Space Jobs Near Me in 2026: Local Openings & Pay

Finding space jobs near your location depends heavily on regional aerospace clusters. Today, open positions span major satellite and defense nodes across Southern California, Colorado, Virginia, Texas, Washington, and Florida. Roles range from hourly hardware assembly and solar integration technicians to staff payload engineers, trajectory analysts, and program schedulers.

Whether you are looking to build spacecraft hardware on the shop floor or model satellite trajectories from a remote ground station, matching your location to active regional programs is the fastest way to land a role.

Salary Ranges Across Space Sectors

Compensation in the space industry reflects seniority, specialization, and location. Hourly technician roles provide direct entry into hardware manufacturing, while specialized engineering positions and program leadership roles sit at higher salary bands.

• Technician & Operations Roles: Entry and mid-level technician positions pay hourly rates. For instance, the Spacecraft Solar Technician at Apex Space in Los Angeles offers $34 to $46 per hour. Senior hands-on roles, such as the Principal Manufacturing Technician at CesiumAstro in Westminster, CO, pay $46.24 to $55.59 per hour.
• Mid-Level Engineering & Analysis: Annual salaries for mid-career engineers generally range from $85,000 to $160,000. Examples include the 2027 Trajectory Optimization Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation ($86,600 to $150,400 per year) and the Manufacturing Engineer III – Electric Propulsion at Blue Origin ($112,059 to $156,882.60 per year).
• Senior Engineering & Management: Experienced engineers and team leaders command salaries reaching above $200,000. The Software Engineering Manager - Space Mission Systems role at Boeing ranges from $171,700 to $232,300 per year, while the Space RADAR Payload I&T Technical Advisor - Sr. Staff Engineer Systems at Northrop Grumman in Maryland ranges from $184,100 to $276,100 per year.
• Scientific & Research Positions: Postdoctoral research roles offer defined stipends, such as the Postdoc: Advancing Imaging Spectroscopy Measurements by EMIT on the International Space Station position at JPL in Pasadena, set at $83,820 per year.

Geographic Clusters and Where Roles Are Based

Aerospace employers concentrate around established regional hubs equipped with cleanrooms, launch sites, testing grounds, and government customer bases.

Southern California (Los Angeles, El Segundo, Pasadena, Seal Beach)

Southern California remains the largest hub for satellite bus manufacturing, payload integration, and mission management. Openings include the Lead Spacecraft Manufacturing Engineer at Apex Space in Los Angeles ($140,000 to $185,000 per year), the Production Scheduler at Varda Space in El Segundo ($100,000 to $125,000 per year), and the Senior Industrial Engineer - Millennium Space Systems at Boeing in El Segundo ($107,000 to $157,500 per year).

Virginia & National Capital Region (Chantilly, Crystal City, Dahlgren, Linthicum)

Positions near Washington, D.C. focus heavily on government programs, mission analysis, defense payloads, and account operations. Roles include the Mechanical Engineer, Space Special Programs at Anduril Industries in Chantilly ($132,000 to $175,000 per year), the Breakup Processing Analyst at United States Space Force in Dahlgren ($102,415 to $158,322 per year), and the 2027 Commercial Space Account Associate at The Aerospace Corporation in Crystal City ($100,000 to $110,000 per year).

Colorado (Broomfield, Westminster, Colorado Springs)

Colorado hosts extensive spacecraft manufacturing, optical instrumentation, and orbital mechanics teams. Active positions include the Lead Manufacturing Engineer at Albedo in Broomfield ($169,436 to $192,675 per year) and multi-location roles like the Autonomous Trajectory & Mission Planning Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation ($95,200 to $165,500 per year).

Texas & Florida (Houston, Space Coast)

Human spaceflight and heavy engine manufacturing center around Houston and Florida's Space Coast. Current openings include the Astronaut Candidate role at NASA in Houston ($164,395 per year), the Group Manager, Extra-vehicular Activities Qualification and Verification at Axiom Space in Houston, and the Production Sr Master Scheduler at Blue Origin on the Space Coast.

Engineering and Technical Disciplines in Demand

Space hardware delivery requires close integration across mechanical design, propulsion, payload testing, and supply chain scheduling.

• Manufacturing & Production Engineering: Teams building satellite buses and propulsion hardware need engineers to design assembly lines, optimize workflows, and supervise fabrication. Roles like the Lead Spacecraft Manufacturing Engineer at Apex Space and Manufacturing Engineer III – Electric Propulsion at Blue Origin directly manage shop floor assembly and quality standards.
• Mission Planning & Trajectory Analysis: Orbital mechanics specialists evaluate satellite maneuvers, constellation trajectories, and re-entry risks. Roles such as the Autonomous Trajectory & Mission Planning Engineer at The Aerospace Corporation and Breakup Processing Analyst at United States Space Force handle trajectory optimization and space situational awareness.
• Production Scheduling & Operations Leadership: Timely launch schedules rely on planners who coordinate parts movement and shift execution. Examples include the Shift Lead | A shift at Blue Origin in Huntsville and the Production Scheduler at Varda Space.

Who Is Hiring Right Now

Below is a selection of open space industry roles across technical, operational, and scientific disciplines.

See every open role on Zero G Talent