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Spacecraft & stations · A university research lab that builds and flies NASA and national security spacecraft

Johns Hopkins APL jobs

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland is a university-affiliated research center whose Space Exploration Sector designs, builds and operates spacecraft for NASA and for national security space: New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe, the DART asteroid impactor and the Dragonfly mission to Titan among them. Only the roles APL files under its Space Exploration Sector are listed here; its defense sectors hire separately. Each posting states its pay range and the security clearance it needs.

, SpaceJobs.Now lists 32 open jobs at Johns Hopkins APL; their typical pay runs $133k to $290k a year, with a median of $173k.

$133k–$290k/yr

Typical pay, live

32 open jobs now
Browse its 32 open jobsWhat it looks for

Latest Johns Hopkins APL openings

Read 7 Nov 2026, 10:01 UTC
All 32 open Johns Hopkins APL jobs Every Johns Hopkins APL posting in full, on its own page
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Johns Hopkins APL on our lists

Where Johns Hopkins APL's current postings put it, each list naming every other space employer in the same spot.

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Johns Hopkins APL at a glance

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland is a university-affiliated research center whose Space Exploration Sector designs, builds and operates spacecraft for NASA and for national security space: New Horizons, Parker Solar Probe, the DART asteroid impactor and the Dragonfly mission to Titan among them. Only the roles APL files under its Space Exploration Sector are listed here; its defense sectors hire separately. Each posting states its pay range and the security clearance it needs.

32 roles taken from its careers site on 2026-11-07
Sites with open roles
Maryland (29), California (1) and Colorado (1)
Part of the industry
Spacecraft & stations · A university research lab that builds and flies NASA and national security spacecraft
Where its roles come from
APL's iCIMS career site (careers.jhuapl.edu), read from the public jobs list its own pages use; only postings filed under its Space Exploration Sector (37 of 515 on 30 Oct 2026).
Pay in its postings
Today 96.9% of its open roles give a pay range.
Applying
Through Johns Hopkins APL's careers site: the Apply button on a role opens that posting there. Screening, interviews and the offer all run between you and Johns Hopkins APL; we are not part of it.

A recruiter wrote to you in Johns Hopkins APL's name?

Johns Hopkins APL's own sites: jhuapl.edu.

What Johns Hopkins APL pays

Read from the ranges on its open jobs · 2026-11-07
$133k–$290k/yrMiddle half, today

The median is $173k/yr over the 31 open jobs with a posted range, and single figures go from $42.7k/yr up to $290k/yr. Interns, technicians and senior engineers all sit in that figure; the table below separates the disciplines.

Measured from 31 distinct posted rates, at this employer, each as a year's pay (an hourly rate × 2,080 hours). 1 of the 32 open jobs here states no pay.

DisciplineOpen jobsMiddle half
Systems, Integration & Test8$156k–$290k/yr
Science, Imaging & Earth Data7$173k–$263k/yr
Avionics & Electrical4$112k–$277k/yr
Flight Software & GNC3$123k–$281k/yr
Mechanical, Structures & Thermal3$198k–$290k/yr
Programs & Business2$62.9k-$290k/yr2 posted figures
RF, Communications & Payloads2$47k-$165k/yr2 posted figures
Ground Software & IT1$100k-$245k/yr1 posted figure
Launch & Mission Operations1$42.7k-$87.8k/yr1 posted figure
Quality & Mission Assurance1$105k-$290k/yr1 posted figure

The top-paying Johns Hopkins APL jobs open now

Every 32, highest pay first

The middle half is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each posted range, as a year's pay: an hourly rate counts at 2,080 hours, 40 a week for 52 weeks) to the 90th-percentile posted top, measured the same way for every list on the site. A posting's range is base salary only: stock, sign-on money and bonuses are extra where a company offers them. The methodology explains how each pay figure is measured and graded.

What Johns Hopkins APL looks for

The usual bar in each discipline Johns Hopkins APL is staffing right now. A posting can ask for more or less (a clearance, a degree, years on hardware), so check the role itself before applying.

Systems, Integration & Test8 open at Johns Hopkins APL

An engineering degree; test technicians often come from the military or a technical program.

Science, Imaging & Earth Data7 open at Johns Hopkins APL

A science, engineering or data degree; geospatial and intelligence roles may need a clearance.

Avionics & Electrical4 open at Johns Hopkins APL

An electrical or computer engineering degree; harness and board technicians often hold IPC certifications.

Flight Software & GNC3 open at Johns Hopkins APL

A computer science, aerospace or electrical engineering degree; C/C++ for flight code, control theory for GNC.

Mechanical, Structures & Thermal3 open at Johns Hopkins APL

A mechanical or aerospace engineering degree; CAD (NX, CATIA, SolidWorks) and FEA analysis for most roles.

Programs & Business2 open at Johns Hopkins APL

A business, finance, law or engineering degree; program managers often hold a PMP or an engineering background.

Johns Hopkins APL's disciplines

Each discipline page covers the work itself, the usual entry bar and the pay posted for it across the industry.

Systems, Integration & Test8 at Johns Hopkins APLFlight Software & GNC3 at Johns Hopkins APLScience, Imaging & Earth Data7 at Johns Hopkins APLAvionics & Electrical4 at Johns Hopkins APLMechanical, Structures & Thermal3 at Johns Hopkins APLLaunch & Mission Operations1 at Johns Hopkins APLGround Software & IT1 at Johns Hopkins APL

For the wider picture, open the pay tables for every discipline or the space employers that pay the most.

Johns Hopkins APL sites with openings

A town's page gathers the space roles open there, Johns Hopkins APL's and its neighbours', ranks the busiest employers and points to nearby towns.

Laurel, MDColorado Springs, COEl Segundo, CA

Questions about Johns Hopkins APL

How do I apply to Johns Hopkins APL?

Choose a role below and use its Apply button, which opens that posting on Johns Hopkins APL's careers site; the application goes straight to Johns Hopkins APL. Screening, interviews and any offer happen between you and the company, without us.

What does Johns Hopkins APL pay?

Across the 31 open Johns Hopkins APL jobs that give a pay range, the middle of the market is $133k–$290k/yr and the median $173k/yr. The lowest posted figure is $42.7k/yr and the highest $290k/yr. These are base salary ranges as the postings give them; equity, bonuses and relocation help come on top where offered.

Which disciplines is Johns Hopkins APL staffing?

Of its 32 openings, the largest groups are systems, integration & test (8), science, imaging & earth data (7) and avionics & electrical (4).

What does Johns Hopkins APL ask for in systems engineering, integration and test jobs in space?

An engineering degree; test technicians often come from the military or a technical program. The exact bar is in each Johns Hopkins APL posting.

How fresh is this list of Johns Hopkins APL roles?

We read Johns Hopkins APL's public careers site every night. A role stays here as long as Johns Hopkins APL keeps it up, dated with our last check.

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