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Quality and mission assurance

Space Jobs for Quality Engineers

, SpaceJobs.Now lists 928 open roles for quality engineers and inspectors on , including Muon Space, Anduril and Umbra; typical pay across them is $90.4k to $221k a year (median $128k), topped by $328k a year advertised at Stoke Space.

See 86 roles for quality engineers and inspectors
$90.4k–$221k/yrtypical paylive median $128k/yrup to $328k/yr at Stoke Space

Measured from 523 distinct posted rates, across 60 employers, each as a year's pay (an hourly rate × 2,080 hours). 365 of the 928 listings open here post no pay at all.

Space companies hire quality engineers and inspectors to make sure every part is right before it flies, from the supplier's dock to the launch pad. Each listing here is re-verified on the employer's own job board once an hour.

Live roles for quality engineers and inspectors

Updated 31 Oct 2026, 06:02 UTC

Listed here: Lockheed Martin roles. See every employer

Supplier quality

1 open

Make sure the parts suppliers deliver meet the drawing: audits, first article inspection and corrective action.

Inspection, metrology and NDT

25 open

Inspect and measure hardware, and test it without breaking it (NDT).

Show 15 more inspection roles

Mission assurance, reliability and safety

9 open

Reliability analysis, mission and product assurance, and safety engineering for flight hardware and the sites that build it.

Quality engineers

51 open

Quality engineering on the factory floor and across the program.

Show 41 more quality 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
Supplier quality53$108k–$230k/yr$240k/yr
Inspection, metrology and NDT238$67.7k–$180k/yr$284k/yr
Mission assurance, reliability and safety369$120k–$234k/yr$328k/yr
Quality engineers268$105k–$219k/yr$325k/yr

What the roles ask for

Drawn from the requirement lines of 255 out of 928 open roles for quality engineers and inspectors, 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

157

Ask for at least a bachelor's

91

Name no degree

  • Name years of experience205
  • Ask for a certification35
  • Name u.S. person status (ITAR or EAR)25
  • Set a residency or work-authorization condition22
  • Name nDT Level II or III11
  • Require programming (Python, C++, MATLAB and similar)11
  • Ask for a professional license5
  • Name an ASQ certification1

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

Who hires quality engineers and inspectors in the space industry

EmployerOpen rolesPay stated
Muon Space logoMuon Space5$139k–$233k/yr
Anduril logoAnduril1$183k–$243k/yr
Umbra logoUmbra1$150k–$180k/yr
Cowboy Space logoCowboy Space2$145k–$225k/yr
Astrolab logoAstrolab3$92k–$220k/yr
Amazon Leo logoAmazon Leo36$82.1k–$288k/yr
Johns Hopkins APL logoJohns Hopkins APL1$105k–$290k/yr
True Anomaly logoTrue Anomaly5$70k–$270k/yr
E-Space logoE-Space1$190k–$225k/yr
Stoke Space logoStoke Space3$54.6k–$328k/yr
BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems logoBAE Systems Space & Mission Systems7$47.6k–$165k/yr
K2 Space logoK2 Space8$62.4k–$220k/yr
Apex logoApex8$58.2k–$235k/yr
Xona Space Systems logoXona Space Systems1$62.4k–$104k/yr
Varda Space Industries logoVarda Space Industries4$140k–$179k/yr
Loft Orbital logoLoft Orbital3$157k–$239k/yr
Viasat logoViasat11$50.5k–$261k/yr
Skylo logoSkylo2Not stated
Astra logoAstra1Not stated
Impulse Space logoImpulse Space9$72.8k–$225k/yr
Blue Origin logoBlue Origin85$45.8k–$284k/yr
Capella Space logoCapella Space1$78.7k–$95.1k/yr
KBR logoKBR10$108k–$211k/yr
Quantum Space logoQuantum Space2$100k–$180k/yr
Revolution Space logoRevolution Space1$133k–$147k/yr
Planet logoPlanet5$145k–$191k/yr
Gravitics logoGravitics1$150k–$190k/yr
Millennium Space Systems logoMillennium Space Systems4$61.2k–$193k/yr
Reflect Orbital logoReflect Orbital1$100k–$140k/yr
CesiumAstro logoCesiumAstro25$83k–$201k/yr
Spire Global logoSpire Global2Not stated
Voyager Technologies logoVoyager Technologies8$41.6k–$175k/yr
Northwood Space logoNorthwood Space3$100k–$175k/yr
Orbit Fab logoOrbit Fab1$94k–$128k/yr
Sierra Space logoSierra Space8$49.1k–$277k/yr
Relativity Space logoRelativity Space31$58.5k–$215k/yr
Boeing logoBoeing5$88.4k–$166k/yr
Vast logoVast19$60.3k–$268k/yr
Firefly Aerospace logoFirefly Aerospace3Not stated
ArianeGroup logoArianeGroup18Not stated
Thales Alenia Space logoThales Alenia Space13Not stated
Isar Aerospace logoIsar Aerospace11Not stated
OHB logoOHB10Not stated
The Aerospace Corporation logoThe Aerospace Corporation9Not stated
ICEYE logoICEYE7Not stated
Airbus Defence and Space logoAirbus Defence and Space6Not stated
Open Cosmos logoOpen Cosmos6Not stated
Axiom Space logoAxiom Space5Not stated
The Exploration Company logoThe Exploration Company4Not stated
ClearSpace logoClearSpace3Not stated
Astroscale logoAstroscale2Not stated
Dawn Aerospace logoDawn Aerospace2Not stated
European Space Agency (ESA) logoEuropean Space Agency (ESA)2Not stated
Exotrail logoExotrail2Not stated
MaiaSpace logoMaiaSpace2Not stated
Rocket Factory Augsburg logoRocket Factory Augsburg2Not stated
Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) logoSurrey Satellite Technology (SSTL)2Not stated
Star Catcher logoStar Catcher2Not stated
Constellr logoConstellr1Not stated
Eutelsat logoEutelsat1Not stated
HyImpulse logoHyImpulse1Not stated
Reflex Aerospace logoReflex Aerospace1Not stated
Sidus Space logoSidus Space1Not stated
Telesat logoTelesat1Not stated
Telespazio logoTelespazio1Not stated
Vaya Space logoVaya Space1Not stated
Vyoma logoVyoma1Not stated
Katalyst Space Technologies logoKatalyst Space Technologies1$110k–$145k/yr
SES logoSES4Not stated
Intuitive Machines logoIntuitive Machines2Not stated
RTX logoRTX3$95.5k–$252k/yr
SpaceX logoSpaceX194$45.8k–$280k/yr
ispace logoispace3$101k–$152k/yr
L3Harris logoL3Harris9$49.5k–$178k/yr
AST SpaceMobile logoAST SpaceMobile15Not stated
Lockheed Martin logoLockheed Martin86$36.4k–$325k/yr
Vantor logoVantor1$105k–$140k/yr
SEAKR Engineering logoSEAKR Engineering1$58.2k–$83.2k/yr
Redwire logoRedwire7$62.4k–$239k/yr
Blue Canyon Technologies logoBlue Canyon Technologies2$52k–$79k/yr
Leidos logoLeidos2$48.1k–$167k/yr
Terran Orbital logoTerran Orbital1$90k–$120k/yr
AeroVironment (AV) logoAeroVironment (AV)3$118k–$179k/yr
United Launch Alliance logoUnited Launch Alliance9$48k–$202k/yr
Northrop Grumman logoNorthrop Grumman67$44.4k–$263k/yr
Virgin Galactic logoVirgin Galactic4$53k–$105k/yr
Iridium logoIridium1$105k–$140k/yr
Rocket Lab logoRocket Lab14$54.1k–$188k/yr
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) logoNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)6$83.8k–$175k/yr
CACI logoCACI3$65k–$200k/yr
Amentum logoAmentum9$67k–$85k/yr
Ursa Major logoUrsa Major8$57.5k–$275k/yr
Lunar Outpost logoLunar Outpost2Not stated
Teledyne logoTeledyne12$39k–$129k/yr
Moog logoMoog5$62.4k–$150k/yr
Astranis logoAstranis10$60.3k–$235k/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.

