According to previous & current employees, SpaceX is the \u201cbest place on the planet for bleeding-edge R&D\u201d. Indeed, the research and achievements of Elon Musk\u2019s space company are next to none and have attracted the attention of the world\u2019s top talent. It is for this very reason that SpaceX careers are one of the most popular career paths for engineering students and non-engineering students alike. <\/p>\n
For those looking to be part of some of the biggest advancements in spaceflight, telecommunications and engineering, a SpaceX internship <\/strong>is hard to beat. <\/p>\n The SpaceX internship is one of the most coveted and competitive internships on the planet. Firsthand.co lists SpaceX\u2019s internship program as the 7th most prestigious in the world-beating the likes of Facebook, Amazon, Deloitte and IBM.<\/p>\n Looking for SpaceX employment<\/strong>? At Space Crew, we can help you find your next dream job in the space & satellite industry at companies like SpaceX, NASA and more. <\/p>\n What is the SpaceX internship? Is it paid? What is the starting salary for SpaceX interns? What is the application and interview process like? <\/p>\n In this article, we\u2019ll tell you all you need to know about the famous SpaceX internship program<\/strong>. <\/p>\n SpaceX internships are available year-round and give undergraduate & postgraduate students a great opportunity to take part in the revolutionary science and technological achievements <\/strong>taking place at Elon Musk\u2019s space firm. <\/p>\n SpaceX has two entry-level offerings: <\/p>\n Interns – for current students<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Associate Engineers – for recent graduates<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n In this article, we\u2019ll be discussing the internship program<\/strong>. Want to learn about associate engineer opportunities? Check out this page on SpaceX\u2019s website for more information.<\/p>\n Internships are available for both technical and non-technical roles. Unlike some internships, SpaceX prides itself on giving its interns as many responsibilities as a full-time employee. As SpaceX put it \u201c[interns] will be an integral part of our team\u201d. <\/p>\n SpaceX offers a range of different roles to interns in any department of the organization. <\/p>\n Interns can be posted to any of the following roles: <\/p>\n Technology & engineering<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Software<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Design<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Testing & Safety<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Manufacturing<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Business Operations<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Interns are given lots of opportunities and responsibilities to make things happen. They\u2019re given real projects with real deadlines. <\/p>\n What\u2019s quite exciting about the SpaceX internship, in particular, is that large parts of the job are autonomous \u2013 i.e. you\u2019ll be working by yourself on your own projects. <\/p>\n You won\u2019t be forced to shadow an engineer all day or be relegated to mundane admin tasks like filing or making coffee. You\u2019re in the thick of it.<\/p>\n As with any role at SpaceX, interns need to work hard. Former interns and employees reveal that interns regularly work 80 hours a week. Whilst this can be a significant deal-breaker for some people, those who are keen on spaceflight and space engineering will relish the opportunity. <\/p>\n Former SpaceX employees note that \u201cyou\u2019re typically having so much fun doing what you\u2019re doing you hardly notice the time pass\u201d. The grind at SpaceX is, however, undoubtedly difficult. <\/p>\n Yes. Both internships and associate engineer opportunities are paid at SpaceX. There are other benefits to working at SpaceX as an intern too. Achievements as a SpaceX intern may also be used to satisfy college course credit if your university permits. <\/p>\n Moreover, SpaceX offers a range of relocation assistance packages and housing assistance. During the work day, SpaceX offers their employees & interns \u201cgourmet-style\u201d food to keep them juiced up throughout the day. This also includes a free coffee bar, burgers, Chinese food and more!<\/p>\n Former interns on Glassdoor report good health insurance coverage with a low deductible and free monthly premium. SpaceX also offers good dental insurance and good health-care on-site.<\/p>\n Other benefits include an employee discount on SpaceX merch (up to 75% off) and a free gym membership.<\/p>\n Not only does SpaceX provide their interns with a wealth of opportunities and responsibilities to undertake cutting-edge research, but they also pay them quite well! <\/p>\n According to anonymous submissions on Glassdoor, SpaceX interns make on average $63,716 a year<\/strong>. Of course, internships may not last a full year \u2013 so the average monthly pay is $5,309<\/strong>. That\u2019s not bad at all \u2013 considering SpaceX pays 57% above the US average for an intern position. <\/strong><\/p>\n The SpaceX internship is designed for undergraduates and postgraduates studying at a four-year accredited university. <\/p>\n There\u2019s no set list of top universities and colleges that SpaceX recruits from. Instead, SpaceX pays particular attention to any significant contributions you\u2019ve made \u2013 instead of what institution you\u2019re studying at. <\/p>\n Students studying for Master\u2019s or PhD degrees are also eligible for the internship \u2013 and indeed, given the complexity of the work, being in this position is often advantageous.<\/p>\n Here are some other prerequisites for a SpaceX internship application<\/strong>:<\/p>\n Have a GPA of 3.5 or higher.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Can demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and can work effectively in a team with limited resources at a rapid pace. Remember, research happens fast at SpaceX and you need to keep up with it!<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Are proficient in Windows and in Microsoft Office<\/p>\n<\/li>\n (For technical roles) have hands-on experience through engineering projects, lab research or through a prior relevant internship. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n (For business operations) have prior experience through a relevant internship or work experience. