Mechanical Engineer (Dragon)

SpaceX · Hawthorne, CA

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Role at a Glance

Title: Mechanical Engineer (Dragon) | Company: SpaceX | Location: Hawthorne, CA (remote-listed) | Salary: $100,000–$140,000/yr across two defined levels | Min. Experience: 1 year CAD/FEA + mechanical design (internships count) | Education: Bachelor's in ME, AE, or Physics required | Citizenship: ITAR-restricted — U.S. citizens, green card holders, refugees, and asylees eligible | Travel: Required to TX, FL, and Central CA sites as needed.

What This Role Actually Is

The Dragon capsule is the first commercially operated spacecraft to carry crew safely to and from the International Space Station. A mechanical engineer on this program takes full end-to-end ownership of structural systems — starting at early-phase concept work and continuing through manufacturing, launch operations, and post-flight recovery. The pace is fast and the stakes are literal: components you design will fly on crewed missions. SpaceX expects engineers at this level to drive their own work without hand-holding, holding themselves accountable for technical quality and schedule at every stage of the development cycle.

About SpaceX

SpaceX is a private aerospace manufacturer and launch services provider headquartered in Hawthorne, California. The company builds and operates launch vehicles, the Dragon crew-and-cargo capsule, and the Starlink satellite constellation, among other programs. Its long-term objective is to make human settlement on Mars technically and economically viable — an ambition that shapes how it hires and how fast it moves. SpaceX has become the world's most active orbital launch provider, routinely turning around missions in days rather than months.

What You Will Own

  • Take full design and development ownership of mechanical spacecraft systems from initial concept to qualified flight hardware
  • Perform structural analysis using hand calculations, finite element analysis (FEA), and CAD modeling in a rapidly evolving design environment
  • Lead design reviews with internal engineering teams as well as external suppliers and customers
  • Drive project schedule across all phases: early design, manufacturing, launch operations, and vehicle recovery
  • Hold yourself to a high standard of technical rigor and be personally accountable for your deliverables

Must-Have Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or physics
  • 1+ year of experience using CAD and FEA software packages — internship or extracurricular project work counts toward this threshold
  • 1+ year of hands-on involvement driving the design and development of mechanical components or systems — internship or project team experience is accepted
  • Willingness to work extended hours and weekends when mission schedules require it
  • Availability to travel to SpaceX facilities in Texas, Florida, and Central California as needed
  • Clearance eligibility to pass U.S. Air Force background checks for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base
  • ITAR eligibility: must be a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (green card holder), refugee (8 U.S.C. § 1157), or asylee (8 U.S.C. § 1158), or hold applicable State Department authorization

Preferred Experience (Not Required to Apply)

  • Demonstrated leadership on an engineering team or technical project
  • Experience designing structural or mechanical parts for a high-performance vehicle
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly across cross-functional or supplier-facing settings
  • Ability to synthesize data quickly and reach defensible decisions under time pressure
  • Genuine drive to take deep personal ownership of flight-critical hardware outcomes
  • Systematic troubleshooting skills: failure analysis, root-cause investigation, and design of experiments (DOE)
  • Prior experience working in a high-tempo manufacturing or production environment
  • Master's degree in mechanical, aerospace, or a related engineering discipline

Skills Snapshot: What's Gating vs. What's a Bonus

Two hard floors exist for this role: you must have meaningfully used CAD and FEA tools, and you must have been directly involved in driving a mechanical design from concept to finished component — student and internship projects satisfy both one-year thresholds. Everything else (high-performance vehicle experience, failure analysis methodology, leadership history, a Master's degree) lives in the preferred column. The role levels as I or II; Level I is explicitly an early-career path, making this one of the few SpaceX openings where a strong new graduate with substantial project experience is a credible candidate rather than an afterthought.

Salary and Total Compensation

SpaceX publishes two explicit pay bands for this position. Level I engineers earn $100,000–$117,500 per year; Level II engineers earn $110,000–$140,000 per year. Actual level and starting base are set individually based on relevant skills, education, and experience. Base pay is one component of a broader package that includes eligibility for long-term incentives — company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards — plus potential performance bonuses and access to an Employee Stock Purchase Plan at a discounted price. SpaceX has not disclosed a specific equity percentage in this posting; candidates should discuss total equity expectations directly during the offer stage.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) retirement savings plan
  • Short-term and long-term disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Paid parental leave
  • 3 weeks of accrued paid vacation
  • 10 or more paid holidays per year
  • Accrued paid sick leave per company policy
  • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (discounted share purchases)
  • Eligibility for company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards
  • Potential discretionary performance bonuses

Location and Work Model

This opening is listed as remote, but the role carries an explicit travel requirement to SpaceX facilities in Texas, Florida, and Central California on an as-needed basis. Candidates must also hold clearance eligibility to access Air Force-managed launch sites at Cape Canaveral (Florida) and Vandenberg Space Force Base (California). No relocation assistance details are stated in the posting. ITAR regulations restrict eligibility to U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees — visa sponsorship is not mentioned.

Frequently asked questions

Does SpaceX sponsor visas for the Mechanical Engineer (Dragon) role?

The posting does not mention visa sponsorship. ITAR export control regulations require applicants to already hold U.S. citizenship or nationality, lawful permanent residency (green card), refugee status under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or asylee status under 8 U.S.C. § 1158 — or to obtain the relevant State Department authorization independently.

Does internship experience count toward the one-year minimum requirements?

Yes. SpaceX explicitly states that internship experience, extracurricular projects, and project-team work all count toward the one-year thresholds for both CAD/FEA tool proficiency and hands-on mechanical design experience.

How are the two salary levels determined and what do they pay?

Level I pays $100,000–$117,500 per year and Level II pays $110,000–$140,000 per year. SpaceX determines placement on a case-by-case basis, weighing job-related knowledge and skills, relevant education, and overall experience.

Is this role actually remote, or will I need to travel on-site?

The position is listed as remote, but the job description requires the ability to travel to SpaceX sites in Texas, Florida, and Central California as needed. It also requires Air Force background check eligibility for Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg Space Force Base, which implies periodic presence at those launch facilities.

Is a Master's degree required to be considered?

No. A Master's degree in an engineering discipline appears only in the preferred qualifications section. The hard educational requirement is a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or physics.

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