Machine Operator (COPV)

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-11-04

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.

MACHINE OPERATOR (COPV)

The Starship COPV Composites Technician manufactures flight-critical composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) used to store high-pressure gases on Starship and Super Heavy. This is a hands-on production role: preparing metallic liners, filament-winding the composite overwrap, curing, and trimming, finishing, and assembling COPV hardware to engineering drawings and process specifications.

This position is onsite at a SpaceX production facility supporting Starship COPV manufacturing. The successful candidate is detail-oriented, comfortable working from travelers and work instructions, and able to produce consistent, high-quality composite work in a fast-paced flight-hardware environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Prepare metallic COPV liners and bond interfaces for overwrap, including grit blast, hand abrasion, and power abrasion
• Manufacture COPVs by filament winding composite fiber onto liners, including hoop and helical winding patterns, fiber tension, and resin application (wet winding and/or towpreg)
• Set up, operate, and tend filament winding equipment; load liners, verify winding programs, and monitor fiber path, bandwidth, and resin wet-out during the wrap
• Mix, handle, and apply resins and adhesives per process specification, including pot life, mix ratio, and material traceability
• Cure COPV overwraps and bonded assemblies in ovens or autoclaves, including thermocouple placement and process monitoring
• Trim and finish composite and composite-metallic COPV assemblies to drawing requirements
• Assemble COPV hardware, including setup, bonding, and fastener installation at bosses, fittings, and related structure
• Complete basic layouts on parts and assemblies to establish reference points and verify dimensions using calipers, micrometers, precision scales, and torque wrenches
• Follow travelers, work instructions, and standard operating procedures; record work and nonconformances as required
• Maintain FOD control, material traceability, and a clean, organized work area in a high-rate production environment

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or equivalency certificate
• 1+ years of experience working with in a manufacturing environment

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Experience manufacturing composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs) or other filament-wound pressure-critical hardware
• Experience operating CNC or programmable filament winding machines
• Experience controlling hoop and helical wind patterns, fiber tension, bandwidth, and resin content
• Experience drilling, reaming, honing, and/or countersinking close-tolerance holes, and installing fasteners with the correct tool for the job (drill motor, power screwdriver, C-squeeze, ratchet wrench, nut runner, rivet gun and bucking bar, etc.)
• Experience reading and interpreting engineering drawings, including drawing symbols, flag notes, and general notes
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions and to work from travelers and SOPs (standard operating procedures)
• Experience with oven or autoclave cure cycles and thermocouple placement
• Experience building flight hardware or other pressure-critical composite structures
• Attention to detail and accuracy while working in a fast-paced production environment

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Standing for long periods, climbing ladders, bending, grasping, sitting, pulling, pushing, stooping, and stretching are generally required to perform the functions of this position
• Must be able to lift and carry up to 25 lbs. unassisted
• Must be able to climb ladders and work in tight spaces around winding equipment, tooling, and vessel hardware
• Must be able to work shift hours (6:00am – 4:30pm Mon – Fri) including overtime, weekends, and holidays based on site operational needs
• Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time
• This role is onsite and is not eligible for remote or hybrid work

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay range:    

Composites Technician/Level 1: $20.00 - $24.50/hour

Composites Technician/Level 2: $23.50 - $29.00/hour   

Composites Technician/Level 3: $27.50 - $35.00/hour

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 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: Operations and Management Sub-niche: Supply chain and logistics All jobs at SpaceX Jobs in Maryland Jobs in Westminster, MD Westminster city guide Maryland state guide Carroll County economy

View this job and apply on the employer's page →

You apply on the employer's page; AtiveSite does not receive or process applications and is not affiliated with the employer. The description above is shown as the source published it.

About the role

This is a — role in the Operations and Management field (Supply chain and logistics) at SpaceX.

We could not match this job title to one occupation in the official wage statistics, so no pay estimate is shown. Pay is not in the source listing; ask the employer for the range and compare in the 240 job niches.

