Rewarding Experiences - Software Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
21 Oct 2018
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You are given real responsibility for flight-critical functionality. The Responsible Engineer culture at SpaceX means you own things from beginning to end. All that cheering during launches and landings is because critical pieces that people saw through from beginning to end are working!

Cons

... you're given lots of responsibility? You definitely need to be humble, communicate clearly, and ask for help when needed. Otherwise, you could easily get overwhelmed.

Explore other reviews about SpaceX

5.0
3 July 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Learn alot, helpful people, cool mission

Cons

long hours, ambiguous, high turn over

5.0
29 June 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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