52 OPEN
SALARIES · RF / COMMS ENGINEER
RF / Comms Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for rf / comms engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$195,000 – $245,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$145K
[ SENIOR ]
$195K
[ STAFF ]
$245K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$310K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01
Principal Hardware Systems Architect – Phased Array User TerminalBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$231K–$323K - 02Principal Phased Array Antenna Engineer - TeraWaveBlue Origin·San Diego, CA$231K–$323K
- 03
Principal RF Engineer (Starshield)SpaceX·Hawthorne, CA$210K–$300K - 04Senior Phased-Array Antenna Design EngineerBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$198K–$277K
- 05KPrincipal RF Antenna EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$200K–$270K
- 06KPrincipal RF Antenna Engineer, Top Secret ClearanceK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$200K–$270K
- 07Sr. RF Systems Analysis Engineer, Regulatory (Starlink)SpaceX·Washington, DC$165K–$265K
- 08
Staff RF Antenna Engineer, Electronic WarfareAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K - 09VSenior RF Systems EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$148K–$249K
- 10Reflector/Feed Antenna Engineer - TeraWaveBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$165K–$231K
§ 03Top employers hiring rf / comms engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 19 | $163K |
| Rocket Lab | 9 | $150K |
| Blue Origin | 7 | $198K |
| Anduril Industries | 3 | $167K |
| Xona Space Systems | 2 | — |
| Inversion Space | 2 | $154K |
| K2 Space | 2 | $235K |
| Vast | 2 | $182K |
§ 04Top cities hiring rf / comms engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | 11 | $165K |
| Greater Seattle Area | 6 | $198K |
| Redmond | 6 | $163K |
| Hawthorne | 6 | $176K |
| Bastrop | 4 | — |
| Burlingame | 2 | — |
| Los Angeles | 2 | $235K |
| Costa Mesa | 2 | $183K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do rf / comms engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior rf / comms engineers in the space industry typically earn $195K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $245K and principal-level reach $310K. Numbers are median base salary across 94 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most rf / comms engineers right now?
- SpaceX (19 open roles), Rocket Lab (9 open roles), and Blue Origin (7 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 52 open rf / comms engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most rf / comms engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for rf / comms engineer roles right now are Long Beach, Greater Seattle Area, and Redmond. 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 rf / comms 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 rf / comms engineer role