Six Figure Work

Build Engineer (Crew Starship)

SpaceX

Company websitespacex.com (SpaceX, opens in new tab)

Base salary $100K  to $160K

Employer-published annual base salary, USD. Advertised base range in Hawthorne, CA

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  • LocationHawthorne, CA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (17 min ago) · observed since

About this job

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

BUILD ENGINEER (CREW STARSHIP)

As a Build Engineer for Crew Starship, you will be responsible for developing the manufacturing and test processes for cabin structures, life support, and thermal control components.

Working with the design engineering team, you will be responsible for developing the build and integration processes for a variety of crewed hardware. The team is making a transition from design to build with integration execution. You will be well positioned to have a significant impact on the overall production strategy and reliability improvements for the vehicle.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Own the project management, planning, build, and integration of next generation crew spaceflight hardware
  • Develop manufacturing processes, techniques, and tools to enable efficient and high-rate manufacturing for the Crew Starship vehicle. Examples of hardware include crew privacy modules, windows, floors, fans, pumps, dehumidifiers, etc.
  • Question requirements, delete parts and processes, simplify/optimize, accelerate, and automate hardware production
  • Coordinate and execute build, qualification, and acceptance testing of systems and tooling needed to meet hardware deadlines
  • Create original CAD models and prints for flight and/or tooling components
  • Participate in design reviews internally and with suppliers and customers

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline 
  • 1+ years of engineering experience in manufacturing or integration 

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • 2+ years of experience with GD&T concepts
  • Experience with structures, mechanisms, or interior design or manufacturing in aerospace or aviation industries
  • Experience with basic structures calculations, analysis, and design considerations
  • Familiarity with process development, facility and line layouts, error-proofing
  • Detailed knowledge of Siemens NX or similar CAD and PLM packages
  • Prior experience with developing, maintaining, and improving welding processes
  • Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) and ability to succinctly present recommendations to other engineers, production teams, stakeholders, management, and executive staff
  • Experience at a nimble engineering organization or in a highly technical position that required a scrappy, entrepreneurial manner to accomplish tasks with tight time or budget constraints

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Flight hardware typically is built in tight quarters and physical dexterity is required
  • Ability to perform job duties that require standing, kneeling, crouching, twisting upper body, working in cramped positions in small openings and climbing hand over hand
  • Typically exposed to work in extreme outdoor environments – heat, cold, rain
  • Work performed in an environment requiring exposure to fumes, odors, and noise
  • Schedule varies depending on site operational needs; flexibility required
  • Flexibility to travel to remote build sites in Texas and Florida for prolonged periods of time
  • Ability to pass Air Force background check for Cape Canaveral

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

  • To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to [email protected]. 

Source: SpaceX on Greenhouse · View original posting (opens in new tab)

Pay in context

This role's base floor ($100,000) is above 0% of the 607 Manufacturing & Production roles in California listed on this site; 27 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $147,000; the middle half runs from $128,500 to $165,000.

Only jobs on this site count, and each one publishes a base salary of $100,000 or more, so this compares six-figure jobs with each other, not with the whole market. Computed Nov 8, 2026.

This range next to 6 other live SpaceX roles with the nearest advertised base floor
Chart as a table
This range next to 6 other live SpaceX roles with the nearest advertised base floor
RolePublished base
Build Engineer (Crew Starship) (this listing)$100K - $160K
Operations Engineer, Applied AI (Application Software)$100K - $160K
Loads & Dynamics Engineer (Starshield)$100K - $160K
Manufacturing Engineer - Supplier Development, Optics & Optomechanical Systems (Starlink)$100K - $165K
Mechanical Engineer, Satellite Harnessing (Starlink)$100K - $165K
Supplier Development Engineer, Silicon & Packaging (Starlink)$100K - $165K
Supplier Development Engineer, Manufacturing (Falcon & Dragon)$100K - $140K

Same $100K to $400K scale as every card. All SpaceX roles · How to read the bar

Observed changes

  1. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
  2. First observed on the employer's board
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-10-01
Where this pay comes from

Location as the employer wrote it: Hawthorne, CA (Levels 1-2 combined)

Level 1: $100,000.00 - $130,000.00 Level 2: $115,000.00 - $160,000.00

Method
Employer text, read with fixed rules and re-verified
Checked
Rule set
us-base-v2

The pay passage appears in the employer's own job text. Fixed, deterministic rules located it, and the passage below was checked against the stored copy of the posting.

What we verified

  • The pay figures come from the employer's own listing, quoted exactly above.
  • The pay is an annual base salary in US dollars with a minimum of at least $100,000.
  • The role was publicly listed on the employer's job board when last checked.

We do not verify what the employer will actually offer, whether the employer is still recruiting for the role, or anything beyond what the employer published. Full methodology.

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