Rewarding but tough; gain knowledge and experience but no career development - Software Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

4.0
Apr 15, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working with some of the smartest engineers in the world and taking on some of the most challenging engineering problems is truly rewarding. Good workplace with free coffee, free froyo, and cheap meals. Very fast-paced and you get to see your efforts go into application very quickly.

Cons

Management is still trying to figure itself out. Constant reorgs and shifting priorities results in loss of productivity and a decrease in morale. Career development is not directly valued. Very much a "sacrifice for the team" kind of place. Work/life balance gets lost -- not out of force, but because of the environment.

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5.0
Jun 17, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

good place to work and earn money

Cons

Heavy workload and long time work

5.0
Jun 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* **Unmatched Mission & Impact:** You are literally working on rockets and spacecraft. The cool factor is 10/10. * **Brilliant Coworkers:** You will be surrounded by some of the smartest, most driven engineers in the world. * **Insane Career Growth:** SpaceX on your resume is a golden ticket. You will learn more here in 3 months than in 3 years at a normal company. * **Hands-on Experience:** They actually trust interns with real, critical hardware. No boring coffee-fetching tasks.

Cons

**Cons:** * **Zero Work-Life Balance:** 70-80 hours a week is the norm, not the exception. Say goodbye to your social life and sleep. * **Extreme Burnout:** The "hustle culture" is toxic. You are expected to treat the company as your entire life. * **Mediocre Pay:** The hourly pay is average, especially when you factor in the insane hours and the high cost of living in LA/Hawthorne. * **Chaotic Management:** Decisions can change overnight based on whatever Elon Musk tweets or feels like doing that morning.

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