Cohesive group with a common mission - Launch Operations Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
Oct 3, 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

open floor environment - no offices "no-asshole" policy Engaged leadership, I always feel comfortable walking up to my VP or director with feedback Anonymous feedback to all leadership for sensitive material Very reasonable compensation packages including non-public stock Freedom to pursue personal projects Reasonable work-life balance expectations Excellent on-site restaurant and snack bars relatively easy to transition to other teams if you are unsatisfied with your work

Cons

As an engineer, if you have to directly work with manufacturing, you will not have a steady schedule and you will eventually have to cancel personal plans because of work. However, if you are a designer, this should be less than 25% of your life. Everything is always late - it seems like this is created artificially to encourage people to work harder. Management is very reluctant to offer promotions. Almost impossible to have pets unless you have someone willing to step in when you have to work late or travel. the parking situation is getting out of hand - lots of employees who started after 2014 need to park extremely far away. there are shuttle services and security though.

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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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