Software Engineer, Backend (Python/C++)

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-09-25

Job description

SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.

SOFTWARE ENGINEER, BACKEND (PYTHON/C++)

As a Software Engineer on the test infrastructure team, you will design, develop, and maintain SpaceX’s in-house testing ecosystem that powers software and hardware test and validation across all flight systems. You will build and evolve the core test infrastructure framework and supporting applications used for production testing, integration testing, and high-fidelity simulations. The team is focused on building out SpaceXAI, improving SpaceX’s engineering capacity and capability through AI tooling.

This is a high-impact role where you will work across engineering groups to create reliable, scalable, and performant testing tools that accelerate vehicle production and flight software. Our testing software is critical to mission success for all vehicle programs at SpaceX. SpaceX is looking for smart, motivated software engineers who enjoy taking on complex challenges, work well in dynamic environments, and care about software best practices.

Help us build world-class software that is critical to SpaceX’s mission to Mars.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and maintain the core test infrastructure framework and applications used across SpaceX
• Improve reliability, performance, and safety of test software and infrastructure
• Work closely with flight software engineers and users across the company to develop new features and improve user experiences
• Own all aspects of software engineering and product development for test infrastructure
• Deep dive into users’ problems to find and create efficient solutions

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience building software in lieu of a degree
• 1+ years of experience with C/C++
• 1+ years of experience with Python

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience developing telemetry-based software
• Expertise in designing software systems
• Front-end experience in Angular, React, or similar JavaScript framework
• Deep understanding of testing, continuous integration, build, deployment & monitoring
• Understanding of agentic workflows and utilizing AI to improve developer experience
• Expertise in profiling and improving application performance
• Experience with build systems (Make and Bazel preferred) and package management tools (pip, npm)
• Experience with UNIX-like operating systems and tools like Ansible and Puppet for managing them
• Production experience with Docker, Containerd, LXC, and/or Kubernetes
• Database experience with PostgreSQL, SQL Server, or similar database technologies

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• You may be asked to work extended hours/weekends dependent on launch cadence
• This role requires you to be onsite. Remote and/or hybrid work will not be considered

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:  

Pay Range:     
Software Engineer/Level I: $125,000.00 - $150,000.00/per year   

Software Engineer/Level II: $145,000.00 - $175,000.00/per year 

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. 

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock, stock options, or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation & will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law. 

ITAR REQUIREMENTS:

• To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.  

SpaceX is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with SpaceX is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

Applicants wishing to view a copy of SpaceX’s Affirmative Action Plan for veterans and individuals with disabilities, or applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to the application/interview process should reach out to EEOCompliance@spacex.com. 

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Field: Technology Sub-niche: Software engineering All jobs at SpaceX Jobs in California Jobs in Hawthorne, CA Hawthorne city guide California state guide Los Angeles County economy

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About the role

This is a — role in the Technology field (Software engineering) at SpaceX.

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The city

The job is in Hawthorne, CA. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.

How Hawthorne compares. Among the 145 largest places in California, Hawthorne is #101 by population, #145 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #132 for household income (#1 = highest), #24 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Los Angeles County, is #7 of 58 counties for average pay ($83,554).

The place in numbers

Hawthorne has 85,191 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of California. It covers 6 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 13,996 people per square mile. The median age is 33.9, 11% younger than the state median (33.9 against 37.9).

Housing

The median gross rent is $1,782 a month (rent plus utilities), 12% below the state median ($1,782 against $2,036). Over a year that is 28.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $863,400, which is 11.4 times the median household income ($75,848); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 27.2% of households own their home, 51% below the state average (27.2% against 55.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.

Work and pay

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metropolitan area has 6,271,560 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $55,850 a year, 10% above the national median ($55,850 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (702,480 jobs, median $52,710); food preparation and serving related (588,660 jobs, median $38,460); healthcare support (537,460 jobs, median $35,630). The area is most specialised in arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media (2.2 times) and healthcare support (1.7 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,490) and legal ($128,110). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Los Angeles County was 4.5%. 68.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Los Angeles County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 70.3% drive alone, 3.7% use public transit, 1.5% walk, 11.1% work from home. 18.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 3% below the state average (18.8% against 19.4%).

People and education

26.0% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30% below the state share (26.0% against 37.1%). 32.1% of residents were born outside the United States, 19% above the state share (32.1% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 29% above the state rate (15.5% against 12.0%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 75°F (23.9°C), and the coolest is Dec at 53°F (11.8°C). About 332 mm (13 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Feb is the wettest month (75 mm) and Jun the driest (1 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.

Nearby cities to compare

Closest cities in this guide: Inglewood (3 miles, similar rent); Torrance (6 miles, rent 28% higher); Compton (7 miles, rent 7% lower); Carson (8 miles, rent 10% higher). Rent differences are against Hawthorne; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Hawthorne →California guideAll jobs in Hawthorne

Official links for Hawthorne

• Official website of Hawthorne: cityofhawthorne.org
• Census Bureau data profile for Hawthorne
• Official website of Los Angeles County: lacounty.gov
• Official state website: ca.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: California

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Where to live

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Career paths

We could not match this title to one occupation, so here are the other sub-niches in Technology, where your skills may carry over:

Cybersecurity (469) Data, analytics and AI (2241) Cloud, IT and infrastructure (703) Product management (487)

Distances

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The employer

SpaceX is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

We do not hold headcount or revenue for this employer. Check its careers site and, if it is listed on a stock exchange, its public filings (SEC EDGAR search).

What it is like to work at a company (culture, schedules, benefits) is not in the source data, so we do not describe it. Read the description and ask the questions under "How to prepare".

Other open jobs at SpaceX

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Same sub-niche: Software engineering

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FAQ

What is the Software Engineer, Backend (Python/C++) job at SpaceX?

A private-sector role in technology (software engineering) listed 45 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Hawthorne, CA.

How do I apply?

Use the "View this job and apply on the employer's page" button. AtiveSite does not receive applications.

How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

Median rent in Hawthorne is $1,782 a month and median household income $75,848 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-09-25 (45 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse software engineering jobs in California.

Sources and terms

• Job data: SpaceX careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-09-25). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

AtiveSite is not affiliated with or endorsed by the employer or any government agency, and does not process applications. Verify every detail with the employer before acting.

Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)