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Mission Operations Engineer vs Systems Engineer: pay, jobs and what each takes
Mission and launch operations engineers and systems engineers side by side: what each earns by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and by the jobs open today, how many jobs there are, and the education and credentials each takes.
Mission Operations Engineer vs Systems Engineer, side by side
| Mission operations engineer | Systems engineer | |
|---|---|---|
| Open jobs on this board today | 187 | 711 |
| Median posted hourly pay (open jobs) | $141,844.25 | $155,250 |
| Median hourly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Median yearly pay (BLS) | - | - |
| Projected employment change (BLS) | - | - |
| Openings a year (BLS) | - | - |
| Typical education to enter (BLS) | - | - |
| Credentials | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) | Security clearance (Secret, Top Secret, TS/SCI) |
Mission Operations Engineer vs Systems Engineer: common questions
Are there more mission operations engineer or systems engineer jobs?
On this board today: 187 open mission operations engineer jobs and 711 systems engineer jobs, read from each employer's own job board.
What is the difference between a mission operations engineer and a systems engineer?
Launch and satellite companies hire operations engineers to get vehicles off the pad and keep spacecraft flying, from the launch control room to the satellite ops floor. Space companies hire systems engineers to hold a vehicle or mission together: its requirements, its interfaces and the proof that it all works as one.
How do you become a mission operations engineer or a systems engineer?
An engineering or science degree, or an operator background from the military, then console training. An engineering degree in any discipline and years on a vehicle, payload or mission. Each occupation's page lists its credentials and who grants them: Mission and launch operations engineers, Systems engineers.
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Sources and method
Pay and outlook are BLS's figures for each occupation's main SOC code; open jobs and their posted median are this board's, counted as each occupation's own page counts them.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics and Employment Projections
- SpaceJobs.Now job board: open jobs read every night from each employer's own careers site
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Mission Operations Engineer vs Systems Engineer: Pay, Jobs and Requirements Compared. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/compare-careers/mission-operations-engineer-vs-systems-engineer