Every day I have a "wow" moment - Strucrures Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

4.0
Oct 18, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

This is my first job coming out of grad school with an MS in mechanical engineering. I was a strong applicant and so was hired as a responsible engineer, who has their name on a component of the rocket or that is important to some part of flight. I am constantly learning new skills and becoming a better engineer. My boss is excellent and cares about investing in me so that I can become a more valuable team member. Work hours are reasonable and around 50 hour weeks for the most part, except around deadlines and other crunch times. I am surrounded by other driven engineers who form a young and vibrant group. It is hard to find people in engineering who are not highly driven and intelligent. Flat feeling hierarchy allows for good transparency from higher management and good communication. Truly inspirational CEO who has his head in the company in a good way and provides great guidance to the company. People here really look up to him.

Cons

The hours do get long sometimes and it can feel like you leave work just to sleep and then come back. The company moves fast and because of that, sometimes there are breakdowns in communication. Does not seem like a place with opportunity to move up and increase responsibility and leadership. The pay at SpaceX is adequate but nobody is making bank here. Benefits and hiring stock awards are competitive and make up for the pay somewhat.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Stocks comp No red tape Leadership

Cons

Can be siloed at time. Pain from rapid growth. fast iteration does not suit everybody.

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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