Propulsion engineer salary in California
In California, space employers offer propulsion engineers a median of $151k a year, the middle half $130k–$170k $3k above the national posted median. From 118 jobs at 20 employers that name a salary in their postings.
- 25th percentile$130,000/hr
- Median (50th)$150,500/hr
- 75th percentile$170,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates118
- Jobs stating an hourly rate118
- Employers20
The median is the middle of the 118 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $130,000–$170,000 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- 25th percentile$130,000/hr
- Median (50th)$150,500/hr
- 75th percentile$170,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates118
- Jobs stating an hourly rate118
- Employers20
The median is the middle of the 118 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $130,000–$170,000 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
- Median posted pay, a year$150,500
- Hours in a full-time year2,080
- The same per hour, full time$72.36/hr
Every figure here is a year's pay: a job that posts pay counts at 2,080 hours (40 a week for 52 weeks). Rounded to the nearest $100.
- Rocket Lab21 jobs
- SpaceX21 jobs
- Relativity Space17 jobs
- Impulse Space14 jobs
- Varda Space Industries8 jobs
- True Anomaly6 jobs
- CesiumAstro5 jobs
- Voyager Technologies4 jobs
- Vast4 jobs
- Inversion Space3 jobs
Jobs stating pay, the employers with the most first: 103 at the 10 shown and 15 at 10 other employers, 118 in all.
The jobs themselves: Propulsion engineer jobs in California · Propulsion engineer pay nationwide
What propulsion engineers are paid in California
Each bar counts the open jobs posting pay in its step of pay (a range at its midpoint).
Median $151k a year. Middle half $130k to $170k. Point at a bar for its count. Tap a bar for its count.
Posted on open jobs in California
Middle half of 118 distinct posted rates (a job posted many times at one rate counted once), median $151k. 86% of the 138 open propulsion engineer jobs in California state pay.
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Propulsion engineer pay by town in California
Towns where at least three open jobs state pay, the towns with the most such jobs first.
| Town | Median posted | Posted range | Jobs (employers) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | $163k | $82.4k–$290k | 46 (5) |
| Hawthorne | $130k | $100k–$215k | 25 (3) |
| El Segundo | $157k | $85k–$232k | 16 (3) |
| Redondo Beach | $164k | $95k–$266k | 14 (2) |
| Los Angeles | $165k | $100k–$200k | 7 (3) |
| Mojave | $153k | $90k–$240k | 6 (3) |
Median of employers' rates in the town, the lowest and highest rate posted, and the jobs and employers behind them. A town opens its own job page.
Propulsion engineer pay by employer in California
What each employer posts for propulsion engineers here, the employers with the most jobs stating pay first.
Median of each employer's jobs in California (a range at its midpoint), and its lowest and highest rate here. An employer's name opens its pay for propulsion engineers nationwide when it has such a page.
Best-paid open propulsion engineer jobs in California
The open jobs posting the highest pay figures tonight, at most two from one employer.
$185,000–$280,000/yr- $185,000–$280,000/yr
$184,000–$276,000/yr
$177,000–$265,600/yr
$162,000–$270,000/yr- $162,000–$270,000/yr
$181,913–$232,444/yr- $164,000–$246,000/yr
$160,000–$240,000/yr
$167,000–$222,000/yr
$175,000–$200,000/yr
$143,031–$218,132/yr
Propulsion engineer salary in California: common questions
How much does a propulsion engineer make in California?
Open propulsion engineer jobs in California that state pay post a median of $151k, the middle half $130k–$170k (118 jobs from 20 employers).
Where in California do propulsion engineers earn the most?
By the median rate open jobs post, in the towns with the most jobs stating pay: Long Beach ($163k), Hawthorne ($130k), El Segundo ($157k) and Redondo Beach ($164k). The town table lists 6.
Which employers in California pay propulsion engineers the most?
Among employers stating a rate on at least three open jobs here: True Anomaly ($216k), Relativity Space ($165k) and Inversion Space ($165k).
How does California compare with the rest of the country?
The posted median in California ($151k) is $3k above the national posted median of $148k.
Where do these figures come from?
From the pay open jobs state, read every night from each employer's own job board: 118 of 138 open propulsion engineer jobs in California (86%) state pay. No pay is estimated for a job that states none; "up to" ceilings and weekly travel rates are left out.
Propulsion engineer pay in other states
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Propulsion engineer salary in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/salaries/propulsion-engineers/california