155 OPEN
SALARIES · MANUFACTURING ENGINEER
Manufacturing Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for manufacturing engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$160,000 – $205,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$120K
[ SENIOR ]
$160K
[ STAFF ]
$205K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$255K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01RDirector, Manufacturing Engineering, ValvesRelativity Space·Long Beach, California$195K–$269K
- 02VPrincipal Manufacturing EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$187K–$265K
- 03SManufacturing Engineer - ReliabilityStoke Space·Kent, Washington$129K–$252K
- 04VAvionics Manufacturing EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$120K–$245K
- 05VAvionics Manufacturing Engineer, Wiring HarnessesVast·Long Beach, California, United States$120K–$245K
- 06VManufacturing Engineer (Avionics / Electromechanical / Harnessing)Varda Space·El Segundo, California, United States$140K–$232K
- 07VManufacturing Engineer (Payloads)Varda Space·El Segundo, California, United States$140K–$232K
- 08VManufacturing Engineer, StructuresVast·Long Beach, California, United States$86K–$230K
- 09VSenior Manufacturing Engineer, ECLSSVast·Long Beach, California, United States$112K–$230K
- 10VStaff Manufacturing Engineer, Soft GoodsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$162K–$230K
§ 03Top employers hiring manufacturing engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 47 | $118K |
| Relativity Space | 23 | $146K |
| Rocket Lab | 21 | $133K |
| K2 Space | 9 | $158K |
| Anduril Industries | 8 | $157K |
| Vast | 7 | $183K |
| Sierra Space | 6 | $104K |
| Isar Aerospace | 5 | — |
§ 04Top cities hiring manufacturing engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | 41 | $145K |
| Bastrop | 21 | — |
| Hawthorne | 12 | $118K |
| Auckland | 9 | — |
| Los Angeles | 9 | $158K |
| Redmond | 8 | $118K |
| El Segundo | 6 | $160K |
| Ottobrunn | 5 | — |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do manufacturing engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior manufacturing engineers in the space industry typically earn $160K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $205K and principal-level reach $255K. Numbers are median base salary across 168 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most manufacturing engineers right now?
- SpaceX (47 open roles), Relativity Space (23 open roles), and Rocket Lab (21 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 155 open manufacturing engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most manufacturing engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for manufacturing engineer roles right now are Long Beach, Bastrop, and Hawthorne. 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 manufacturing 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 manufacturing engineer role