Six Figure Work

New Graduate Engineer, Software Security - '26/'27 (Starlink)

SpaceX

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

Base salary $140K  to $210K

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

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  • LocationPalo Alto, CA
  • WorkplaceWorkplace not stated
  • Status at last checkSource accepting applications when checked
  • Last checked (41 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.

NEW GRADUATE ENGINEER, SOFTWARE SECURITY - '26/'27 (STARLINK)

At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and serves millions of users worldwide. We design, build, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites and all of the space-ground infrastructure necessary for a constellation of that size.

As we scale the constellation to hundreds of thousands of satellites, and become a foundation of global connectivity both on earth (and in space), we are looking for excellent engineers to help us build secure, defensible systems from the ground up.

As a Security Software Engineer you will influence the security of software across our space and terrestrial systems. Ideally, you have notable skills in one or more of the following:

  • Software engineering
  • Applied cryptography
  • Network security
  • Operating system security
  • Secure/Authenticated boot
  • Incident response and adversary detection
  • Vulnerability research

RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Design and build security critical infrastructure for Starlink
  • Develop security features for Starlink systems, including our router, dish, gateways, and satellites
  • Design security into factory processes and provide network services in support of this
  • Maintain existing production systems and improve security posture via both direct implementation and recommendations to other teams
  • Build prototypes and help identify, design, and test security improvements
  • Further our mission of providing secure and reliable Internet to underserved communities 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science or another STEM discipline
  • Experience with one or more software development languages (i.e. Python, C++, Golang)
  • Experience designing and implementing security solutions for operating systems, distributed systems, or other enterprise/large-scale infrastructure
  • Graduating in the class of 2026 or 2027

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

  • Designing secure systems 
  • Experience contributing security improvements to complex systems
  • Experience working with special purpose security hardware such as Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs) and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs)
  • Experienced in navigating large, complex, interactive systems
  • Flexibility, communicating clearly, and establishing and maintaining productive working relationships with other engineering teams
  • Ability to work both independently and in a team
  • Demonstrated ability to deal with ambiguity and to learn new technologies quickly
  • Advanced degree in a technical or engineering discipline 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:
Level 1: $140,000.00 - $175,000.00
Level 2: $160,000.00 - $210,000.00

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 ($140,000) is above 17% of the 5,064 Software Engineering roles in California listed on this site; 121 others list the same floor. Their median floor is $176,800; the middle half runs from $149,391 to $204,000.

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 7, 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
New Graduate Engineer, Software Security - '26/'27 (Starlink) (this listing)$140K - $210K
Sr. RFIC Layout Designer (RFIC Engineering)$140K - $235K
Sr. Avionics Systems Engineer (Special Programs)$140K - $230K
Sr. Optical Transceiver Engineer - High Speed Links, Satelites (Starlink)$140K - $235K
Tax Manager$140K - $220K
Sr. RFIC Layout Designer (RFIC Engineering)$140K - $230K
Sr. Space Lasers Engineer, Satellites (Starlink)$140K - $235K

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

Observed changes

  1. First observed on the employer's board
  2. Began meeting the published-salary criteria
Observed since
Employer-stated posting date
2026-08-14
Where this pay comes from

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

Level 1: $140,000.00 - $175,000.00 Level 2: $160,000.00 - $210,000.00

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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