Learn/Manufacturing & Technicians

Build, test & fly

Manufacturing & Technicians

Build rockets and satellites by hand and machine: machining, welding, composites, harnesses and assembly.

Low barrier to entryStart in a few weeks for entry-level roles, or a few months with a trade certificate$62k–$170k/yrtypical pay

Ready for the numbers? Salaries in technicians, the companies hiring for it and today's openings.

What it is

Manufacturing is where drawings become flight hardware. Technicians machine parts on CNC mills and lathes, weld tanks and lines, lay up composite structures, print metal parts, build wire harnesses and assemble it all into engines, stages and satellites, while manufacturing engineers design the processes and tooling that make the work repeatable. Many of these roles are hourly, on the shop floor, and open to people without a college degree.

What you actually do

Read engineering drawings, schematics and work instructions, including GD&T callouts, and build exactly to them.
Set up and run CNC mills, lathes and mill-turn machines, loading tools and fixtures and checking parts with calipers, micrometers and gauges.
Weld with TIG, MIG, stick or flux-core processes, or cut and prepare material on saws and plasma tables.
Cut, strip, crimp and route wire harnesses, then test them with continuity testers and multimeters.
Lay up composite parts, vacuum bag them and cure them in ovens or autoclaves, or set up metal 3D printers and clean up the printed parts.
Record every step in the manufacturing execution system, flag nonconforming parts, and suggest improvements to the process.

A day of this work, concretely

Building a satellite wire harness

You read the schematic, cut and strip wire to length, crimp the contacts and route the bundle on a harness board. You then test it for continuity and shorts on an automated harness tester, log the results in the manufacturing system, and report anything that does not conform. The finished harness goes into a spacecraft or a test setup.

Machining a tight-tolerance engine part

On second shift you set up a multi-axis mill for a valve or engine component, load the tools and the fixture, and run the first part. You measure it against the drawing's GD&T with precision instruments, work with the CNC programmer if something is off, then run the batch and pass the parts to inspection.

Laying up a composite structure

You place carbon fiber prepreg plies in the order the work instruction gives, fit honeycomb or foam core, and prepare the part for bagging with bleeders, thermocouples and vacuum connections. The part then cures in an oven or autoclave before it is trimmed, bonded to other parts and inspected.

Is it right for you?

Many people come from trade school, community college programs, the military, auto repair, machine shops or other factories, and a high school diploma or GED is the stated minimum for many technician roles. Manufacturing engineers usually hold a mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing or electrical engineering degree. People do well here if they like working with their hands, follow procedures exactly and take pride in hardware with no defects.

You will likely enjoy it if

You like working with your hands and seeing a finished part at the end of a shift.
You can follow a written procedure exactly and you notice when something looks wrong.
You are fine with shift work, overtime and standing for most of the day.
You want a way into the space industry that does not start with a four-year degree.

What you need

High school diploma or GED for most technician roles; welder roles often ask for a 2-year technical certificate and experience in at least two welding processes
US citizenship or permanent residency for most roles, because of ITAR export rules
Physical ability to stand for a full shift, work in tight spaces and lift 25 to 45 lb, as postings state
An engineering degree for manufacturing engineer roles

Skills that help

Blueprint and GD&T readingCNC setup and operationTIG and MIG weldingCrimping and harness assemblyComposite layup and baggingPrecision measuring tools

How to get started

1Pick a trade that space companies hire for: CNC machining, welding, composites, electrical and harness work, or mechanical assembly.
2Take a community college or trade school program in that trade, and earn a credential employers name, such as IPC/WHMA-A-620 for harnesses or a welding qualification.
3Get comfortable reading drawings and using calipers and micrometers, because they come up again and again in technician postings.
4Look for postings titled apprentice, entry level or Technician I, which train you on the job and ask for little or no prior experience.
5If you already work in automotive, a machine shop, aviation maintenance or the military, apply directly: postings list those backgrounds as relevant experience.
6Once hired, cross-train on other processes and keep adding certifications, since postings for higher technician levels ask for more processes and more years.

Common misconceptions

Myth: You need an engineering degree to build rockets.

Reality: The hands-on building is done by technicians, machinists and welders, and many of those postings ask for a high school diploma or GED plus hands-on experience.

Myth: Rocket factories are all robots and automation.

Reality: Factories do use automation, but postings show how much is still done by hand: crimping and routing harnesses, laying up composite plies, fitting core, setting up machines and inspecting the results.

Myth: Experience from cars or other factories does not count.

Reality: Postings list automotive, military maintenance, machine shop and general factory work as relevant. What carries over is reading drawings, using tools safely and working exactly to a procedure.

What it pays

Technicians work typically pays $62k–$170k/yr today, with a live median of $85.5k/yr across the 596 open roles that state their pay.

See technicians pay, employers & live roles Compare pay across all work →

Frequently asked questions

Can I work at a rocket company without a degree?

Yes. Technician, machinist, welder and assembler roles commonly ask for a high school diploma or GED plus hands-on experience, and some employers hire apprentices and entry-level technicians with little or none. Manufacturing engineer roles do need a degree. The guide on how to become an aerospace technician walks through the paths.

Which certifications help most for space manufacturing jobs?

It depends on the trade. Harness and electronics postings often name IPC standards, and the IPC/WHMA-A-620 endorsement covers cable and wire harness assemblies. Welding postings ask for experience in specific processes such as TIG, MIG, stick or flux-core, and many aerospace welds are made and inspected to AWS D17.1, the specification for fusion welding in aerospace. Machinist postings ask for multi-axis setup experience and GD&T rather than a specific certificate.

Do space manufacturing jobs require ITAR or US citizenship?

Most US roles do. Postings typically require you to be a US citizen, a green card holder or another protected individual under export rules, because the drawings and hardware you handle are export controlled. Jobs at launch sites can also require a government background check for base access. The ITAR and security clearance guide explains the details.

What are the hours like for rocket factory technicians?

Expect shifts. Many postings are for second or night shift, ask for overtime and weekends when the schedule needs it, and require standing for most of the shift. Pay varies by trade, shift and level, so compare it with the pay on this page and the space industry salaries guide. The board lists 1,434 open manufacturing and technician roles today.