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Structures, thermal and mechanisms

Space Jobs for Mechanical Engineers

, SpaceJobs.Now lists 1,203 open roles for mechanical engineers on , including Muon Space, Array Labs and Anduril; typical pay across them is $120k to $230k a year (median $145k), topped by $328k a year advertised at Stoke Space.

See 56 roles for mechanical engineers
$120k–$230k/yrtypical paylive median $145k/yrup to $328k/yr at Stoke Space

Measured from 781 distinct posted rates, across 72 employers, each as a year's pay (an hourly rate × 2,080 hours). 382 of the 1,203 listings open here post no pay at all.

Space companies hire mechanical engineers to design the vehicle's structures, mechanisms and thermal systems, and the equipment that handles it on the ground. Each listing here is re-verified on the employer's own job board once an hour.

Live roles for mechanical engineers

Updated 31 Oct 2026, 09:02 UTC

Listed here: Relativity Space roles. See every employer

Structures, stress and loads

24 open

Primary structures, tanks and the analysis that proves them: stress, loads, fatigue and fracture, by hand calculation, finite element models and test.

Show 14 more structures roles

Thermal engineering

3 open

Keep hardware at the right temperature in launch, vacuum and reentry: thermal design, analysis and test.

Mechanisms and deployables

8 open

The moving parts: separation systems, actuators, hinges, deployable arrays and antennas, and the robotics of a vehicle.

Mechanical design engineers

21 open

Design parts and assemblies in CAD, take them through drawings and production, and support them in test and flight.

Show 11 more mechanical roles

Before you apply

Space hardware is built, tested and flown in person, so many roles name a factory, a test site, a launch site or a control room, and each listing states its location. US roles that touch export-controlled technology (ITAR or EAR) can ask that you be a U.S. person, and some ask for a security clearance. A real employer never charges you to apply, never interviews you only by chat app and never asks you to buy equipment.

Pay by specialty

Every specialty gets its typical band from its own open roles, computed by the same method as the rest of the site (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). A specialty is listed once three or more distinct rates have been posted.

SpecialtyOpen rolesTypical payHighest rate
Structures, stress and loads286$125k–$233k/yr$328k/yr
Thermal engineering160$120k–$247k/yr$295k/yr
Mechanisms and deployables92$128k–$230k/yr$300k/yr
Ground support equipment and facilities43$120k–$186k/yr$194k/yr
Mechanical design engineers622$120k–$225k/yr$310k/yr

What the roles ask for

Drawn from the requirement lines of 295 out of 1,203 open roles for mechanical engineers, the same lines each role's pop-up quotes from its posting. Each role is counted once, at the lowest degree it will accept.

1

Ask for a PhD

6

Ask for a master's

265

Ask for at least a bachelor's

23

Name no degree

  • Name years of experience242
  • Name u.S. person status (ITAR or EAR)41
  • Set a residency or work-authorization condition35
  • Name a security clearance28
  • Ask for a professional license10
  • Name a PE license9
  • Require programming (Python, C++, MATLAB and similar)4

Where a posting states years of experience, the median ask is 5 years.

