Intelligence + Hard Work Changes the World - Engineering Manager SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
Oct 14, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

SpaceX is changing the world - the company's goal is literally to colonize Mars, and revolutionize the entire space industry in the process. Every day this awesome sense of purpose is sitting there in the back of your mind. We work with the best and brightest engineers in the world, but our scrappy, hands-on, experimental attitude prevents any kind of ivory tower complex. It's all about daring greatly.

Cons

The work here is difficult, and you're expected to get it done fast. The reports of universal 80 hour weeks are simply not true, however. I've been here for 5 years and have certainly done my stints of late night and weekend work, but as the company has grown the manic drive has ebbed (in no small part because the core of the company is no longer in their 20s). that's either a pro or con depending on your stance, but the point is you can make your own way here. Deadlines and priorities are fast moving targets. You will have to learn to let go of frustration when your year long project gets canned or the deadline you've killed yourself for a month to hit gets pushed out by six weeks at the last minute.

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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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