73 OPEN
SALARIES · GN&C ENGINEER
GN&C Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for gn&c engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$210,000 – $270,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$155K
[ SENIOR ]
$210K
[ STAFF ]
$270K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$340K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01TPrincipal GNC EngineerTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$180K–$305K
- 02TStaff GNC EngineerTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$165K–$290K
- 03TGNC Engineer, Missile DefenseTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$115K–$290K
- 04TSenior Astrodynamics EngineerTurion Space·Remote - Irvine, CA$180K–$270K
- 05KPrincipal Guidance, Navigation, & Control (GNC) EngineerK2 Space·United States- Remote$190K–$260K
- 06
Senior GNC Engineer, SpaceAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K - 07Senior GNC Engineer, SpaceAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, United States$191K–$253K
- 08Senior Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) Engineer, Air Dominance & Strike - Advanced EffectsAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$166K–$253K
- 09TGNC Engineer, RPOTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$90K–$250K
- 10TSr. GNC EngineerTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$140K–$250K
§ 03Top employers hiring gn&c engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 18 | $150K |
| True Anomaly | 7 | $195K |
| Anduril Industries | 7 | $193K |
| Rocket Lab | 7 | $130K |
| Xona Space Systems | 4 | $185K |
| Inversion Space | 3 | $169K |
| Axiom Space | 3 | — |
| K2 Space | 3 | $190K |
§ 04Top cities hiring gn&c engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Redmond | 8 | $150K |
| Hawthorne | 7 | $150K |
| Denver | 7 | $195K |
| Long Beach | 6 | $157K |
| Costa Mesa | 5 | $193K |
| Burlingame | 4 | $185K |
| El Segundo | 3 | $150K |
| Littleton | 3 | $130K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do gn&c engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior gn&c engineers in the space industry typically earn $210K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $270K and principal-level reach $340K. Numbers are median base salary across 142 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most gn&c engineers right now?
- SpaceX (18 open roles), True Anomaly (7 open roles), and Anduril Industries (7 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 73 open gn&c engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most gn&c engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for gn&c engineer roles right now are Redmond, Hawthorne, and Denver. Defense space tends to concentrate in DC/Northern Virginia and Colorado Springs (clearance-required roles), while commercial launch is heaviest in LA basin and Florida's Space Coast.
- Do gn&c engineer roles in space require security clearance?
- Many do. Defense space programs at Anduril, Lockheed Martin Space, Northrop Grumman, Sierra Space, and the US Space Force require Secret or TS/SCI clearance. Commercial-space roles at SpaceX, Rocket Lab, Vast, and Astranis generally do not, though some specific government contracts may. ITAR registration is more common than clearance — most rocket roles require it.
§ 06See all open roles
Browse every gn&c engineer role