271 OPEN
SALARIES · SPACECRAFT SYSTEMS ENGINEER
Spacecraft Systems Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for spacecraft systems engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$200,000 – $260,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$150K
[ SENIOR ]
$200K
[ STAFF ]
$260K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$325K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01TLead Systems EngineerTrue Anomaly·Denver, CO$155K–$315K
- 02KOptical Systems EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$110K–$280K
- 03
Sr. DSP Systems Engineer (Silicon Engineering)SpaceX·Palo Alto, CA$175K–$280K - 04VSystems Engineer – Project Engineer VIVoyager Technologies·Folsom, CA, Remote Colorado$161K–$279K
- 05VSystems Engineer – Project Engineer VIVoyager Technologies·Folsom, CA, Reno, NV, or Remote$161K–$279K
- 06VSystems Engineer VI – TestVoyager Technologies·Reno, NV or Folsom, CA$161K–$279K
- 07
Blue Ring Ground Senior Systems EngineerBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$198K–$277K - 08Sr. DSP Systems Engineer (Silicon Engineering)SpaceX·Irvine, CA$165K–$265K
- 09TStaff Spacecraft Systems EngineerTurion Space·Hybrid- CA$190K–$260K
- 10Flight Software Systems Engineer, Principal - New GlennBlue Origin·Greater Seattle Area$183K–$256K
§ 03Top employers hiring spacecraft systems engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Origin | 66 | $151K |
| Rocket Lab | 35 | $144K |
| SpaceX | 28 | $153K |
| Sierra Space | 25 | $166K |
| Voyager Technologies | 20 | $177K |
| Anduril Industries | 12 | $170K |
| Muon Space | 9 | $195K |
| Relativity Space | 9 | $160K |
§ 04Top cities hiring spacecraft systems engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Greater Seattle Area | 40 | $148K |
| Long Beach | 27 | $155K |
| Centennial | 14 | $171K |
| Space Coast | 13 | $145K |
| Auckland | 12 | — |
| Denver | 11 | $180K |
| Hawthorne | 10 | $153K |
| Folsom | 10 | $177K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do spacecraft systems engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior spacecraft systems engineers in the space industry typically earn $200K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $260K and principal-level reach $325K. Numbers are median base salary across 174 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most spacecraft systems engineers right now?
- Blue Origin (66 open roles), Rocket Lab (35 open roles), and SpaceX (28 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 271 open spacecraft systems engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most spacecraft systems engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for spacecraft systems engineer roles right now are Greater Seattle Area, Long Beach, and Centennial. 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 spacecraft systems 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 spacecraft systems engineer role