Limited growth, top heavy - Anonymous SpaceX Employee Review

2.0
Jun 15, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

It is exciting to work for a company that is as innovative and dynamic as Space X. The energy is intense, expectations far reaching, and pace is very fast. Space X is not for everyone. Only for those that are over achieving and perfectionist and who are laser focused. If you are one of these few, this is a perfect job for you.

Cons

Space X is extremely top heavy with VP's reporting to VP's and Directors reporting to Directors which limits growth for everyone. There is a constant reorganization and constant management change which sets the group back each time. Lack of experience of upper management is clearly seen through their lack of understanding of the day to day business. Many come from BMW and even though the actual rocket building is completely a different animal than building cars, many talk about the way things were done while they were with BMW and when trying to implement some of them, they seem to fail so the workers spend many hours to remedy wasted hours. There is an absolute lack of communication flow down from the executives which compels everyone to do their own thing. Departments and organizations within departments are heavily silo'ed and no processes complete. Though anyone can say anything, many complain about other groups or people without basis or evidence. There are too many immature people employed in the company so Space X is not a professional working place. If you want a promotion, it seems like who you know is more important than anything else. The company can be very biased and unfair.

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5.0
Jul 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Learn alot, helpful people, cool mission

Cons

long hours, ambiguous, high turn over

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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