Great coworkers, but it's still SpaceX - Launch Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

3.0
Apr 15, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Working with incredible and motivated people. Being a part of some incredible launches and overall aerospace history. My position is shift work, so being able to go home at the end of the day and working ~50 hours a week without being pressured to do more (although that is pretty unique to my role at SpaceX).

Cons

Working at a company owned by Elon Musk. A company whose main goal is simply "humans on Mars!!" but seemingly without attempting to overcome a single technical or scientific hurdle to achieve that goal, besides rocket power. My position is shift work, so without being pressured to do the typical amount of insane SpaceX hours, the trade off is that my schedule shifts around from front half to back half of the week, and from days to nights, making it nearly impossible to have a life outside of work. And of course, for those in the company who are salaried but not on shift work, there is certainly pressure to do nothing but work.

Explore other reviews about SpaceX

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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