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n These are \u201cpreferred qualifications\u201d, so they\u2019re not essential. However, you\u2019ll find it much easier to get accepted into the internship program if you meet the above criteria. <\/p>\n According to Meagan Karagias, a former recruiter at SpaceX, candidates should be able to demonstrate that they: <\/p>\n Excel academically<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Get involved in engineering groups that are focused on design\/build\/test\/code<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Plan to apply early. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Specifically, Karagias says that being a \u201cmember of\u201d a group isn\u2019t usually enough to persuade SpaceX recruiters. Instead, the company wants to see the projects and components you\u2019ve worked on and how you\u2019ve been developing leadership and technical responsibility as you\u2019ve been going along. <\/p>\n She says that the vast majority of successful candidates had put in between 20-40 hours a week in a design\/build\/test\/code engineering project. <\/p>\n She also says: <\/p>\n \u201cGetting face time with SpaceX engineers and recruiters goes hand-in-hand with getting involved in engineering projects.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n A big plus for SpaceX is when a candidate can demonstrate that they have engaged with the company\u2019s campus visits, and outreach programs and regularly follow the work SpaceX do. <\/p>\n Internships at SpaceX last a minimum of 12 weeks \u2013 and can be extended if you have the time and you\u2019ve demonstrated your ability to work there! <\/p>\n SpaceX intern positions are available year-round in three intakes (or seasons): <\/p>\n Spring (Jan-Apr)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Summer (May-Aug)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fall (Sept-Dec)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The SpaceX summer internship is by far the most popular intake – given it fits extremely well with summer break. If you\u2019re able to take a Fall or Spring placement, you may find it easier to get accepted!<\/p>\n If you want to apply for an internship at SpaceX, Karagias advises you to \u201cplan to apply early\u201d: \u201cOur internships fill in a rolling manner; we schedule interviews for qualified applicants as they come in for a finite number of spots. Once all positions are full, the requisition will close.\u201d<\/p>\n SpaceX will hire open applications for Spring internships in the previous July. Summer internship applications usually open in the previous August. Fall applications open in February. We highly recommend applying as soon as possible to increase your chance of getting an interview. <\/p>\n SpaceX hiring processes are notoriously long and difficult. Why? SpaceX is only looking for the top talent, and so design a gruelling interview pipeline to find the best of the best. <\/p>\n You\u2019ll be glad to hear that the internship program doesn\u2019t follow this philosophy. Unlike for other positions at the company, the SpaceX internship interview process <\/strong>is relatively straightforward. <\/p>\n As mentioned before, qualified candidates are selected for interviews whilst applications are still open. That\u2019s why it\u2019s really important to apply early \u2013 as once all the positions are filled, you\u2019ll have to wait for the next intake. <\/p>\n Internship interviews are predominantly telephone interviews<\/strong>. The first call is a pre-screening <\/strong>call \u2013 similar to a Human Resources review. Here, an interviewer will check over your resume and ask questions about your experience and interests. <\/p>\n The second round of interviews \u2013 also telephone \u2013 will be with an engineer (or a business operations employee). For technical internships, your engineer will test your knowledge of mathematics, aerospace engineering, software design and anything else they find relevant to the internship you\u2019re applying for. <\/p>\n Job seekers on Glassdoor have listed some of the questions they were asked. They include: <\/p>\n Given a cantilever beam with a load on the free end, where does the beam fail? How does the beam fail, and what is the mechanism of the failure?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n What is the most weight-efficient cross-sectional area for a beam?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n How would you design the fluid pipes on a crew module? <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Non-technical questions are usually standard behavioral questions like: <\/p>\n Tell me about a time you faced a problem. How did you overcome it? <\/p>\n<\/li>\n What leadership qualities and experience do you have? <\/p>\n<\/li>\n Why do you want to become an intern at SpaceX?<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Overall, candidates note that the SpaceX internship interview process is easy & straightforward \u2013 given you know your technical & mechanical knowledge! Be prepared to get your brain picked on the spot!<\/p>\n The best place to find SpaceX internship job posts is on Space Crew – the solar system\u2019s biggest space jobs website. Using our intuitive job search tool, you can quickly search all the available internship roles available at SpaceX. You\u2019ll have your SpaceX internship application completed in no time!<\/p>\n Our job board also lists open positions & internships from a whole host of companies in the space industry such as OneWeb, Planet, NASA, Blue Origin and many more. We\u2019ll connect you with space agencies, satellite companies, launch providers and everything in between. <\/p>\n You can find a wide range of positions in space companies, including Software Engineering, HR, Engineering, Product Development, Operations, Research and more!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" According to previous & current employees, SpaceX is the \u201cbest place on the planet for bleeding-edge R&D\u201d. Indeed, the research and achievements of Elon Musk\u2019s space company are next to none and have attracted the attention of the world\u2019s top talent. It is for this very reason that SpaceX careers are one of the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42480\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What is the SpaceX Internship?<\/h2>\n
\n
What do interns do at SpaceX?<\/h2>\n
\n
Are SpaceX Internships Paid?<\/h2>\n
How much do SpaceX interns get paid? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
What qualifications do I need to become a SpaceX intern? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
When are SpaceX internship positions available? <\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
What is the interview process for SpaceX internships like? <\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Where can I find SpaceX Internship Posts? <\/strong><\/h2>\n