Who hires mechanical engineers in the space industry

EmployerOpen rolesPay stated
Muon Space logoMuon Space11$83.2k–$216k/yr
Array Labs logoArray Labs2$150k–$250k/yr
Anduril logoAnduril13$115k–$292k/yr
Outpost logoOutpost1$170k–$225k/yr
Umbra logoUmbra2$125k–$220k/yr
Cowboy Space logoCowboy Space12$74k–$300k/yr
Astrolab logoAstrolab7$100k–$230k/yr
Amazon Leo logoAmazon Leo23$96.6k–$282k/yr
Portal Space Systems logoPortal Space Systems6$120k–$205k/yr
Johns Hopkins APL logoJohns Hopkins APL3$105k–$290k/yr
True Anomaly logoTrue Anomaly10$90k–$250k/yr
Turion Space logoTurion Space1$100k–$150k/yr
Momentus logoMomentus1$190k–$215k/yr
E-Space logoE-Space6$90k–$220k/yr
Stoke Space logoStoke Space7$110k–$328k/yr
Inversion Space logoInversion Space10$106k–$221k/yr
BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems logoBAE Systems Space & Mission Systems12$64.9k–$226k/yr
K2 Space logoK2 Space28$79k–$295k/yr
Apex logoApex11$100k–$195k/yr
General Galactic logoGeneral Galactic4$120k–$220k/yr
Xona Space Systems logoXona Space Systems4$62.4k–$218k/yr
Varda Space Industries logoVarda Space Industries18$105k–$263k/yr
Loft Orbital logoLoft Orbital2$62.4k/yr
Trinzic logoTrinzic1$123k–$185k/yr
Viasat logoViasat6$121k–$285k/yr
Astra logoAstra5$100k–$220k/yr
Impulse Space logoImpulse Space11$66.6k–$215k/yr
Blue Origin logoBlue Origin173$46.8k–$288k/yr
Capella Space logoCapella Space1$193k–$277k/yr
KBR logoKBR4$123k–$213k/yr
Quantum Space logoQuantum Space1$100k–$140k/yr
HawkEye 360 logoHawkEye 3601$70k–$115k/yr
Planet logoPlanet1$145k–$181k/yr
BlackSky logoBlackSky3$130k–$150k/yr
Slingshot Aerospace logoSlingshot Aerospace1$130k–$190k/yr
Gravitics logoGravitics7$58.2k–$205k/yr
Millennium Space Systems logoMillennium Space Systems4$63k–$199k/yr
CesiumAstro logoCesiumAstro19$96k–$246k/yr
Reflect Orbital logoReflect Orbital1$90k–$200k/yr
Voyager Technologies logoVoyager Technologies16$48.9k–$251k/yr
Northwood Space logoNorthwood Space2$100k–$175k/yr
GITAI logoGITAI6$52k–$200k/yr
Orbit Fab logoOrbit Fab2$125k–$173k/yr
Sierra Space logoSierra Space19$70.2k–$200k/yr
Relativity Space logoRelativity Space56$90k–$277k/yr
Boeing logoBoeing7$79.1k–$274k/yr
Vast logoVast27$72.8k–$265k/yr
Firefly Aerospace logoFirefly Aerospace14Not stated
Axiom Space logoAxiom Space15Not stated
ICEYE logoICEYE15Not stated
The Aerospace Corporation logoThe Aerospace Corporation11Not stated
Thales Alenia Space logoThales Alenia Space10Not stated
Isar Aerospace logoIsar Aerospace8Not stated
OHB logoOHB8Not stated
Star Catcher logoStar Catcher8Not stated
The Exploration Company logoThe Exploration Company8Not stated
ArianeGroup logoArianeGroup6Not stated
Airbus Defence and Space logoAirbus Defence and Space5Not stated
HyImpulse logoHyImpulse5Not stated
ClearSpace logoClearSpace3Not stated
Exotrail logoExotrail3Not stated
Redwire Space Europe logoRedwire Space Europe3Not stated
Exolaunch logoExolaunch2Not stated
NewOrbit Space logoNewOrbit Space2Not stated
Open Cosmos logoOpen Cosmos2Not stated
Dawn Aerospace logoDawn Aerospace1Not stated
Elveo Mobile logoElveo Mobile1Not stated
Eutelsat logoEutelsat1Not stated
Foundational logoFoundational1Not stated
Hemeria logoHemeria1Not stated
MaiaSpace logoMaiaSpace1Not stated
Reflex Aerospace logoReflex Aerospace1Not stated
Satellogic logoSatellogic1Not stated
Sidus Space logoSidus Space1Not stated
Spaceium logoSpaceium1Not stated
Venus Aerospace logoVenus Aerospace1Not stated
Redwire logoRedwire9$107k–$190k/yr
Katalyst Space Technologies logoKatalyst Space Technologies1$110k–$140k/yr
Intuitive Machines logoIntuitive Machines8Not stated
RTX logoRTX4$42k–$252k/yr
SpaceX logoSpaceX135$100k–$190k/yr
ispace logoispace6$81k–$122k/yr
Rendezvous Robotics logoRendezvous Robotics4$110k–$170k/yr
L3Harris logoL3Harris17$102k–$189k/yr
AST SpaceMobile logoAST SpaceMobile20Not stated
Lockheed Martin logoLockheed Martin101$47.1k–$310k/yr
Mission Control Space Services logoMission Control Space Services1Not stated
Leidos logoLeidos1$87.1k–$157k/yr
Terran Orbital logoTerran Orbital3$80k–$155k/yr
AeroVironment (AV) logoAeroVironment (AV)4$91k–$224k/yr
United Launch Alliance logoUnited Launch Alliance17$48k–$166k/yr
Northrop Grumman logoNorthrop Grumman55$38.5k–$266k/yr
Virgin Galactic logoVirgin Galactic12$93.4k–$269k/yr
Rocket Lab logoRocket Lab33$52k–$253k/yr
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) logoNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)3$97k–$140k/yr
CACI logoCACI6$78.7k–$266k/yr
Amentum logoAmentum15$64.6k–$98.5k/yr
Ursa Major logoUrsa Major11$80k–$190k/yr
Lunar Outpost logoLunar Outpost4$49.9k/yr
Teledyne logoTeledyne2$178k–$237k/yr
Moog logoMoog3$70k–$175k/yr
Astranis logoAstranis15$60.3k–$235k/yr
AstroForge logoAstroForge2$100k–$198k/yr
Benchmark Space Systems logoBenchmark Space Systems4$47.8k–$125k/yr

Sorted by the expected value of an application (acceptance odds times posted pay). A referral agreement, if an employer has one, can raise it in this order but never changes the salary it offers.

