SpaceX Brownsville jobs in 2026: 236 open roles at Starbase

Starbase — SpaceX's Starship development and launch facility near Brownsville, Texas — is the company's official headquarters as of August 2024 and the second-largest SpaceX hiring location with 236 open positions. This is where Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, is manufactured, assembled, and launched. If you want to work on the vehicle that's supposed to take humans to Mars, Starbase is where it happens.

Here's what Brownsville/Starbase jobs actually look like: what you'd work on, what they pay, and what it's like living in one of the most remote SpaceX locations.

What happens at Starbase

Starbase occupies a stretch of land at Boca Chica Beach on the Gulf Coast, about 20 miles east of Brownsville and adjacent to the Mexican border. The facility handles the full Starship lifecycle:

Vehicle manufacturing — The Starship Super Heavy booster and Starship upper stage are built here using stainless steel construction. The production flow includes tank fabrication, welding, heat shield tile installation, and final assembly. This is high-volume, rapid-iteration manufacturing — SpaceX builds and modifies Starship hardware faster than any previous rocket program.

Integration and testing — Stacking the booster and ship, running wet dress rehearsals, static fires, and pre-launch checkout. The integration tower ("Mechazilla") that catches returning boosters is one of the most complex pieces of ground infrastructure ever built.

Launch operations — Starbase is the only active Starship launch site. Orbital test flights launch from here, and the operational cadence is increasing. When Starship reaches regular operations, launch operations staff will be among the busiest people in the space industry.

Catch and recovery — The booster catch system and ship recovery operations require specialized engineering and operations teams unique to Starbase.

Types of roles available

The 236 Brownsville/Starbase positions break down into several major categories:

Manufacturing and production — Welders, technicians, composite fabricators, CNC operators, and production supervisors. Starship's stainless steel construction requires skilled metalworkers. Manufacturing roles are the highest-volume category at Starbase.

Engineering — Structural, mechanical, propulsion, avionics, and systems engineers working directly on Starship hardware. These are hands-on engineering roles where you'll see your work on the launch pad.

Launch operations — Pad technicians, fluids engineers, fire protection specialists, and launch engineers who prepare and execute Starship flights.

Construction and facilities — Starbase is continuously expanding. Civil engineers, construction managers, and facilities personnel build and maintain the growing complex of production buildings, launch infrastructure, and test stands.

Operations and logistics — Supply chain management, transportation logistics (getting hardware to this remote location), and site operations.

Salary and cost of living

SpaceX's company-wide average salary range is $89,000–$114,000. Starbase positions span from technician pay (~$20-$38/hour) to senior engineering roles exceeding $200K in total compensation. All full-time exempt employees receive SpaceX stock options, which vest over 6 years with a 2-year cliff.

The financial upside of Starbase versus SpaceX's California locations is significant:

Texas has no state income tax. A $100,000 salary in Brownsville takes home roughly $8,000-$13,000 more per year than the same salary in Hawthorne, California (where state income tax ranges from 6-9.3% at that income level).

Cost of living is extremely low. Brownsville is one of the most affordable metro areas in Texas. Median home prices are well under $200,000. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment runs $800-$1,200. Groceries, gas, and services are all below the national average.

The trade-off is location. Brownsville is a border city of ~190,000 people with limited nightlife, dining, and entertainment compared to major metros. South Padre Island (30 minutes away) offers beaches and a tourist scene. But if you're coming from Austin, LA, or Seattle, the adjustment is substantial.

Living in Brownsville / South Texas

This is the part most candidates want to know about. Starbase is not in a city — it's at the end of Highway 4, on a beach, in one of the southernmost points of Texas. The actual work site is remote.

Housing: Many SpaceX employees live in Brownsville (20-minute commute), South Padre Island (closer but more expensive), or Harlingen (30 minutes north). Some live on the island for the beach lifestyle. SpaceX has built some employee housing near Starbase, but most employees find their own accommodations.

Climate: Subtropical. Hot and humid summers (90°F+ from May through October), mild winters. It's essentially a tropical climate — very different from SpaceX's other locations.

Community: The SpaceX presence has transformed the local economy. Restaurants, bars, and services catering to SpaceX workers have proliferated. There's a growing community of young engineers and technicians, but it's still a small-town environment.

Recreation: South Padre Island beaches, fishing, kiteboarding, birdwatching in the Rio Grande Valley (one of the best birding areas in North America). Limited urban amenities — no major concert venues, limited shopping, few restaurant options compared to a major city.

Work culture at Starbase

Starbase has a reputation as the most intense SpaceX location. The pace of Starship development drives extended hours, and the relatively isolated location means there's less to do outside of work (which, for some, means they end up working more). Reviews describe:

• Long hours: 50-70 hours per week is standard, with spikes well beyond that during launch campaigns
• Physical environment: Outdoor work in South Texas heat, construction-site conditions, and the general rawness of a facility that's still being built
• High energy: The Starship program is the flagship effort — employees feel the significance of what they're building, and the energy on-site reflects it
• Rapid iteration: Hardware changes happen fast. A test article that existed last week might be scrapped and redesigned. This pace thrills some engineers and exhausts others

How to apply

Apply through spacex.com/careers and filter by the Brownsville, TX location. For detailed interview preparation, see our comprehensive SpaceX hiring guide.

Browse all SpaceX positions on Zero G Talent. For other Texas aerospace jobs, see Blue Origin Huntsville or browse Texas space jobs.