You will be worked until you either quit or get fired - Senior Engineer SpaceX Employee Review

1.0
Nov 6, 2012
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

There are some very smart, talented engineers at this organization. This is a plus when you are working 80 hours a week. There are also some very dedicated technicians who will break their backs for the right folks.

Cons

The hours expected to work are absolutely asinine. The expectation is really in the 70-80 hour a week range and you will be duly chastised on a daily basis if you do not adhere to this. I have seen many folks sleeping on the floor in their cubes because they can't go home. The management is completely in over its head. There are mere "children" making programmatic decisions based on nothing more than if it will keep them from getting crucified by Elon. A culture of management by fear is rampant in this organization. If you came from the Aerospace community with any level of experience, you will be looked at as part of the problem because you would like to apply the scientific method to solving problems. Absolutely a terrible way to build a launch vehicle. There is never a good word or sincere thank you offered to the staff for a job well done. The pay is sub-standard for the most part. You can negotiate to a reasonable level if you have the right skill set, but the majority of the staff is fresh outs and hourly folks who have never done this. Be prepared to leave a good bit of your professional morals at the door. You will be asked to compromise them to meet the very demanding and unrealistic build schedule.

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5.0
Jul 8, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
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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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