Summary written by USA Jobs 24 from SpaceX's advert and our data on 16,958 current US jobs. How we check every job
At a glance
SpaceX is hiring a IT Systems Administrator (Top Secret Clearance) in Hawthorne, CA. It is a full-time role in Software & IT, asking for at least 4 years of experience, first listed on November 7. The advertised pay is $95,000–$120,000 a year. The description mentions Linux and SQL. SpaceX has 149 other openings in the US, 37 of them in Hawthorne, CA. Across all employers on USA Jobs 24 there are 25 Software & IT openings in Hawthorne, CA today; the typical one asks for 2 years and advertises about $143,000 a year at the midpoint.
How the pay compares
SpaceX advertises $95,000 to $120,000 a year, a midpoint of $107,500 a year. Where an offer lands in a range usually depends on experience and on the exact location. That is lower than about 97% of the 1,346 software & IT jobs in California that publish a yearly rate on USA Jobs 24, where the typical midpoint is $210,000 a year. To see roughly what this leaves after federal and California tax, try our take-home pay calculator.
Skills in this advert
How often each skill named in this advert appears across the 4,581 software & IT jobs we list today. Linux is the most widely requested (12% of jobs), while SQL is the least common (9%). Widely requested skills are what employers expect as a baseline; rarer ones show what is special about this job.
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Before you apply
- Check it is still open. We found this job on SpaceX's Greenhouse site on November 7 and checked it again November 7, 5:17 AM ET. When an employer takes a job down, we remove it at our next daily update.
- Check the location works for you. This role is based in Hawthorne, CA. If you would need to move, ask whether relocation help is offered.
- Match the experience. The advert asks for at least 4 years of experience. If you are a little short, a close match on the skills in the advert can still win an interview.
- Tailor your resume. Use the advert's own words, such as Linux and SQL, wherever they are true for you. Our resume guide shows how.
- Know your number. Decide the lowest offer you would accept before the first call. Our salary negotiation guide explains how to ask for more.
- Apply only through SpaceX's own site. Our Apply button goes straight to SpaceX's Greenhouse page. If anyone contacts you about this job and asks for money, gift cards or bank details, stop and check it with our scam checker. Read how to spot a fake job offer.
About hiring at SpaceX
SpaceX has 150 openings on USA Jobs 24 today across 7 states. Most are in software & IT (88), operations (17) and engineering & mfg (12). The biggest locations are Hawthorne, CA (38), Brownsville, TX (38) and Bastrop, TX (37). None of them is fully remote, 31% are open to entry-level candidates and 48% show pay. We collect SpaceX's jobs every day straight from its own careers system (Greenhouse), never from job boards or agencies.
The employer's advert
This is SpaceX's own description of the job, copied word for word from its careers site. We have not edited it.
Show the full advert from SpaceXHide the advert886 words
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.
IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR (TOP SECRET CLEARANCE)
SpaceX is looking for a IT Systems Administrator with deep knowledge and broad experience across Microsoft-based technologies, in addition to broader experience and capability with networking and Linux technologies. This employee will be a member of the Information Technology team and will support SpaceX personnel and systems. The ideal candidate will be flexible and flourish in a fast paced and challenging environment. He or she should be a self-starter, self-motivator and possess ingenuity to excel at this position.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work closely with other SpaceX IT administrators and engineers to gather requirements, research, evaluate, design, plan, deploy, and support enterprise software platforms and related technologies in a world-class environment that meets the needs of the demanding SpaceX engineering teams. Build highly-resilient, high-performance, scalable, and flexible systems.
- Take lessons learned and technology standards from the SpaceX Enterprise and apply them in smaller air-gapped environments.
- Exercise a high degree of responsibility for the processes, systems, and tools you create and manage; all supporting the goal of making humanity an interplanetary species.
- Make recommendations, justify, and implement improvements using an accepted change control methodology.
- Work within a diverse group to design and deliver creative solutions and resolve problems in a timely and proactive manner by interacting with internal business units.
- Define, document and follow standards and best practices for systems design, testing, and implementation.
- Drive scripting and automation to develop solutions to common problems.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
- High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
- 4+ years of experience in IT systems administration.
- Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, or DOE Level Q clearance.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
- Significant experience designing, deploying, supporting, and troubleshooting classified networks.
- Working knowledge of Windows-based systems and services, including the ability to set up, configure, upgrade, manage, and troubleshoot them.
- Expert ability to set up, configure, upgrade, manage, and troubleshoot Windows-based systems and services such as DHCP, DNS, IIS, Microsoft SQL Server, NPS, and related services.
- Experience with enterprise Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint deployments.
- Experience with configuration management, provisioning, infrastructure as code, and other DevOps concepts and tools.
- Experience with IPv4, switching, routing, firewalls, and high-availability architecture.
- Experience with networking technologies and the Linux operating system.
- Experience with Windows servers in physical and virtualized enterprise-level environments.
- Experience with Active Directory, Kerberos, and multi-platform authentication and identification environments.
- PowerShell scripting experience.
- Must be comfortable working with mission-critical and sensitive systems, with a sense of urgency appropriate to the responsibilities.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to communicate with internal and external customers, vendors, management, and others in both formal and informal situations.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Active Top Secret or TS/SCI with Polygraph. Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions. If so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing.
- Willing to work after-hour on-call rotations, extended hours, and weekends when needed.
- Must be willing to do some travel domestically (<10%) in the future as needed.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 1: $95,000.00 - $120,000.00
Level 2: $115,000.00 - $150,000.00
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. Those with an active clearance will receive a 10% differential, up to an additional $20,000 annually, once officially briefed into a classified program.
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.
USA Jobs 24 copied this listing from SpaceX's official careers site on November 7, 2026 and checked it again November 7, 5:17 AM ET. SpaceX will never ask you to pay to apply or to buy equipment with a check they send you. If anyone does, it is a scam.
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