Mechanical Engineer salary by employer

What each employer's own postings pay mechanical engineers, by level and by site, with every role and its posted pay.

How each employer checks you

For every employer currently hiring mechanical engineers: its process as its own hiring guide describes it, each line with its source. The complete steps sit on that employer's page. Sorted by the expected value of an application (acceptance odds times posted pay). A referral agreement, if an employer has one, can raise it in this order but never changes the salary it offers.

Amazon Leo logoAmazon Leo23 open
Assessment
Amazon's interview loop. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Blue Origin logoBlue Origin173 open
Assessment
No general test published. How to apply
Interview
None published
Thales Alenia Space logoThales Alenia Space10 open
Assessment
Thales interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Airbus Defence and Space logoAirbus Defence and Space5 open
Assessment
Airbus interviews and role tests. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Lockheed Martin logoLockheed Martin101 open
Assessment
Lockheed Martin's interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Northrop Grumman logoNorthrop Grumman55 open
Assessment
The recruiter screening and team interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) logoNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)3 open
Assessment
No general test published. How to apply
Interview
None published

Where these roles are posted

The US states with the most open roles for mechanical engineers, and the roles posted for a single country. A place name leads to its own page, and a country's count lists the matching roles.

Students and recent graduates: 56 open space internships for mechanical engineers.

In the US, by state

Space industry jobs by US state

In the US, by metro area

Space industry jobs by metro area

The public record, in every industry: 298,500 mechanical engineers work in the US (2025), projected to grow 11% by 2035, at a median $104k/yr (BLS, May 2025). Open space roles for mechanical engineers post a median $145k/yr, 39.3% above it (pay research). Each state's page gives its own.

What our research measures about mechanical work

Read from the open postings on 2026-10-30 by our space industry research, rebuilt every day. Every figure opens the row of the report it comes from.

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Frequently asked questions

How much do mechanical engineers earn in the space industry?

Going by the 781 distinct salaries currently posted for roles for mechanical engineers (each put on a full-time year), the typical range is $120k–$230k/yr and the median is $145k/yr. The top posted figure is $328k/yr, at Stoke Space. 382 of the 1,203 open roles for mechanical engineers state no pay, so check each listing.

Is a PE license required for space mechanical roles?

Rarely: most roles ask for a mechanical or aerospace degree and experience with the CAD and analysis tools they name. A PE license comes up mostly for facilities and pressure systems work. Every posting spells out its exact requirements and work site, so read each one. Of the 295 open roles for mechanical engineers whose requirements we read, 1 ask for a PhD, 6 a master's, 265 at least a bachelor's and 23 name no degree.

What does a mechanical engineer do at a space company?

A mechanical engineer at a space company designs hardware in CAD and proves it works: sizing structures and tanks for launch loads, keeping parts at temperature in vacuum, building the mechanisms that separate and deploy, and supporting each part through manufacturing and test.

How do space companies hire mechanical engineers?

Each employer runs its own hiring, and each listing says what it asks for: the degree or the hands-on experience, the location, and for export-controlled work in the US, often U.S. person status. Of the employers hiring mechanical engineers now, none publishes a recorded interview or an ID check in the guides we hold. The section on how each employer checks you quotes each guide with its source.

Are these jobs real?

Every role here is read from a space employer's own careers page or job board (Muon Space, Array Labs, Anduril and Outpost among them), and each employer's page here covers who they are and how they hire. A real employer never charges you to apply, never asks you to buy equipment and never interviews you only by chat app.

Which space companies pay mechanical engineers the most?

Of the 23 employers whose postings for mechanical engineers state enough pay for a figure, the highest medians are Muon Space ($183k/yr), Anduril ($172k/yr) and Cowboy Space ($171k/yr). A median is of what each employer's open roles post today, by the same formula for every employer.

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Space jobs by profession

Every profession space companies hire, with live counts and pay.

Mechanical, Structures & Thermal

Every open mechanical role across space employers, with live pay.