Head-to-head
SpaceX vs Blue Origin
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.
SpaceX vs Blue Origin, in brief
, the SpaceJobs.Now board shows 2,259 open SpaceX roles at a typical $109k to $245k a year (median $138k) and 1,446 open Blue Origin roles.
Blue Origin pays more on typical work (Stated per posting vs SpaceX's $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138000)), a 52% 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. Both are launch & propulsions.
Both hire for Propulsion, Technicians, Launch & Ops, and Avionics; SpaceX also covers RF & Payloads and Programs & Business; Blue Origin also covers Mechanical and Systems & Test.
Right now SpaceX has more live roles (2,259 vs 1,446).
Bottom line: Blue Origin pays more, so pick Blue Origin for the higher rate, or SpaceX if its specific work fits you better.
| SpaceX | Blue Origin | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical pay | $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138000) | Stated per posting |
| Type of company | Launch & propulsion · Launch and satellite broadband | Launch & propulsion · Launch and lunar landers |
| Kinds of work | Propulsion, Technicians, Launch & Ops, Avionics, RF & Payloads, and Programs & Business | Propulsion, Technicians, Mechanical, Systems & Test, Launch & Ops, and Avionics |
| Where it hires | Hawthorne, CA; Bastrop and Starbase, TX; Redmond, WA; plus launch and test sites in Florida, California and Texas | Greater Seattle Area (Kent, WA); Space Coast, FL; Huntsville, AL; Van Horn, TX; Los Angeles, CA |
| Open roles now | 2,259 live | 1,446 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 2,259 open roles →Best for people looking for Propulsion and Technicians roles, with higher pay.
See 1,446 open roles →SpaceX and Blue Origin 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 | SpaceX | Blue Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles | 2,258 | 1,444 |
| Share of all open space roles | 27.7% | 17.7% |
| Posted in the last 30 days | 396 | 0 |
| Kinds of work hiring | 14 | 14 |
| Open only to US persons or citizens | 100.0% | 98.8% |
| Name a security clearance | 6.9% | 7.4% |
| Take a diploma or an associate's degree | 26.9% | 7.8% |
| Name a master's or PhD | 17.4% | 24.7% |
| Postings that state pay | 56.3% | 0.0% |
| Median posted pay a year | $138,000 | n/a |
| Starter roles (internships, new graduate, entry level) | 53 | 77 |
| Starter roles' share of its open roles | 2.3% | 5.3% |
| Internships and co-ops | 12 | 47 |
| Ask for weekend work | 89.4% | 7.7% |
| Ask for overtime or extended hours | 88.8% | 12.3% |
| Name an evening, night or rotating shift | 9.1% | 3.4% |
| State a share of time traveling | 24.8% | 25.1% |
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SpaceX vs Blue Origin: common questions
Which pays more, SpaceX or Blue Origin?
Blue Origin pays more on typical work (Stated per posting vs SpaceX's $109k–$245k/yr typical (live median $138000)), a 52% chance on the rates the two boards state.
Is SpaceX or Blue Origin easier to get hired at?
What we know does not show which of the two hires more of the people who apply. Both are launch & propulsions.
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.