You think you're Top Talent until you get to SpaceX - Anonymous employee SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
30 Aug 2016
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

I've always been a top performer at every job prior to SpaceX. The people here are crazy smart and talented I eat it up. It's great to finally work with people that match my brain power and my drive for success. I've always put in more than 40+ hours a week but at my previous engineering job, I was put down and scolded for being 'a young go getter trying to make people look bad'. SpaceX is a meritocracy at its core where "best idea wins". Performance matters, not age. My wife says that I work the same amount of hours at spacex as I did at all of my other jobs. The main subjective difference is that I come home happy. Company is constantly redesigning the rocket. This leaves huge opportunities for growth and really tough problems that need fixing. I became an operations manager after 3 years. The position did not exist. I helped identify a need and filled a position that was needed. Somewhat flat organization in Vehicle Engineering department. It goes President, VP, Director, me (manager). I have regular conversations with the VP and makes me feel like I can really drive change in my department. And I regularly change my group where I feel like it needs to go. Lots of freedom for good ideas.

Cons

Contstantly shifting goals can wear on some people that dont like change. I'm more easy going. work-life balance is tough for me personally. There's always some huge catastrophic issue every month that needs fixing so you have to pick and choose your battles. It's something I actively work on improving and I found a happy medium.

Explore other reviews about SpaceX

5.0
17 June 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

good place to work and earn money

Cons

Heavy workload and long time work

4.0
6 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You learn so much because the work is so freaking intense, its a lot of fun if you're the type of person who loves to get emerged in hard problems. The hours for me were not too bad but I was the exception, all the other interns I was with dealt with 60-70+ hour weeks, some interns came in at 10am and left at 12am, when I say its intense, I'm not joking. This is however very unique to the Starbase location. I've heard Hawthorne is a lot more chill. I honestly despite how challenging the role was always look back on it with a sense of pride in my work, and longing to be back there. It really does feel that you're doing world changing things.

Cons

Very un diverse upper management, I'd say the company is pretty diverse in the lower ranks, but once you start to look at the org chart and see who's in charge, you realize that its mainly just white people. Makes you wonder if as a person of color you too will be able to move up. Housing sucks: there was limited housing on campus for full time employees, you have to wait a year plus to get off the queue and once you're off you only really get tiny homes as the option that are in an inconvenient location. Interns don't even have the option to get on campus housing, they give you 3k in a housing stipend and expect you to find a place in Brownsville. I'd say its very hard to maintain a relationship while working here if you don't have an understanding partner, the work schedule is brutal and you really can't slack off.

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