Depends highly on the program and team - Propulsion Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

4.0
Apr 15, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Exciting, rewarding, competitive pay, stock has done very well. Most employees are either young and energetic, with low experience (1-2 years) or senior and very experienced (8-10 years). Many experts to draw knowledge from. optimistic about company's future performance.

Cons

Some teams have unrealistic output expectations. Most times it is up to the IC to control workload and scope. ICs will continue to receive workload until they give push back. Annual review system has shortcomings and small bits of feedback can make or break growth/continued employment. Starship program mostly hires in Texas only, which limits the candidate pool.

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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