Space Jobs for Software Engineers

Going by the 519 distinct salaries currently posted for roles for software engineers (each put on a full-time year), the typical range is $142k–$265k/yr and the median is $160k/yr. The top posted figure is $355k/yr, at SpaceX. 377 of the 896 open roles for software engineers state no pay, so check each listing.

Not always: many roles ask for strong software experience in the language and domain they name (C++ and embedded systems for flight software, cloud and web stacks for ground software) rather than space experience. Every posting spells out its exact requirements and work site, so read each one. Of the 264 open roles for software engineers whose requirements we read, 3 a master's, 186 at least a bachelor's and 75 name no degree.

A software engineer at a space company writes either the software that runs on the vehicle (flight and embedded code that has to work the first time) or the software around it: mission control, telemetry and simulation, test automation, and the systems the factory and the business run on.

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.

Every role here is read from a space employer's own careers page or job board (Muon Space, Hubble Network, Outpost and Turion 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.