SpaceX Careers in 2026: Open Roles, Salaries, and How to Get Hired
SpaceX careers in 2026: open roles, salaries, and how to get hired
SpaceX has 1,577 active job openings across engineering, manufacturing, software, operations, and business roles. The company grew from ~13,000 employees in 2024 to approximately 17,800 in early 2026, driven by Starlink expansion, Starship development, and a Falcon 9 launch cadence that hit 165 missions in 2025. A confidential IPO filing could come as soon as March 2026, at a valuation potentially exceeding $1.75 trillion.
Here's what's open, what it pays, and how to actually get hired.
What SpaceX is hiring for
SpaceX runs four major programs, each with distinct hiring needs:
Falcon 9/Heavy — The revenue engine. 165 launches in 2025, targeting 170+ in 2026 from three pads (Cape Canaveral SLC-40, LC-39A, Vandenberg SLC-4E). Hiring: launch operations engineers, recovery engineers, mission integration, range safety.
Starlink — 9,400+ satellites in orbit, 7.6 million subscribers. Bastrop, TX produces 70,000+ kits per week, with a $280 million expansion adding 1 million sq ft and 400+ jobs. Redmond, WA handles satellite engineering and produces ~70 satellites per week. Hiring: manufacturing engineers, RF engineers, satellite software, network engineers, supply chain.
Starship — The largest rocket ever built. Flight 12 (Starship V3 debut) targets March 2026. Integration Tower 2 and air separation unit under construction at Starbase. Hiring: propulsion, structures, avionics, thermal, manufacturing, launch ops.
Dragon — Crew and cargo transport to the ISS. Crew-12 launched February 14, 2026. Contracts for 14 total operational missions. Hiring: flight software, mission operations, life support systems.
SpaceX salaries by role and level
| Role | Level | Base Salary | Total Comp (w/ equity) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | L1 (entry) | ~$119K | ~$182K |
| Software Engineer | L2 (mid) | ~$130K | ~$210K |
| Software Engineer | L4 (senior) | ~$165K | ~$404K+ |
| Mechanical Engineer | L1 (entry) | $95K–$115K | ~$129K |
| Mechanical Engineer | L4 (senior) | $128K+ | ~$246K+ |
| Avionics Engineer | Senior | $137K–$200K | $170K–$300K |
| Propulsion Engineer | Senior | $115K–$175K | $145K–$250K |
| Manufacturing Engineer | Entry | $85K–$110K | $105K–$140K |
Average SpaceX total compensation across all roles: ~$168K (base $119K + $4,600 stock + $2,850 bonus per Levels.fyi data).
Elon Musk confirmed a 2026 IPO is "accurate" in December 2025. Bloomberg reported SpaceX is weighing a confidential filing as soon as March 2026, with the IPO potentially launching in June 2026 at a valuation over $1.75 trillion. SpaceX acquired xAI in an all-stock deal in February 2026, with a combined valuation of ~$1.25T. For employees holding stock options, an IPO would make equity liquid for the first time. Current RSU vesting: 6-year schedule with 2-year cliff. ESPP offers 15% discount on market price.
The 8 SpaceX locations
| Location | Focus | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne, CA | HQ, Falcon 9/Dragon engineering | Original campus, densest engineering talent |
| Starbase, TX | Starship production and launch | Incorporated as a city May 2025; fastest growing site |
| Bastrop, TX | Starlink manufacturing | 512K sq ft + $280M, 1M sq ft expansion |
| McGregor, TX | Engine testing (Raptor/Merlin) | Every SpaceX engine fires here first |
| Redmond, WA | Starlink satellite engineering | 70 satellites/week; expanding with 125K sq ft new space |
| Cape Canaveral, FL | Falcon/Dragon launches | SLC-40 (120/yr), LC-39A, Starship Gigabay ($1.8B, 815K sq ft) |
| Vandenberg, CA | Polar orbit launches | SLC-4E active, SLC-6 expanding for Falcon Heavy |
| Irvine, CA | Engineering | Newer facility |
SpaceX is investing $1.8 billion in a Starship Gigabay at Cape Canaveral (815,000 sq ft) with 600 new jobs, plus $280 million expanding Bastrop. Florida and Texas are the fastest-growing SpaceX employment corridors.
The hiring process
Timeline: 5-8 weeks from application to offer.
Application — Greenhouse portal. Resume required. Popular positions get 500-2,000+ applications in week one. Apply within 48 hours of posting.
Recruiter screen (15 min) — Experience overview and motivation. Quick filter.
Technical phone screens (2 rounds) — Technical depth on your resume highlights.
Take-home assessment (software roles) — 3-hour Codility test with 2 weeks to complete. LeetCode medium-to-hard level.
On-site (4-6 rounds, full day) — Coding (1 hr, CodeSignal), system design (1 hr), behavioral with hiring manager (1 hr), and a unique element: you suggest 5 project ideas, they pick one, and you present to the entire team (1 hr).
Offer — 1-2 weeks after on-site. Limited base salary negotiation; equity grants have more flexibility.
Culture and work-life balance
Glassdoor: 3.7/5 overall. Career opportunities: 4.0/5. Work-life balance: 2.4/5.
The minimum expectation is 52 hours per week — falling below risks performance concerns. Many engineers report 60-80 hour weeks, with 6-day work weeks common. Schedule changes roughly every 6 weeks. Recent reviews note some teams are actively working to reduce hours and cover shifts better.
Retention: 76% of employees report being excited to go to work, but 73% may be considering new employment. SpaceX's RTO mandate in 2024 caused a 15% employee decline. Turnover is high in the first 1-2 years; those who stay tend to be deeply mission-driven.
Benefits: Full medical/dental/vision, onsite medical clinic and dental, 401(k), onsite restaurant and coffee bar, gym membership, maternity/paternity leave, relocation assistance.
SpaceX vs. competitors
| Factor | SpaceX | Blue Origin | Northrop Grumman | Lockheed Martin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Active jobs | 1,577 | 981 | 855 | ~400 |
| Entry engineer base | $95K–$115K | $84K–$149K | $140K–$165K | $102K–$154K |
| Senior SW total comp | $404K+ | $407K | ~$200K | ~$200K |
| Work hours/week | 52-80 | 40-50 | 40 | 40 |
| WLB rating | 2.4/5 | ~3.0/5 | ~3.5/5 | ~3.5/5 |
| Equity | Pre-IPO (illiquid) | Private | Public stock | Public stock |
| Pension | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Browse all 1,577 SpaceX positions, or see detailed guides: SpaceX internships ($28–$40/hr), SpaceX salary breakdown, or working at SpaceX guide. Compare with Blue Origin, Rocket Lab, or Northrop Grumman.