Quality Engineer or Inspector salary by employer

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

How each employer checks you

For every employer currently hiring quality engineers and inspectors: 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 Leo36 open
Assessment
Amazon's interview loop. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Blue Origin logoBlue Origin85 open
Assessment
No general test published. How to apply
Interview
None published
Thales Alenia Space logoThales Alenia Space13 open
Assessment
Thales interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Airbus Defence and Space logoAirbus Defence and Space6 open
Assessment
Airbus interviews and role tests. How to apply
Interview
Interview
European Space Agency (ESA) logoEuropean Space Agency (ESA)2 open
Assessment
ESA's pre-screening and panel interview. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Credentials
You complete a basic medical screening for the ESA Medical Officer and a basic background screening run by an external party; in a second stage ESA contacts your referees and verifies your diploma. Source
Lockheed Martin logoLockheed Martin86 open
Assessment
Lockheed Martin's interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
Northrop Grumman logoNorthrop Grumman67 open
Assessment
The recruiter screening and team interviews. How to apply
Interview
Interview
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) logoNASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)6 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 quality engineers and inspectors, 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: 33 open space internships for quality engineers and inspectors.

What our research measures about quality 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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quality openings, sent to your inbox

Once a week, the quality openings that appeared across every space company we follow, each with its posted salary. No cost, and one click stops it.

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Frequently asked questions

How much do quality engineers and inspectors earn in the space industry?

Going by the 523 distinct salaries currently posted for roles for quality engineers and inspectors (each put on a full-time year), the typical range is $90.4k–$221k/yr and the median is $128k/yr. The top posted figure is $328k/yr, at Stoke Space. 365 of the 928 open roles for quality engineers and inspectors state no pay, so check each listing.

What do quality roles ask for?

Quality engineering roles usually ask for an engineering degree; inspector roles often ask for inspection experience instead, and some for an NDT level. Every posting spells out its exact requirements and work site, so read each one. Of the 255 open roles for quality engineers and inspectors whose requirements we read, 1 ask for a PhD, 6 a master's, 157 at least a bachelor's and 91 name no degree.

What does a quality engineer or inspector do at a space company?

Quality engineers and inspectors at a space company check that hardware matches its design: they inspect and measure parts, run nondestructive tests, review build records, work with suppliers on their parts, and trace each problem to its cause.

How do space companies hire quality engineers and inspectors?

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 quality engineers and inspectors now, European Space Agency (ESA) says it checks credentials such as degrees. 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, Anduril, Umbra and Cowboy Space 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 quality engineers and inspectors the most?

Of the 9 employers whose postings for quality engineers and inspectors state enough pay for a figure, the highest medians are Amazon Leo ($162k/yr), Vast ($154k/yr) and Blue Origin ($145k/yr). A median is of what each employer's open roles post today, by the same formula for every employer.

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Quality & Mission Assurance

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