Great mission but low morale in enterprise software development work environment - Anonymous employee SpaceX Employee Review

3.0
Jan 29, 2019
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Meaningful mission Ability to work with incredibly talented, creative, and passionate team members across the company Subsidized meals, masseuse Great mental health care benefit Once you leave, SpaceX brand opens many doors for you

Cons

Office politics/seniority often drives promotions rather than merit "Scrappiness" is sometimes laziness in disguise Managers who are expected to also be individual contributors and end up being both mediocre managers and contributors Stingy pay (including spot bonuses, pay raises) Burnout Low morale after layoffs Brain drain after layoffs results in loss of critical knowledge, setting business users and development teams back

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5.0
Jun 17, 2026
Anonymous employee
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CEO approval
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Pros

good place to work and earn money

Cons

Heavy workload and long time work

5.0
Jun 29, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

* **Unmatched Mission & Impact:** You are literally working on rockets and spacecraft. The cool factor is 10/10. * **Brilliant Coworkers:** You will be surrounded by some of the smartest, most driven engineers in the world. * **Insane Career Growth:** SpaceX on your resume is a golden ticket. You will learn more here in 3 months than in 3 years at a normal company. * **Hands-on Experience:** They actually trust interns with real, critical hardware. No boring coffee-fetching tasks.

Cons

**Cons:** * **Zero Work-Life Balance:** 70-80 hours a week is the norm, not the exception. Say goodbye to your social life and sleep. * **Extreme Burnout:** The "hustle culture" is toxic. You are expected to treat the company as your entire life. * **Mediocre Pay:** The hourly pay is average, especially when you factor in the insane hours and the high cost of living in LA/Hawthorne. * **Chaotic Management:** Decisions can change overnight based on whatever Elon Musk tweets or feels like doing that morning.

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