Meat grinder - Rocket Inspector SpaceX Employee Review

1.0
Jan 13, 2019
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

SUPER fast paced, get to make space history almost weekly

Cons

Worst lower, middle and VP management I have ever seen in the 16 years of my aviation / production experience. Certainly a use and abuse system when it comes to worker utilization. No work / life balance at all. No potential for fair raises or promotion unless your part of the “good-ol-boy” club and have barbecues with your boss. Constantly shifting from days to nights, sometimes twice a week if you’re an hourly employee. Was a direct employee for 2.5 years with no raise. Don’t expect to get fair market pay rate even when compared to competition directly down the road. Expect to get paid $4 - $6 less than direct comparable competition. Insurance is sub par for a company that nets over $1,000,000,000 a year.

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5.0
Jul 3, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Learn alot, helpful people, cool mission

Cons

long hours, ambiguous, high turn over

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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