Launch & Mission Operations
Launch and mission operations jobs in California
107 open launch and mission operations jobs in California right now, at 33 employers, typically posting $133k–$175k a year. Get vehicles off the pad and keep them flying: launch control, range, recovery and satellite operations.
- SpaceX14 open
- Rocket Lab10 open
- Northrop Grumman9 open
- Amentum8 open
- K2 Space8 open
- The Aerospace Corporation4 open
- Reflect Orbital4 open
- Viasat4 open
- Anduril3 open
- Impulse Space3 open
The 10 employers with the most open jobs here. 33 in all.
- 25th percentile$133,000/hr
- Median (50th)$152,500/hr
- 75th percentile$175,000/hr
- Distinct posted rates85
- Jobs stating an hourly rate85
- Employers31
The median is the middle of the 85 distinct rates they post, and the middle half, $133,000–$175,000 an hour, runs from their 25th percentile to their 75th: half of the rates fall between them. Each range counts at its midpoint, and a job posted many times at one rate counts once, so no employer's posting volume sets the figure.
Newest launch and mission operations jobs in California
Checked 7 Nov 2026, 11:17 UTC
$122,600–$185,000/yr
$140,333–$179,314/yr
$170,000–$242,000/yr
$99,000–$215,000/yr
$195,000–$240,000/yr
$33.00–$41.75/hr- $100,000–$140,000/yr
$75,000–$85,000/yr- $130,000–$150,000/yr
$145,000–$160,000/yr- $120,000–$146,000/yr
$140,000–$175,000/yr- $140,000–$180,000/yr
- $30/hr
$94,200–$141,200/yr
$115,000–$172,000/yr- $155,000–$215,000/yr
- $145,000–$175,000/yr
- $62.00/hr
- $114,000–$171,000/yr
$105,000–$140,000/yr- $90,000–$125,000/yr
- $114,000–$171,000/yr
$218,262–$305,567/yr
$112,200–$196,400/yr
$116,000–$174,000/yr
$29.57–$46.63/hr
$150,000–$200,000/yr- $175,000–$225,000/yr
$140,000–$170,000/yr- $150,000–$180,000/yr
$132,000–$175,000/yr- $120,500–$190,000/yr
$75,800–$144,200/yr- $112,000–$159,000/yr
- $107,200–$160,600/yr
$34–$51/hr • Offers Equity
Selected agencies hiring now
Contract Professionals Inc (CPI)Engineering and technical staffing agency
Aerospace and defense staffing firm in Waterford, Michigan, placing engineers, maintenance technicians, mechanics, welders and CNC machinists.
Places: Propulsion, Mechanical, Avionics, RF & Payloads
These agencies and apps pay SpaceJobs.Now a referral fee when someone we introduce is placed or signs up. It costs you nothing and never changes your pay. Employers' own jobs below keep their own order.
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What launch and mission operations jobs pay in California
Typical posted pay
The middle half of the pay figures posted on 85 open launch and mission operations jobs in California, from 31 employers, median $153k/yr, before bonuses, equity and overtime. Launch & Ops pay in every state.
Launch & Ops occupations in California
Each occupation's page for California sets the pay its jobs post beside what BLS measures in the state and its metro areas.
Employers hiring Launch & Ops in California
The employers with the most open launch and mission operations jobs in California. Each page shows every job the employer has open and what it pays.
- SpaceX14 open in California
- Rocket Lab10 open in California
- Northrop Grumman9 open in California
- Amentum8 open in California
K2 Space8 open in California- The Aerospace Corporation4 open in California
Reflect Orbital4 open in California- Viasat4 open in California
- Anduril3 open in California
- Impulse Space3 open in California
- Northwood Space3 open in California
- Varda Space Industries3 open in California
Where the jobs are
The towns in California with the most open launch and mission operations jobs.
Launch and mission operations jobs in California: common questions
What do launch and mission operations jobs in California pay?
Of the 85 open launch and mission operations jobs in California that state a salary, at 31 space companies, the middle half offers $133k–$175k a year, $153k/yr at the median. The level, the company and any clearance move the figure, and each role shows the range its employer posted. Compare Launch & Ops salaries in every state.
Who has the most launch and mission operations jobs in California?
By open jobs on this board: SpaceX (14), Rocket Lab (10) and Northrop Grumman (9). In all, 33 employers have launch and mission operations jobs open in California.
What do you need to get hired?
An engineering or technical background; many operators come from the military, and shift work is common. Each posting lists its own requirements.
Where in California are the most launch and mission operations jobs?
Long Beach (20), El Segundo (13), Hawthorne (12), Los Angeles (12) and Redondo Beach (10). A job open in several towns counts in each.
How current are these jobs, and how do I apply?
SpaceJobs.Now reads each employer's own job board every night, and a job stays listed while the employer keeps it posted. Each job has its own page with the full posting and the pay it states, and Apply shows the jobs like it that take your application now and the recruiters who place that work. Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC: job scams).
Launch and mission operations jobs in other states
Other space industry jobs in California
Sources and method
Cite this page
SpaceJobs.Now. (2026). Launch and mission operations jobs in California. Data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://spacejobs.now/states/california/launch-mission-ops