Build Engineer - Build Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

4.0
Oct 29, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Extremely Excellent Mission Statement with generally a clear goal of where we are going -- Mars - Everyone from friends to family respects what you do as part of a pretty epic mission - Incredible amount of learning possible in any field you work in

Cons

- Hours can be super long if you take on too much responsibility. Work/Life Balance just isn't that great - Compensation is lackluster these days with little benefit for kick-ass work

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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