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Physics, optics and space science in California

Space Jobs for Physicists in California

56 open roles for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers at 13 space companies name a site in California, most of them in El Segundo and Hawthorne; typical pay runs $122k–$230k/yr. Listed straight from each employer's careers site, checked every hour.

Browse the rolesCalifornia in the research on where space jobs are →Every space job in California →Physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in every state →

Space companies hiring physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in California

EmployerOpen roles hereMedian posted pay
The Aerospace Corporation19not stated
SpaceX11$180k/yr
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory7$139k/yr
K2 Space4$170k/yr
Astranis3$100k/yr
Apex2too few figures
Cowboy Space2too few figures
RTX2too few figures
Voyager Technologies2too few figures
Impulse Space1too few figures
Inversion Space1too few figures
Muon Space1too few figures
Viasat1too few figures

Where the roles are

  • El Segundo21
  • Hawthorne8
  • JPL Campus7
  • Los Angeles6
  • Palo Alto3
  • San Francisco3
  • San Carlos2
  • San Diego2
  • Carlsbad1
  • Long Beach1

Kinds of work

Open space roles for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in California, newest first

Updated 30 Oct 2026, 14:04 UTC

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What people ask about physicists, astronomers and optical engineers' work in California

Which space companies hire physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in California?

Today, The Aerospace Corporation (19 roles), SpaceX (11 roles), NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (7 roles), K2 Space (4 roles), Astranis (3 roles), Apex (2 roles), and 7 more. The table above lists every employer with a role open in California.

Where in California are the roles for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers?

Most are in El Segundo (21), Hawthorne (8), JPL Campus (7), Los Angeles (6), as the postings name their sites. A role that names several sites counts at each.

How much do space roles for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in California pay?

The roles here that state pay post a median $153k/yr, with typical pay from $122k–$230k/yr; 88.2% of California's postings state their pay at all, which our research on where space jobs are compares state by state. California's law has required employers with 15 or more employees to state a pay range in job postings since 1 Jan 2023 (each state's law beside its postings). For reference, the 6,800 physicists working in California, in any industry, earn a median $207k/yr (BLS, May 2025, the public record).

Do roles for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers in California require US citizenship?

Of the 3,014 space postings in California whose text we read, 79.6% are limited to US citizens or US persons and 23.5% name a security clearance, by our research on who can apply, which compares every state. Each posting states its own rule, often citing export control under ITAR or the EAR.

How is this list made?

We read each employer's own job board every hour. A role is listed here when it is a US role and its own location line names a place in California, by the same reading as our research on where space jobs are, and its title names the profession by the same rule as the page for physicists, astronomers and optical engineers; remote roles that name no state are on the remote jobs page.