Space Jobs for Software Engineers

Across the 492 distinct hourly rates posted for roles for software engineers right now, typical pay runs from $143000 to $265000 an hour, with a median of $163000. The highest posted rate is $355000 an hour, at SpaceX. 345 of the 837 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. Each listing states what it requires and where it is based. Of the 59 open roles for software engineers whose requirements we read, 37 a bachelor's or a degree and 22 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.