Software Engineer, C++ (Starlink)

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-03-11

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, C++ (STARLINK)

At SpaceX we’re leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world’s most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world’s largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system – thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We’ve only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink’s potential global impact and are looking for best-in-class engineers to help maximize Starlink’s utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

As a Software Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize the hardware we have deployed. Our goal is to provide customers with the best possible satellite internet experience, often providing under-served communities with affordable, life-changing broadband internet access.

Our software engineers are responsible for the complete lifecycle of the software they create, including development, testing, and support. We expect our engineers to close the feedback loop between software design and real-world performance. In this role, your software will have a meaningful and measurable impact on the world.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop highly reliable, real-time software designed to run on the gateways, satellites, user terminals, and switches that make up our low latency, high capacity satellite-based global network.
• Participate in and lead architecture, design, and code reviews.
• Develop prototypes and manage experiments to prove out key design concepts.
• Develop tools for software development and deployment, data analysis and visualization, and test execution across multiple environments, including virtualized hardware environments, real hardware-in-the-loop simulations, and on-orbit testing.
• Deploy reliable software, test execution, and data analysis as part of a continuous integration and release system.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science discipline; OR 2+ years of professional experience in software development in lieu of a degree (internship experience is applicable).
• Development experience in C, C++, or assembly.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Strong professional experience writing C, C++ or assembly in a production environment.
• Developed, debugged and deployed software that has been used in real world applications/projects.
• Knowledgeable in real-time rendering, game engine development, physics simulation, or other real-time, resource-constrained, high-performance computing.
• Creative approach to problem solving, exceptional analytical skills and engineering fundamentals.
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements.
• Experience with networking protocols (UDP, TCP/IP, etc) and distributed systems.
• Experience in security issues associated with distributed systems and internet services.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:    
    
Pay range:    
Software Engineer/Level I: $135,000.00 - $155,000.00/per year    
Software Engineer/Level II: $155,000.00 - $185,000.00/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 and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and 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. 

Explore around this job

Field: Technology Sub-niche: Software engineering All jobs at SpaceX Jobs in California Jobs in Sunnyvale, CA Sunnyvale city guide California state guide Santa Clara 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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How to prepare and behave

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• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
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• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.
• Have code, data work or projects you can show, and be ready to think aloud: many technical interviews test how you reason, not only the answer.

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The city

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

How Sunnyvale compares. Among the 145 largest places in California, Sunnyvale is #37 by population, #12 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #15 for household income (#1 = highest), #129 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Santa Clara County, is #1 of 58 counties for average pay ($197,043).

The place in numbers

Sunnyvale has 154,236 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of California. It covers 22 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 6,992 people per square mile. The median age is 35.2, 7% younger than the state median (35.2 against 37.9).

Housing

The median gross rent is $3,039 a month (rent plus utilities), 49% above the state median ($3,039 against $2,036). Over a year that is 19.6% 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 $1,801,800, which is 9.7 times the median household income ($186,170); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 43.8% of households own their home, 22% below the state average (43.8% against 55.9%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.

Work and pay

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area has 1,134,970 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $84,050 a year, 65% above the national median ($84,050 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are computer and mathematical (149,970 jobs, median $186,320); management (115,110 jobs, median $210,750); business and financial operations (94,210 jobs, median $125,240). The area is most specialised in computer and mathematical (3.9 times) and architecture and engineering (2.5 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($210,750) and legal ($195,190). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Santa Clara County was 4.2%. 72.4% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Santa Clara County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 53.7% drive alone, 4.0% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 29.2% work from home. 9.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 54% below the state average (9.0% against 19.4%). Remote work is more common than in the state as a whole, which widens the set of employers a resident can work for without moving.

People and education

69.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 87% above the state share (69.3% against 37.1%). 50.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 86% above the state share (50.2% against 27.0%). The poverty rate is 5.8%, 52% below the state rate (5.8% against 12.0%).

Climate

The warmest month is Aug, averaging 68°F (19.8°C), and the coolest is Jan at 47°F (8.3°C). About 510 mm (20 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (114 mm) and Jul the driest (0 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: Mountain View (3 miles, similar rent); Santa Clara (4 miles, similar rent); Los Altos (4 miles, rent 15% higher); Cupertino (5 miles, rent 15% higher). Rent differences are against Sunnyvale; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Sunnyvale →California guideAll jobs in Sunnyvale

Official links for Sunnyvale

• Official website of Sunnyvale: sunnyvale.ca.gov
• Census Bureau data profile for Sunnyvale
• Official website of Santa Clara County: santaclaracounty.gov
• Official state website: ca.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: California

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Where to live

CITY Official statistics Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year (via Census Reporter) · Data: ACS 2020–2024

Places within 50 miles (straight line) of Sunnyvale, CA that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.

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 (713) Data, analytics and AI (3366) Cloud, IT and infrastructure (1040) Product management (836)

Distances

CITY Calculation (straight line) Source: U.S. Census Bureau Gazetteer (coordinates) · Data: 2024

How far Sunnyvale, CA is from the 20 largest US cities, in straight-line miles (not driving distance). Click a column to sort.

Nearby cities with open jobs (within 120 miles)

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, C++ (Starlink) job at SpaceX?

A private-sector role in technology (software engineering) listed 243 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Sunnyvale, 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 Sunnyvale is $3,039 a month and median household income $186,170 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-03-11 (243 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 2026-03-11). 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)