Life at SpaceX for hourly skilled labor - Toolmaker/Field Machinist SpaceX Employee Review

5.0
Nov 7, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

As a space nerd and believer in American manufacturing SpaceX is a tremendous place to work. We take raw material and turn it into something shot to orbit. That is a hugely satisfying thing after coming from the typical aerospace giants and a driving force behind my continued interest despite getting beat up by my job. Once you've found a niche the job is rewarding beyond anything I imagined it would be. Pay is average for a non-union aerospace company and the benefits packages are nice. The offer a wide variety of insurance plans that make it affordable even for a big family like mine. The chance at constant overtime is nice. Stock equity is a nice touch but no 401K match is definitely a con.

Cons

Manufacturing jigs, fixtures, assemblies, and even launch mounts from raw material means the job is very labor intensive and often out in the elements. You need a pretty good state of health because this job will send you home everyday feeling exhausted. If work/life balance is a phrase in your vocabulary this job will break you. SpaceX plows ahead demanding between 70 to 80 hours weekly from you. Of course for those money-hungry overtime hounds it's fantastic because you will more than double your yearly base salary. SpaceX is very much sink or swim from the very beginning. You must be willing to quickly adapt to new situations and demands that are above and beyond what a normal aerospace company would expect. The day I started my supervisor said "SpaceX only wants badasses", and that has been proven by a number of people who didn't fit the bill being sent home. You must be very even tempered and able to work closely with the people around you.

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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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