63 OPEN
SALARIES · THERMAL ENGINEER
Thermal Engineer [YoY +8%]
Median total compensation for thermal engineer roles in space. Open roles by salary, direct from each employer.
[ SENIOR COMPENSATION · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$175,000 – $220,000USD
§ 01Compensation by level
[ MID ]
$130K
[ SENIOR ]
$175K
[ STAFF ]
$220K
[ PRINCIPAL ]
$280K
§ 02Top-paid open roles
- 01
Staff Thermal Engineer, Hypersonic Air VehiclesAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$275K - 02TThermal Engineer (Senior or Staff)True Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$130K–$260K
- 03Staff Thermal Engineer, SpaceAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K
- 04VStaff Thermal EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$175K–$249K
- 05VStaff Test Engineer, Thermal Control SystemsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$162K–$230K
- 06IStaff Thermal EngineerInversion Space·Playa Vista, California, United States$161K–$221K
- 07IStaff Aerothermal CFD EngineerInversion Space·Playa Vista, California, United States$161K–$221K
- 08KPrincipal Thermal Design EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$175K–$220K
- 09VManager, Thermal Control SystemsVast·Long Beach, California, United States$155K–$220K
- 10
Senior Technical Project Manager - Propulsion, Mechanical and Thermal EngineeringAstranis·San Francisco$150K–$210K
§ 03Top employers hiring thermal engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 21 | $121K |
| Anduril Industries | 7 | $170K |
| Vast | 6 | $183K |
| Isar Aerospace | 4 | — |
| K2 Space | 4 | $158K |
| Astranis | 3 | $180K |
| Inversion Space | 2 | $191K |
| Axiom Space | 2 | — |
§ 04Top cities hiring thermal engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | 9 | $173K |
| Starbase | 8 | — |
| Cape Canaveral | 6 | — |
| Costa Mesa | 5 | $170K |
| Hawthorne | 5 | $125K |
| Ottobrunn | 3 | — |
| San Francisco | 3 | $180K |
| Los Angeles | 3 | $158K |
§ 05FAQ
- How much do thermal engineers make in the space industry?
- Senior thermal engineers in the space industry typically earn $175K base salary at top employers. Staff-level roles run $220K and principal-level reach $280K. Numbers are median base salary across 86 data points; total compensation including equity is typically 15-30% higher at private space companies.
- Who is hiring the most thermal engineers right now?
- SpaceX (21 open roles), Anduril Industries (7 open roles), and Vast (6 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 63 open thermal engineer roles sorted by recency.
- Where are most thermal engineer jobs located?
- The top space industry hubs for thermal engineer roles right now are Long Beach, Starbase, and Cape Canaveral. 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 thermal 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 thermal engineer role