How much does SpaceX pay astronomers?

Pinpointing the exact compensation for an astronomer working at SpaceX proves complex when relying on publicly aggregated data, a common challenge when researching pay at privately held, high-growth technology firms. Unlike government agencies where pay scales are transparent, a company like SpaceX guards specific role compensation details closely. Therefore, understanding the pay for an astronomer requires looking at the broader context of general employee salaries, related scientific positions, and benchmarking against known public sector aerospace pay, such as that of NASA astronauts.

# General Pay Context

Information aggregated from various sources paints a picture of significant salary variance across the entire company. On one end of the spectrum, general data aggregated by ZipRecruiter suggests that the average annual pay for a generic "Spacex" role sits around 23.50 per hour. The typical salary band in this general aggregation ranges primarily between the 25th percentile at approximately 62,500 annually.

However, this low average likely reflects the vast number of non-engineering or entry-level positions within the organization, as other reports indicate substantially higher figures for the professional staff. One report suggests the average employee earns around 92,844 as of early 2025, which is noted as being significantly higher than the average across other companies. Furthermore, The Ladders places the overall average pay for SpaceX employees slightly higher, at 128,052</strong>.</p> <p>The structure of compensation at a rapidly evolving private entity like SpaceX suggests that a simple base salary figure does not tell the whole story. Given the industry and culture, high-caliber scientific roles, which an astronomer position would certainly fall under, are likely structured with a substantial component of equity or performance-based bonuses on top of the base pay. This separation of total compensation versus base salary is likely the primary reason why wide compensation ranges are reported—the difference between the lowest-paid hourly worker and a senior engineer on an equity track could easily exceed a factor of five.</p> <h2>Science Roles Context</h2> <p>Since a specific salary band for an &quot;Astronomer&quot; is not explicitly available through the accessible data—with some aggregator sites either being inaccessible or only hinting at data points that remain incomplete—it is useful to examine related positions. The roles involved in deep-space research, mission planning, or trajectory analysis, which an astronomer might fulfill, often fall under the umbrella of &quot;Scientist&quot; or &quot;Astrophysicist&quot; roles within the company&#39;s structure.</p> <p>It is important to recognize that for a company focused on rapid iteration and mission success, job titles might be fluid. An individual performing astronomical calculations for trajectory correction might be listed internally as a &quot;Research Scientist&quot; or even an &quot;Aerospace Engineer&quot; depending on the immediate team&#39;s focus, such as Starship development or Starlink deployment schedules. This functional alignment over strict traditional titles means that an individual hired to do astronomy work may actually be drawing a salary reported under a different, though related, job title.</p> <h2>Astronaut Benchmark</h2> <p>A valuable, though indirect, comparison point comes from examining what SpaceX pays <em>astronauts</em>, or more accurately, the astronauts <em>flying on their vehicles</em>. SpaceX currently utilizes <strong>NASA astronauts</strong> for its manned missions using the Dragon spacecraft, and SpaceX does not yet host its own internal astronaut corps.</p> <p>NASA civilian astronaut pay, as of 2022, falls under the GS pay scales. A GS-13 level astronaut earns between <strong>81,216 and 95,973 to 146,757 per year.

The speculation surrounding future, privately-employed SpaceX astronauts suggests that, if they establish their own program, those roles would command compensation well above the NASA limit of 178,546. When contrasted with the high-end NASA limit of ~140,000 to 298,000 per year. For a specialized role like an astronomer, one might infer that an individual with extensive doctoral experience or a track record of critical work on classified or high-priority projects (such as Mars mission architecture or advanced sensor data processing) could easily command a compensation package placing them firmly within this top bracket. The high-earning cities identified for general "Spacex" roles, like San Francisco, CA, show averages that exceed the national average by over 15%, indicating that location and cost of living adjustments significantly impact the take-home pay, even for the general pool of employees. This suggests that an astronomer based near the primary engineering hubs in Southern California would likely see a higher base figure than one working remotely or in a lower cost-of-living area, though the equity grant might be standardized.