Head-to-head
Cowboy Space vs SpaceX
Which pays more, which is easier to get into, and which fits the work you want. Compared on the pay each states, the kind of company, where each hires, and the roles open right now.
Cowboy Space
SpaceXCowboy Space vs SpaceX, in brief
, the SpaceJobs.Now board shows 64 open Cowboy Space roles at a typical $156k to $250k a year (median $175k) and 2,588 open SpaceX roles at a typical $109k to $245k a year (median $138k).
Cowboy Space pays more on typical work ($156k–$250k/yr typical (live median $175k/yr) vs SpaceX's $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138k/yr)), and the rates both boards post leave little doubt, and its ceiling is higher too.
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Cowboy Space works in spacecraft and stations; SpaceX in launch and propulsion.
Both hire for Propulsion, Avionics, RF & Payloads, and Technicians; Cowboy Space also covers Flight Software and Systems & Test; SpaceX also covers Launch & Ops and Programs & Business.
Right now SpaceX has more live roles (2,588 vs 64).
Bottom line: Cowboy Space pays more, so pick Cowboy Space for the higher rate, or SpaceX if its specific work fits you better.
| Cowboy Space | SpaceX | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | $156k–$250k/yr typical (live median $175k/yr) | $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138k/yr) |
| Type of company | Spacecraft & stations · Orbital power and computing | Launch & propulsion · Launch and satellite broadband |
| Kinds of work | Propulsion, Avionics, Flight Software, RF & Payloads, Technicians, and Systems & Test | Propulsion, Technicians, Launch & Ops, Avionics, RF & Payloads, and Programs & Business |
| Where it hires | Kent, WA; San Carlos, CA | Hawthorne, CA; Bastrop and Starbase, TX; Redmond, WA; plus launch and test sites in Florida, California and Texas |
| Open roles now | 64 live | 2,588 live |
| Employee ratings | See its review | See its review |
Pay shows each employer's live measured band where its board has enough roles that state pay, otherwise our compiled benchmark. How we compile pay.
Cowboy Space vs SpaceX salary by profession
The median of what each employer's open roles of the same work post, from its own job board. Each figure opens that employer's salary page for the work, by level and by site.
Best for people looking for Propulsion and Avionics roles, with higher pay.
See 64 open roles →Best for people looking for Propulsion and Technicians roles.
See 2,588 open roles →Cowboy Space and SpaceX in our research
What the two employers' open postings on 4 Nov 2026 show, measured the same way for both by our space industry research, rebuilt every day. Every figure opens the row of the report it comes from.
| Measure | Cowboy Space | SpaceX |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles | 64 | 2,582 |
| Share of all open space roles | 0.3% | 13.8% |
| Posted in the last 30 days | 20 | 563 |
| Posted this week | 6 | 170 |
| Taken down this week | 3 | 176 |
| Open roles with a known posting date | 64 | 2,582 |
| Kinds of work hiring | 12 | 14 |
| Open only to US persons or citizens | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Name a security clearance | 0.0% | 7.7% |
| Take a diploma or an associate's degree | 0.0% | 26.3% |
| Name a master's or PhD | 21.9% | 16.3% |
| Postings that state pay | 98.4% | 53.4% |
| Median posted pay a year | $175,000 | $138,000 |
| Starter roles (internships, new graduate, entry level) | 5 | 57 |
| Starter roles' share of its open roles | 7.8% | 2.2% |
| Internships and co-ops | 2 | 12 |
| Ask for weekend work | 0.0% | 90.0% |
| Ask for overtime or extended hours | 0.0% | 88.8% |
| Name an evening, night or rotating shift | 0.0% | 8.4% |
| State a share of time traveling | 1.6% | 25.7% |
| Postings that offer relocation | 62 | 14 |
| Postings that say no relocation is offered | 0 | 0 |
| Applications asking citizenship or U.S. person status | 100.0% | 99.5% |
| Applications asking about a security clearance | 0.0% | 99.1% |
| Applications asking a GPA | 0.0% | 79.1% |
| Applications asking SAT, ACT or GRE scores | 0.0% | 79.1% |
| Applications asking salary expectations | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Applications asking about past work or interviews there | 0.0% | 99.5% |
| Half of its postings come down within (days) | n/a | 104 |
| Postings that count military experience | n/a | 25 |
| SkillBridge internships | n/a | 0 |
| H-1B visa applications certified (Department of Labor) | n/a | 28 |
| Green card (PERM) certifications (Department of Labor) | n/a | 3 |
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Cowboy Space vs SpaceX: common questions
Which pays more, Cowboy Space or SpaceX?
Cowboy Space pays more on typical work ($156k–$250k/yr typical (live median $175k/yr) vs SpaceX's $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138k/yr)), and the rates both boards post leave little doubt, and its ceiling is higher too.
Is Cowboy Space or SpaceX easier to get hired at?
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Cowboy Space works in spacecraft and stations; SpaceX in launch and propulsion.
More comparisons
Sorted by the expected value of applying to the stronger employer in each pair. A referral agreement, if an employer has one, can raise it here but never changes its salary.