This role pays more than
70%
of similar roles. Most pay
$142,500–$207,700
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$198k
versus about
$175k
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
720 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$130,000–$165,000
across 511 roles with salary data.
As a Sr. Hardware Design Engineer - Electrical, Satellites Payload (Starlink), you will join the Starlink Payload Engineering team to manage the full lifecycle of hardware for satellite connectivity. You will be responsible for developing high-reliability electronics, performing system trades, requirements capture, component selection, schematic capture, and PCB layout oversight. Your daily work involves designing complex electrical systems including mixed-signal ASICs, PAM4 SerDes, RF front ends, and power distribution for extreme environments. The role requires expertise in hardware bring-up, troubleshooting, and failure analysis while collaborating with mechanical, thermal, and software teams. Key technical skills include experience with FPGAs, Ethernet, multi-GHz Serdes, DRAM interfaces, and programming languages like Python or C/C++. You will solve critical engineering challenges related to phased array antennas and custom networking hardware for satellite communication systems in low Earth orbit.
Develop high-reliability electronics for satellites and spacecraft from concept through deorbit.
Drive system trades, requirements capture, component selection, and schematic capture for complex electrical designs.
Oversee PCB layout, signal integrity analysis, and power distribution for dense hardware systems.
Perform hardware bring-up, troubleshooting, and failure analysis during the prototyping and production phases.
Manage supply chain engagement and vendor relations to ensure manufacturing success.
Support hardware through satellite integration, production testing, and on-orbit performance monitoring.
Integrate electrical designs with mechanical, thermal, software, and RF engineering requirements.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, or another STEM discipline.
5+ years of experience designing or analyzing circuits, electronic products, or hardware.
Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a similar engineering degree (preferred).
5+ years of experience developing new hardware products from concept through production (preferred).
3+ years of experience designing and implementing mixed-signal circuit boards using processors, FPGAs, high-speed SerDes, and power components (preferred).
3+ years of professional experience testing, troubleshooting, and debugging electronics (preferred).
Strong understanding of computers and programming languages such as Python or C/C++ (preferred).
Must be a U.S. citizen, national, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for required export control authorizations.
PCB Layout
Schematic Capture
FPGA
Python
C
C++
High-Speed Digital
Power Electronics
RF Engineering
Ethernet
SerDes
DDR4
I2C
SPI
Digital to Analog Converters