Pay from Apex's own postings
Apex Propulsion Engineer Salary
Apex's 12 open roles for propulsion engineers post a median $177k/yr, typically $167k–$225k/yr, from 12 distinct pay figures, read from its own job board every hour.
Against other pay
- Highest posted top
- $226k/yr
- Staff Electric Propulsion Engineer, Cathodes
Typical pay 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. Pay is compared as a year's pay: an hourly rate counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks), a weekly one at 52 weeks, a monthly one at 12 months. A posting that names only a ceiling ("up to $X") is left out of the figures.
Apex propulsion engineer pay by level
| Level the title names | Open roles | Median | Typical pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senior | 5 | $168k/yr | $168k–$210k/yr |
| Lead | 3 | $186k/yr | $186k–$215k/yr |
| Staff | 2 | Too few figures | |
| Title names no level | 2 | Too few figures |
A level is read from the title, the first that applies from an internship to a director (the reading of our research on career levels and pay). A figure needs three distinct posted rates.
Open Apex roles for propulsion engineers, highest pay first
Updated 31 Oct 2026, 00:03 UTC
Staff Electric Propulsion Engineer, Cathodes (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$165,000–$226,000/yrStaff Electric Propulsion Engineer, Hall-Effect Thrusters (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$165,000–$226,000/yrSenior Electric Propulsion Engineer, Cathodes (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$165,000–$220,000/yrLead Electric Propulsion Engineer (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 4w agoDetails
$156,000–$215,000/yrLead Propulsion Integration Engineer (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 4w agoDetails
$156,000–$215,000/yrLead Propulsion Test Engineer (opens the job details)
Apex · Systems & Test · Los Angeles· 4w agoDetails
$156,000–$215,000/yrSenior Propulsion Engineer, Fluids (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$140,000–$195,000/yrSenior Propulsion Engineer, Hall-Effect Thrusters (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$140,000–$195,000/yrSenior Propulsion Engineer, Structures (opens the job details)
Apex · Mechanical · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$140,000–$195,000/yrSenior Chemical Propulsion Engineer (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 6mo agoDetails
$142,000–$192,000/yrChemical Propulsion Engineer (opens the job details)
Apex · Propulsion · Los Angeles· 5mo agoDetails
$121,000–$165,000/yrPropulsion Engineer, Structures (Mid) (opens the job details)
Apex · Mechanical · Los Angeles· 1mo agoDetails
$115,000–$160,000/yr
More Apex salaries by profession
- Electrical Engineer, median $148k/yr
- Mechanical Engineer, median $148k/yr
- Cybersecurity Expert, median $175k/yr
- Systems Engineer, median $180k/yr
Propulsion Engineer salaries at other space companies
Apex alerts
Apex openings, sent to your inbox
Each week we send what Apex posted since the last email, with comparable openings at other space companies. No cost, and you can stop it with one click.
Only job openings, never promotions. Stop it from any email.
Questions about Apex pay for propulsion engineers
How much does Apex pay propulsion engineers?
Apex's open roles for propulsion engineers post a median $177k/yr, typically $167k–$225k/yr, from 12 distinct pay figures in 12 of its 12 postings. Typical pay here 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. The highest posted top is $226k/yr, for Staff Electric Propulsion Engineer, Cathodes.
What does Apex pay propulsion engineers at each level?
By the level each title names: senior: a median $168k/yr (5 roles); lead: a median $186k/yr (3 roles). A level is read from the title ("Engineer II", "Senior", "Lead"); titles that name none are left out of this answer.
Does Apex pay propulsion engineers more than other space companies?
Apex's median, $177k/yr, is 22% above the $145k/yr median of the 520 open roles for propulsion engineers at every space company we read (Apex's among them).
Do propulsion engineers earn more than other roles at Apex?
Apex's roles for propulsion engineers post a median $177k/yr, 14% above the $155k/yr median of all its open roles that state pay (Apex salaries compares every kind of work).
How does Apex's pay for propulsion engineers compare with the national wage?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median wage of aerospace engineers at $135k/yr (May 2025); Apex's posted median, $177k/yr, is 31% above it. A posting states what a new hire is offered, the national figure what everyone in the occupation earns, so the two measure different people. Source: BLS wage estimates by state (OEWS, May 2025), read through O*NET OnLine, CC BY 4.0.
Where does Apex hire propulsion engineers?
Its open roles for propulsion engineers are in Los Angeles, CA (12).