Head-to-head
Firefly Aerospace vs Varda Space Industries
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.
Firefly Aerospace
Varda Space IndustriesFirefly Aerospace vs Varda Space Industries, in brief
, the SpaceJobs.Now board shows 121 open Firefly Aerospace roles and 119 open Varda Space Industries roles at a typical $136k to $263k a year (median $160k).
Varda Space Industries pays more on typical work ($136k–$263k/yr typical (live median $160000) vs Firefly Aerospace's Stated per posting), a 71% chance on the rates the two boards state.
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Firefly Aerospace is a launch & propulsion; Varda Space Industries is a spacecraft & stations.
Both hire for Technicians, Mechanical, Systems & Test, and Avionics; Firefly Aerospace also covers Propulsion and Launch & Ops; Varda Space Industries also covers Flight Software and Science & Data.
Right now Firefly Aerospace has more live roles (121 vs 119).
Bottom line: Varda Space Industries pays more, so pick Varda Space Industries for the higher rate, or Firefly Aerospace if its specific work fits you better.
| Firefly Aerospace | Varda Space Industries | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | Stated per posting | $136k–$263k/yr typical (live median $160000) |
| Type of company | Launch & propulsion · Launch and lunar landers | Spacecraft & stations · In-space manufacturing and reentry |
| Kinds of work | Propulsion, Technicians, Mechanical, Systems & Test, Launch & Ops, and Avionics | Mechanical, Avionics, Flight Software, Systems & Test, Technicians, and Science & Data |
| Where it hires | Cedar Park and Briggs, TX | El Segundo, CA |
| Open roles now | 121 live | 119 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.
Best for people looking for Propulsion and Technicians roles.
See 121 open roles →Best for people looking for Mechanical and Avionics roles, with higher pay.
See 119 open roles →Firefly Aerospace and Varda Space Industries in our research
What the two employers' open postings on 2026-10-29 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 | Firefly Aerospace | Varda Space Industries |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles | 121 | 119 |
| Share of all open space roles | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Posted in the last 30 days | 121 | 77 |
| Kinds of work hiring | 11 | 13 |
| Open only to US persons or citizens | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| Name a security clearance | 6.6% | 10.1% |
| Take a diploma or an associate's degree | 5.0% | 4.2% |
| Name a master's or PhD | 34.7% | 16.8% |
| Postings that state pay | 0.8% | 76.5% |
| Starter roles (internships, new graduate, entry level) | 24 | 28 |
| Starter roles' share of its open roles | 19.8% | 23.5% |
| Internships and co-ops | 11 | 27 |
| Ask for weekend work | 8.3% | 3.4% |
| Ask for overtime or extended hours | 7.4% | 2.5% |
| Name an evening, night or rotating shift | 5.0% | 0.0% |
| State a share of time traveling | 15.7% | 6.7% |
| Median posted pay a year | n/a | $160,000 |
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Firefly Aerospace vs Varda Space Industries: common questions
Which pays more, Firefly Aerospace or Varda Space Industries?
Varda Space Industries pays more on typical work ($136k–$263k/yr typical (live median $160000) vs Firefly Aerospace's Stated per posting), a 71% chance on the rates the two boards state.
Is Firefly Aerospace or Varda Space Industries easier to get hired at?
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Firefly Aerospace is a launch & propulsion; Varda Space Industries is a spacecraft & stations.
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.