Does the pay work here? (estimate)

How to prepare and behave

This is editorial guidance, not information from the employer.

• Read the whole description and match your examples to its requirements; use the same words the posting uses where they are true for you.
• Research the employer before the interview: what it does, who its customers are and recent news; prepare two or three questions about the work.
• Arrive early (or log in early for a video call), dress one step above the daily dress code, and test your camera and audio beforehand.
• Answer with short stories: the situation, what you did and the result. Give numbers when you have them and never invent them.
• Be honest about gaps; say what you did to learn and how fast you can close them.
• Ask about the team, the first 90 days, how success is measured and the schedule; do not open with salary and time off.
• When pay comes up, know the market range for the occupation and your lowest acceptable offer before you answer; ask for the full package in writing.
• Send a short thank-you message within a day, mentioning one thing you discussed.

Know your rights as a candidate and an employee:

• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: prohibited employment practices
• U.S. Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
• CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor): job search help, interview tips and resumes
• USA.gov: avoiding job scams

The city

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

How Westminster compares. Among the 80 largest places in Maryland, Westminster is #68 by population, #12 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #68 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #56 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Carroll County, is #15 of 24 counties for average pay ($57,405).

The place in numbers

Westminster has 20,445 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Maryland. It covers 7 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,023 people per square mile. The median age is 38.5, about the same as the state median (38.5 against 39.4).

Housing

The median gross rent is $1,476 a month (rent plus utilities), 13% below the state median ($1,476 against $1,705). Over a year that is 20.5% 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 $337,600, which is 3.9 times the median household income ($86,219); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 56.5% of households own their home, 16% below the state average (56.5% against 67.6%).

Work and pay

The Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metropolitan area has 1,356,680 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $59,070 a year, 16% above the national median ($59,070 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (159,220 jobs, median $49,590); management (123,580 jobs, median $128,630); transportation and material moving (113,300 jobs, median $44,720). The area is most specialised in life, physical, and social science (1.5 times) and computer and mathematical (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($128,630) and computer and mathematical ($128,330). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Carroll County was 2.7%. 62.3% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Carroll County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.

Getting around

Among workers, 70.0% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 4.1% walk, 15.4% work from home. 29.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 22% above the state average (29.6% against 24.2%).

People and education

36.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 16% below the state share (36.4% against 43.5%). 9.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 40% below the state share (9.9% against 16.6%). The poverty rate is 10.0%, 6% above the state rate (10.0% against 9.4%).

Climate

The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 30°F (-1.2°C). About 1,161 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jun is the wettest month (117 mm) and Jan the driest (70 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: Eldersburg (12 miles, rent 16% higher); Reisterstown (13 miles, rent 8% higher); Hanover (16 miles, rent 23% lower); Owings Mills (16 miles, rent 25% higher). Rent differences are against Westminster; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.

Full guide to Westminster →Maryland guideAll jobs in Westminster

Official links for Westminster

• Census Bureau data profile for Westminster
• Official state website: maryland.gov
• BLS Economy at a Glance: Maryland

These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.

Where to live

The job city has no coordinates we can place on the map, so no housing comparison is shown. Use the 250 largest cities table to compare rent and income.

Career paths

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

Project management (250) Program management (427) Business operations and strategy (1712) Executive and general management (2106)

Distances

This job has no single city we can place on the map (remote, flexible or unmatched location), so no distance table is shown. Browse all Operations and Management jobs with distances from any of the 20 largest cities.

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

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Supply chain and logistics

More jobs in Westminster, MD

All Supply chain and logistics jobs → · All Operations and Management sub-niches →

FAQ

What is the Machine Operator (COPV) job at SpaceX?

A private-sector role in operations and management (supply chain and logistics) listed 5 days ago. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Westminster, MD.

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 Westminster is $1,476 a month and median household income $86,219 (ACS 2020–2024).

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-11-04 (5 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse supply chain and logistics jobs in Maryland.

Sources and terms

• Job data: SpaceX careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-11-04). 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)