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 RF Engineer (Starshield)SpaceX·Hawthorne, CA$210K–$300K - 02
Principal RF Engineer, EWAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$220K–$292K - 03TPrincipal Space RF Engineer, Antenna & Full-Wave EM ModelingTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$190K–$275K
- 04KPrincipal RF Antenna Engineer, Top Secret ClearanceK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$200K–$270K
- 05KPrincipal RF Antenna EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$200K–$270K
- 06
Senior RF Engineer II - RadarRocket Lab·Long Beach, CA$142K–$270K - 07Sr. RF Systems Analysis Engineer, Regulatory (Starlink)SpaceX·Washington, DC$165K–$265K
- 08Mission Systems Engineer, Antenna LeadAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$200K–$253K
- 09Senior Program Manager II - Advanced RF Systems (TS/SCI)Rocket Lab·Long Beach, CA$134K–$236K
- 10Sr. RF Engineer (Starshield)SpaceX·Hawthorne, CA$165K–$230K
§ 03Top employers hiring rf / comms engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 21 | $163K |
| Rocket Lab | 6 | $167K |
| Anduril Industries | 4 | $197K |
| Astranis | 4 | — |
| K2 Space | 3 | $235K |
| Xona Space Systems | 2 | — |
| Inversion Space | 2 | $172K |
| Sierra Space | 2 | $149K |
§ 04Top cities hiring rf / comms engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Hawthorne | 8 | $163K |
| Long Beach | 7 | $173K |
| Redmond | 6 | $163K |
| San Francisco | 4 | — |
| Bastrop | 4 | — |
| Los Angeles | 3 | $235K |
| Costa Mesa | 3 | $227K |
| Louisville | 2 | $149K |
§ 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 (21 open roles), Rocket Lab (6 open roles), and Anduril Industries (4 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 Hawthorne, Long Beach, 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