Who the space industry hires

Space Jobs by Profession

Rocket, satellite and spacecraft companies hire far more than rocket scientists: propulsion and avionics engineers, technicians, machinists and welders, mission operators, software engineers, buyers and program managers. Each page lists the open roles that name the profession across every space employer we read, with pay by specialty and what the roles ask for.

Professions, by field

Updated 29 Oct 2026, 13:01 UTC

Science, math and engineering

Profession	Open roles	Typical pay
Electrical engineers Avionics, power systems, circuit boards, FPGAs and harnesses.	703	$120k–$230k/yr
Mechanical engineers Structures, thermal, mechanisms and ground support equipment.	610	$111k–$194k/yr
Manufacturing engineers Production, process, additive, composites and fabrication engineering.	527	$109k–$203k/yr
Quality engineers Quality engineering, inspection, NDT and mission assurance.	431	$86.3k–$214k/yr
Test engineers Integration and test, environmental testing and hot-fire test.	414	$109k–$201k/yr
Propulsion engineers Rocket engines, turbomachinery, thrusters and fluid systems.	305	$110k–$201k/yr
Systems engineers Vehicle and mission systems, requirements and verification.	295	$123k–$236k/yr
Mission operations engineers Launch operations, mission control and satellite operations.	172	$114k–$210k/yr
RF engineers Antennas, phased arrays, communications systems and payloads.	170	$135k–$265k/yr
GNC engineers Guidance, navigation and control, flight dynamics and trajectory.	142	$132k–$221k/yr
Materials engineers Materials and processes, metallurgy, composites and chemistry.	91	$124k–$225k/yr
Physicists Optics and photonics, space science, astronomy and plasma physics.	44	$129k–$235k/yr
Aerospace engineers Aerospace, aerodynamics and reentry roles at launch and spacecraft companies.	30	$142k–$225k/yr

Software and IT

Profession	Open roles	Typical pay
Software engineers Flight and embedded software, ground software and infrastructure.	837	$143k–$265k/yr
Cybersecurity experts Security engineering, security operations and compliance.	105	$121k–$267k/yr

Data and AI work

Profession	Open roles	Typical pay
Data scientists Machine learning, data engineering and Earth observation data.	143	$146k–$270k/yr

Trades and operations

Profession	Open roles	Typical pay
Technicians Assembly, integration, electrical, composites and launch technicians.	620	$54.1k–$105k/yr
Machinists CNC machinists, machine operators and CNC programmers.	151	$65.5k–$141k/yr
Welders Welders, welding technicians and welding engineers.	90	$58.5k–$140k/yr

Business and management

Profession	Open roles	Typical pay
Supply chain professionals Procurement, planning, logistics and trade compliance.	391	$75k–$190k/yr
Program managers Program and project management, scheduling and program control.	266	$125k–$250k/yr

A role counts for a profession when its title names it, so a role can count for two. Typical pay is measured the way every pay figure on the site is, and shown where at least three distinct rates are posted. Every count opens that profession's roles.

Frequently asked questions

Which professions have the most space jobs?

Software engineers (837), Electrical engineers (703), Technicians (620), Mechanical engineers (610) and Manufacturing engineers (527) have the most open roles right now. A role counts for a profession when its title names it, so one role can count for two (a "Propulsion Test Engineer" counts for propulsion engineers and for test engineers).

Which professions pay the most in the space industry?

By the median advertised hourly rate, physicists ($165k/yr), aerospace engineers ($165k/yr) and software engineers ($163k/yr) are paid the most among professions with at least three distinct posted rates. Each page shows typical pay by specialty and the highest rate posted.

Which professions have a page?

21 professions: the engineering disciplines, operations, science, software, trades and business functions space employers hire and name in their job titles. A profession has a page when roles naming it are open at 3 employers or more, a market of its own. A page stays when its roles dip, so its address never changes, and it drops out of search results while it has fewer than 3 open roles.

More ways to find work

Entry-level space jobs

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Remote space jobs

The space industry roles you can do from home.

Space jobs by country

The roles open in each country with a space industry.

Space industry pay report

What space employers pay, measured from their postings.

Jobs by program

Roles on named programs, from Starlink to New Glenn.

New in space hiring

Employers and teams that just started hiring.