Morale is high - Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
Oct 16, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

SpaceX is a great chance to participate in a historic and, potentially, world-changing program My coworkers are dedicated and energetic, ready to help out and work late in order to solve problems and make sure important jobs are not neglected. My workplace is sci-fi chic, with a top notch cafeteria, free espresso beverages, and decorated with museum-worthy pieces of hardware, including a flown Dragon spacecraft and a flown Falcon 9 rocket stage. My work is rewarding, in that I can make a meaningful contribution to the program while also learning a lot about my own and many other disciplines.

Cons

The successful employee must accept uncertainty and ambiguity. Much of my work requires having a flexible schedule, because tests and launches are often delayed. Shared tools are constantly "improving", which means adding features I don't understand while removing features I really like.

Explore other reviews about SpaceX

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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