56 OPEN
SALARIES · MISSION OPERATIONS ENGINEER
Mission Operations Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for mission operations engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$170,000 – $215,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$130K
[ SENIOR ]
$170K
[ STAFF ]
$215K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$270K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01SMission Operations EngineerStoke Space·Cape Canaveral, Florida$129K–$328K
- 02
Associate Director, Army Mission OperationsAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, United States$191K–$253K - 03Senior Manager, Army Mission OperationsAnduril Industries·Seattle, Washington, United States$191K–$253K
- 04Associate Director, Army Mission OperationsAnduril Industries·Seattle, Washington, United States$191K–$253K
- 05Staff Open Architecture Systems Engineer, Ground SystemsAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States; Washington, District of Columbia, United States$191K–$253K
- 06Senior Manager, Army Mission OperationsAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, United States$191K–$253K
- 07VSenior Mission Operations Engineer - Ground SegmentVast·Long Beach, California, United States$137K–$230K
- 08RMission Operations Responsible Engineer/ScientistRelativity Space·Long Beach, California$164K–$226K
- 09Mission Operations Product Manager, Group 5 Mission AutonomyAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$166K–$220K
- 10Mission Operations Product Manager, Group 5 Mission AutonomyAnduril Industries·Washington, District of Columbia, United States$166K–$220K
§ 03Top employers hiring mission operations engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Anduril Industries | 24 | $175K |
| Rocket Lab | 9 | $99K |
| Sierra Space | 4 | $141K |
| Varda Space | 4 | $145K |
| K2 Space | 3 | $155K |
| ispace | 2 | — |
| Relativity Space | 1 | $195K |
| Stoke Space | 1 | $228K |
§ 04Top cities hiring mission operations engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa | 12 | $170K |
| El Segundo | 4 | $145K |
| Washington | 4 | $208K |
| Stennis Space Center | 4 | — |
| Los Angeles | 3 | $155K |
| Wallops Island | 3 | $99K |
| Irvine | 2 | $165K |
| Long Beach | 2 | $189K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do mission operations engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior mission operations engineers in the space industry typically earn $170K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $215K and principal-level reach $270K. Numbers are median base salary across 76 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most mission operations engineers right now?
- Anduril Industries (24 open roles), Rocket Lab (9 open roles), and Sierra Space (4 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 56 open mission operations engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most mission operations engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for mission operations engineer roles right now are Costa Mesa, El Segundo, and Washington. 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 mission operations 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 mission operations engineer role