Jobs at SpaceX in 2026: what's open, how to apply, and what actually gets you hired
SpaceX posted around 850 open positions in Q1 2026 across Hawthorne, Starbase, Cape Canaveral, Redmond, and a handful of other sites. That number shifts weekly. Some roles stay listed for months. Others vanish in 3 days. Knowing how their hiring machine works is half the battle.
This guide covers the specific types of jobs at SpaceX you can apply for right now, how their careers portal works, what titles actually mean, and how to build a resume that gets past their screeners.
Where to find SpaceX job listings
SpaceX uses Greenhouse as its applicant tracking system. Every role funnels through spacex.com/careers, which redirects to their Greenhouse board. You can also find SpaceX listings aggregated on Zero G Talent with additional filtering by category, location, and salary data.
The careers page has basic filters: team, location, and keyword search. The keyword search is exact-match, so searching "software" won't return "flight software engineer" results that use different phrasing. Try multiple search terms.
SpaceX does not post salary ranges on most listings. California roles are required by law to include pay bands, and those show up on the Greenhouse listing. For other states, you will need to rely on reported data from sites like Levels.fyi and Glassdoor.
SpaceX updates its Greenhouse board throughout the week, but Monday mornings tend to see the most new postings. Set a reminder to check every Monday if you are targeting a specific team.
Most common job titles at SpaceX in 2026
SpaceX uses straightforward title conventions. Here are the roles that appear most frequently on their board:
| Job title | Team | Location | Approx. base salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer (Flight Software) | Vehicle Software | Hawthorne, CA | $130K-$180K |
| Avionics Test Engineer | Avionics | Hawthorne, CA | $95K-$140K |
| Propulsion Engineer | Raptor / Merlin | Hawthorne / McGregor, TX | $100K-$150K |
| Manufacturing Engineer | Production | Hawthorne / Starbase, TX | $90K-$130K |
| Launch Engineer | Launch Operations | Cape Canaveral, FL / Starbase | $95K-$135K |
| Starlink Software Engineer | Starlink | Redmond, WA | $140K-$190K |
| Build Reliability Engineer | Vehicle | Starbase, TX | $95K-$130K |
| NDE Technician | Quality | Hawthorne / Starbase | $28-$42/hr |
| Integration Technician | Production | All sites | $24-$38/hr |
| Materials Engineer | Structures | Hawthorne, CA | $100K-$145K |
Technician roles (NDE, integration, build, weld) make up roughly 40% of open positions at any given time. Engineering roles account for another 40%. The remaining 20% splits between operations, supply chain, IT, and corporate functions.
How the SpaceX application process works
The process from application to offer typically takes 4-8 weeks, though some candidates report waiting 3 months.
Step 1: Online application. Submit through Greenhouse. You upload a resume and optionally a cover letter. SpaceX does not require cover letters, but some hiring managers read them.
Step 2: Recruiter phone screen. 20-30 minutes. The recruiter checks your basic qualifications, asks about your interest in SpaceX, and confirms you can work the expected schedule. They will ask about relocation willingness.
Step 3: Technical phone interview. 45-60 minutes with an engineer on the team. Expect domain-specific questions. Software candidates get coding problems. Mechanical engineers get design and analysis questions. This round filters out around 60% of candidates.
Step 4: On-site interview. A full day at one of SpaceX's campuses, usually 4-6 back-to-back interviews with team members. Each session is 45 minutes. You will see a mix of technical deep-dives, behavioral questions, and problem-solving exercises.
Step 5: Offer. If the panel recommends you, HR sends a written offer within 1-2 weeks. SpaceX offers are typically non-negotiable on base salary but may have some flexibility on RSU grants and start date.
SpaceX expects most employees to work on-site, 5 days a week. Some Starlink software roles in Redmond have hybrid arrangements, but this is the exception. If remote work is a requirement for you, SpaceX may not be the right fit.
Resume tips specific to SpaceX
SpaceX screeners review hundreds of resumes per role. They spend roughly 15-20 seconds on a first pass. Your resume needs to communicate relevant experience immediately.
Lead with projects, not responsibilities. SpaceX cares about what you built, tested, or shipped. "Designed and tested a composite pressure vessel that reduced mass by 12%" beats "Responsible for composite structure design." Every bullet should have a result.
