88 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
- 01KPrincipal Thermal Design EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$175K–$295K
- 02TThermal Engineer (Senior or Staff)True Anomaly·Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA$160K–$285K
- 03
Staff Thermal Engineer, Hypersonic Air VehiclesAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$275K - 04VThermal Fluids Design Reliability EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$162K–$265K
- 05
Senior Spacecraft Thermal Engineer IIRocket Lab·Long Beach, CA$132K–$255K - 06Staff Thermal Engineer, SpaceAnduril Industries·Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K–$253K
- 07KSenior Thermal Control System (TCS) Design EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$140K–$250K
- 08KSenior Thermal Design EngineerK2 Space·Los Angeles, CA$140K–$250K
- 09VStaff Thermal EngineerVast·Long Beach, California, United States$175K–$249K
- 10
Senior Thermal EngineerAstranis·San Francisco$145K–$235K
§ 03Top employers hiring thermal engineers
| Employer | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| SpaceX | 26 | $133K |
| Vast | 9 | $167K |
| K2 Space | 7 | $190K |
| Rocket Lab | 6 | $138K |
| Anduril Industries | 6 | $170K |
| Astranis | 5 | $190K |
| Inversion Space | 4 | $178K |
| Axiom Space | 4 | — |
§ 04Top cities hiring thermal engineers
| Metro | Open roles | Median comp |
|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | 17 | $165K |
| Starbase | 7 | — |
| Los Angeles | 6 | $190K |
| Bastrop | 6 | — |
| Cape Canaveral | 6 | — |
| Costa Mesa | 5 | $170K |
| San Francisco | 5 | $190K |
| Houston | 4 | — |
§ 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 (26 open roles), Vast (9 open roles), and K2 Space (7 open roles) lead by open-role volume. Browse all 88 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 Los Angeles. 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