This role pays less than
75%
of similar roles. Most pay
$137,500–$197,562
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$138k
versus about
$168k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About SpaceX
SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the mission of enabling humans to become a multi-planetary species. It operates the Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Starship launch vehicles, as well as the Starlink satellite internet constellation.
SpaceX currently has
788 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$130,000–$165,000
across 555 roles with salary data.
Embedded Software Engineer, Laser Mesh Routing (Starlink) joins the Starlink program as a Beam Planning Software and Network Software Engineer. This role involves developing highly reliable, real-time software to determine which beams should be formed for a low-latency, high-bandwidth satellite-based global network. The engineer will participate in architecture design, lead code reviews, develop prototypes to prove key concepts, and create tools for data analysis, visualization, and test execution across virtualized hardware and on-orbit environments. Candidates must possess experience in assembly, C, or C++. Preferred skills include knowledge of real-time rendering, game engine development, physics simulation, network topology, numerical optimization, graph theoretic approaches, and convex optimization. The role focuses on solving technical challenges to optimize the performance of a large laser mesh network in orbit to provide high-quality satellite internet connectivity for global users.
What does a Embedded Software Engineer earn in California?
Median $177300 from 36 postings across 11 companies.
Develop real-time software to determine optimal beam formations for a low-latency satellite network.
Lead and participate in architecture, design, and code reviews.
Create prototypes and manage experiments to validate key design concepts.
Build tools for software development, deployment, and data visualization across multiple environments.
Execute tests across virtualized hardware, real hardware-in-the-loop simulations, and on-orbit systems.
Manage the full lifecycle of software including development, testing, and performance feedback.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or science; OR 2+ years of professional software development experience (including internships).
Development experience in assembly, C, or C++.
Knowledge of real-time rendering, game engine development, physics simulation, or other high-performance computing (preferred).
Knowledge of network topology, numerical optimization, graph theory, or convex optimization (preferred).
Experience developing, debugging, and deploying software for real-world applications (preferred).
Experience with distributed systems and internet services (preferred).
Creative problem solving, analytical skills, and strong communication skills (preferred).
Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for required export control authorizations.
C
C++
Assembly
Network Topology
Convex Optimization
Numerical Optimization
Distributed Systems
Hardware-in-the-loop
Physics Simulation
Game Engine Development
High-Performance Computing
C
C++
Assembly
Distributed Systems
Network Topology
Numerical Optimization
Convex Optimization
Physics Simulation
Game Engine Development
Hardware-in-the-loop
High-Performance Computing
C
C++
Assembly
Distributed Systems
Network Topology
Numerical Optimization
Convex Optimization
Physics Simulation
Game Engine Development
Hardware-in-the-loop
High-Performance Computing
C
C++
Assembly
High Performance Computing
Network Topology
Numerical Optimization
Convex Optimization
Distributed Systems
Physics Simulation
Game Engine Development
C
C++
Assembly
High-Performance Computing
Distributed Systems
Network Topology
Numerical Optimization
Convex Optimization
Physics Simulation
Game Engine Development