbit for the first time but ends the flight early | CBC Newscbc.ca · Sep 28, 2026

SpaceX’s supersized Starship's inaugural flight into orbit ends early - Los Angeles Timeslatimes.com · Sep 28, 2026

Employee Experience

3.8/5

Career Opportunities

4.0

Compensation & Benefits

3.8

Culture & Values

3.5

Diversity & Inclusion

3.6

Senior Management

3.3

Work-Life Balance

2.5

Quick Take

Strengths

Strong business outlookEmployees rate business outlook favorably at 79 out of 100.

High career growthCareer opportunities earn a solid rating of 80 out of 100.

Watch out

Low work-life balanceWork-life balance sits at a very low rating of 50 out of 100.

Note

Private scaleOperates as a massive private entity supported by multi-billion dollar private funding rounds.

Things to consider

Severe work-life balance — Employees frequently report 60-to-70 hour workweeks, extended surge periods, and an intense survival-mode atmosphere.

Technical leadership gaps — Internal reviews cite fast promotion of inexperienced leads, inconsistent project direction, and high pressure that impacts long-term quality.

What They Build

SpaceX designs and manufactures orbital launch vehicles, spacecraft, and global satellite communication constellations. Their engineering work involves solving complex aerothermal, guidance navigation, avionics, and high-throughput RF communications problems. Teams emphasize rapid prototyping, internal hardware-software integration, and high-cadence production cycles.

Launch Vehicles

Spacecraft Systems

Satellite Constellations

Rocket Propulsion

Avionics & GNC

Domains

Embedded Systems

Distributed Systems

DevOps & Infrastructure

Mechanical & RF Engineering

Data Engineering

Tech Stack

Git

GitLab

Helm

Google Cloud

MLflow

Presto

Selenium

COMSOL Multiphysics