Not just a job, but a lifestyle - Software Engineer 2 SpaceX Employee Review

3.0
Jan 5, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

An experience like nothing else, working on technology that is cutting edge at an unprecedented scale. Not all teams are bad, some people actually try to help you.

Cons

Work doesn't follow you home, the office is your home. You will see your co-workers more than anyone else. Hopefully they are personable, otherwise you are screwed during a performance review. Throw whatever you thought about "routine" and "crunch time" out the airlock. Being a "miracle worker" and constantly putting out fires is the minimum expectation for a swe 2. Picard's advice to Data, "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose," is warped - failure is seen as personal weakness, expect to be shown the door and replaced with the next applicant. "That is life" at SpaceX.

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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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