How much does SpaceX pay?
As of Oct 14, 2026, 1157 of the 2444 open jobs SpaceX has on Alion state a salary. The median is $160k a year, and the middle half pays $125k to $205k. The best-paid open role is Principal Security Software Engineer (Starlink) at $355k. SpaceX pays about 21% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
SpaceX pay against the market
+21% SpaceX pays about 21% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries.
Each of 1144 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
SpaceX pay by level
| Level | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior | 467 | $140k | $118k – $160k |
| Senior | 399 | $215k | $175k – $245k |
| Middle | 135 | $125k | $100k – $160k |
| Lead | 71 | $230k | $165k – $290k |
| Staff+ | 23 | $175k | $170k – $185k |
| Intern | 12 | $56k | $56k – $60k |
| Head+ | 4 | $260k | $260k |
SpaceX pay by role
| Role | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Engineering | 302 | $130k | $118k – $160k |
| Backend | 170 | $160k | $150k – $230k |
| Hardware | 134 | $165k | $145k – $235k |
| Operations | 111 | $135k | $110k – $170k |
| DevOps | 67 | $165k | $150k – $230k |
| Field & Service | 55 | $58k | $54k – $64k |
| Security | 52 | $195k | $160k – $265k |
| Sales | 31 | $205k | $150k – $205k |
| Marketing | 29 | $150k | $125k – $180k |
| Networking | 26 | $215k | $160k – $265k |
| Finance | 26 | $160k | $130k – $190k |
| HR | 23 | $115k | $100k – $170k |
SpaceX pay by city
| Location | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne | 527 | $150k | $118k – $190k |
| Redmond | 382 | $165k | $145k – $215k |
| Palo Alto | 163 | $225k | $160k – $270k |
| Washington | 81 | $215k | $160k – $265k |
| Bastrop | 47 | $170k | $150k – $200k |
| Irvine | 45 | $260k | $160k – $280k |
| Woodinville | 29 | $123k | $100k – $145k |
| Austin | 25 | $260k | $235k – $280k |
| Sunnyvale | 20 | $260k | $190k – $280k |
| Canandaigua | 8 | $70k | $40k – $86k |
SpaceX pay by work format
| Work format | Jobs | Median | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|
| In office | 902 | $160k | $130k – $215k |
| Hybrid | 215 | $160k | $118k – $190k |
| Remote | 29 | $150k | $125k – $175k |
How pay at SpaceX is spread
1146 of 2434 vacancies state a salary (47%). The range below is built from those 1146 stated figures only, never from an estimate.
Best-paid open roles at SpaceX
Questions about pay at SpaceX
What is the average salary at SpaceX?
The median salary stated in SpaceX job postings is $160k a year, across 1146 open jobs with pay; the middle half pays $125k to $205k.
How much does SpaceX pay for Industrial Engineering roles?
Industrial Engineering roles at SpaceX state a median of $130k a year (302 postings with pay, middle half $118k – $160k).
How much does SpaceX pay for Backend roles?
Backend roles at SpaceX state a median of $160k a year (170 postings with pay, middle half $150k – $230k).
How much does SpaceX pay for Hardware roles?
Hardware roles at SpaceX state a median of $165k a year (134 postings with pay, middle half $145k – $235k).
How much does SpaceX pay in Hawthorne?
Jobs at SpaceX in Hawthorne state a median of $150k a year (527 postings with pay).
What is the highest-paying open job at SpaceX?
Right now it is Principal Security Software Engineer (Starlink) at SpaceX, with a stated $355k a year.
Does SpaceX pay above the market?
SpaceX pays about 21% above the market for the same roles, levels and countries. Each of 1144 postings is compared with the median stated pay for its role, level and country across all employers on Alion; the middle ratio, drawn toward the market when few postings back it, gives the figure.
Does SpaceX publish salaries in its job postings?
47% of the open jobs SpaceX has on Alion state a salary: 1157 of 2444.
How to cite this page
Only pay an employer wrote in its own job advert is used, converted to US dollars a year; estimates are never mixed in. The figures are rebuilt twice a day from the vacancies open now.
These figures are published under a free licence. You may reuse them, including commercially, as long as you credit Alion and link back to this page.
SpaceX salaries: median $160k across 1146 job postings with pay. Alion, Oct 14, 2026, https://alion.io/company/spacex/salaries