SpaceX Propulsion Development Engineer reviews

3.3

36% would recommend to a friend

(100 total reviews)
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Elon Musk

41% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Propulsion Development Engineer employees have rated SpaceX with 3.3 out of 5 stars, based on 100 company reviews on Glassdoor. This indicates that most Propulsion Development Engineer professionals have a good working experience there. SpaceX is rated in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) by Propulsion Development Engineer professionals compared to other employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3.6 stars).

Reviews by job title

100 reviews
5.0
Oct 18, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- Mission-driven work to clear milestones and purpose - Work has the potential to deeply change the course of human existence - High risk, high reward environment as is with much of the rocket business - Constantly learning to keep at the cutting edge of engineering - Great work culture with like-minded individual; some of the smartest people you'll ever meet. - Those who do not perform or are not team players are quickly found and don't last long. - Minimal red tape, everyone responsible for mission success. All roles matter. - Stock options - No BS, extremely-focused and competent CEO. - Privately-held, so no investors to answer to. Mission is paramount, not quarterly earnings. - Amazing benefits.

Cons

- Can sometimes be highly stressful. - Company gets paid by achieving contract milestones, which can lead to long hours near a deadline. - Work-life balance can be an issue, but it is entirely the responsibility of the employee to manage. - Performance review process needs improvement. No clear means for promotion/career growth. Very difficult to achieve title/role changes. -No 401k contribution matching. ISOs or RSUs are marketed as reason for this.

4.0
Oct 18, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Knowing you are accomplishing something amazing! Fun Learn something new everyday Never have problems getting the tooling and supplies I need Popular with friends and family...questioning does get a little old Competitive pay raises

Cons

You work a lot...but doesn't feel like it Location is both a pro and con...it's expensive in LA

5.0
Oct 17, 2016
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- I used to think I was under-paid given how hard I work. Wrong!! I've been here 7 years, and the value of the stock that I own is greater than the cumulative salary I've earned over 7 years. So my effective compensation has been >2X that of other aerospace companies. - Accepting a lower salary for more stock compensation is a risky move, and not for everyone. It makes sense when you are young and don't have a mortgage. The company is still growing in value, and I have no immediate plans to sell my stock. I can probably retire in my 30s, if I choose to. - If you get hired into one of the development departments, you get a lot of responsibility very quickly. No one wants to give you something that you will fail at, because we are relying on you to actually finish that project on time, but it will be a hard learning curve, you will own it, and you will learn a lot. As for production engineers, some people love it and and some people only took that job so they could move into development work. - Most people are super smart and motivated. The other people don't last long. Turnover can be fast, but we like it because we don't want to work with slackers. The culture is amazing if you demand high standards from yourself and others.

Cons

- For your first few years, hours will be very long. Eventually you'll be efficient enough to work 8-9 hour days. But some people become addicted to the work, or get greatly promoted, and constantly work 12+ hour days. It's up to you really. If you want an awesome job but also want a life, carefully consider the promotions offered to you.

Viewing 79 - 81 of 100 Reviews

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