Include hands-on experience. SpaceX values people who build things. Student rocketry teams (SEDS, AIAA), Formula SAE, CubeSat projects, hobby machining, personal fabrication work. If you have built something physical or written flight-critical code, put it prominently.
Keep it to one page. Unless you have 10+ years of directly relevant experience, one page. SpaceX recruiters have confirmed this preference in multiple public talks and career fair interactions.
Tailor to the specific role. A generic aerospace resume sent to every SpaceX listing will not perform as well as one customized to the team. If you are applying to Raptor propulsion, emphasize combustion, fluid dynamics, and turbomachinery. If you are applying to flight software, emphasize real-time systems, C++, and testing at scale.
What hiring managers at SpaceX look for
Beyond technical skills, SpaceX hiring managers screen for a specific type of candidate. Here is what they have publicly said matters:
Speed and urgency. SpaceX operates on compressed timelines. Candidates who describe careful, deliberate processes without mentioning deadlines or urgency sometimes get passed over. Frame your experience in terms of speed: "shipped in 6 weeks" or "reduced test cycle from 3 months to 4 weeks."
Breadth. SpaceX engineers often work across traditional discipline boundaries. A mechanical engineer might need to write test scripts. A software engineer might need to understand thermal constraints. Showing cross-disciplinary experience helps.
Ownership. SpaceX looks for people who own problems end-to-end, not people who hand off work at a boundary. If you saw a project from concept through test and delivery, say that.
Mission alignment. This gets overplayed in career advice, but it does matter at SpaceX. Interviewers will ask why you want to work there. Having a genuine, specific answer that goes beyond "I like rockets" is expected.
Where SpaceX jobs are located
| Campus | Location | Primary work | Headcount (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ / Factory | Hawthorne, CA | Falcon 9, Dragon, engineering | ~6,000 |
| Starbase | Boca Chica, TX | Starship production & launch | ~3,000 |
| Cape Canaveral | FL | Launch operations | ~1,500 |
| McGregor | TX | Engine testing | ~500 |
| Redmond | WA | Starlink satellites & software | ~2,000 |
| Washington, DC | DC | Government relations | ~50 |
Most jobs at SpaceX require relocation to one of these sites. Hawthorne and Starbase together account for about 70% of openings. If you are flexible on location, your options expand significantly.
Starbase in Boca Chica, TX is growing fast and typically has shorter interview timelines than Hawthorne. If you are open to living in a remote area of South Texas, competition for Starbase roles is lower.
FAQ
How often does SpaceX post new jobs? New listings go up throughout the week, with the heaviest posting days being Monday and Tuesday. Roles can close within days if they get enough qualified applicants, so check frequently. You can track SpaceX openings on Zero G Talent's SpaceX page.
Does SpaceX hire international candidates? SpaceX work is controlled under ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), which means most positions require US citizenship or permanent residency. Some Starlink software roles may qualify for exceptions, but the majority of SpaceX jobs are restricted to US persons.
What GPA does SpaceX require? SpaceX does not publish a hard GPA cutoff. Anecdotally, most successful candidates have a 3.5+ GPA from an engineering program, but strong project experience and hands-on skills can offset a lower GPA. SpaceX has hired candidates with 3.0 GPAs who had standout rocketry or robotics project portfolios.
Can you apply to multiple SpaceX roles at once? Yes. SpaceX's Greenhouse system allows multiple active applications. Applying to 2-3 roles that match your skills is fine. Applying to 15 different roles signals desperation and may hurt you. Target specific teams where your experience aligns.
What is the work-life balance like at SpaceX? SpaceX is known for demanding schedules. 50-60 hour weeks are common. During launch campaigns or vehicle milestones, expect longer stretches. Some teams have more predictable schedules than others. Starlink engineering in Redmond reportedly has more standard hours than Hawthorne vehicle teams.
Start your search
SpaceX hiring moves fast. The best approach is to monitor openings weekly, have your resume tailored and ready, and apply quickly when a matching role appears. Browse current SpaceX openings on Zero G Talent or explore all aerospace engineering jobs across the industry.
