Mechanical Engineer Interview Experience - Hawthorne, California
Process
I applied online and got a first interview screening. They may ask you a few technical questions here, but overall it was easy. The second interview is a technical one where they will ask questions related to the position, so make sure you study.
I would say review the questions on Glassdoor.
Questions
What are Newton's three laws?
What are the three modes of heat transfer?
What is the ideal gas law?
Stress vs. Strain?
How does a rocket work?
A lot of beam questions and the natural frequency of beams when you move the load around.
Was this helpful?
Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 25 interview experiences for the SpaceX Mechanical Engineer role in Hawthorne, California.
Success Rate
SpaceX's interview process for their Mechanical Engineer roles in Hawthorne, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for SpaceX's Mechanical Engineer interview process in Hawthorne, California.
SpaceX Work Experiences
- 4.0Competitive StockMechanical Engineer • Former EmployeeLos Angeles, CANovember 4, 2025Pros: Significant stock package, a cool product, diverse projects (team dependent), and internal mobilityCons: High pressure, high stress, no work-life balance, and no 401k match because of stock potential.
- 4.0Great place to kickstart your careerMechanical Engineer • Current EmployeeBrownsville, TXSeptember 10, 2025Pros: Exciting work and endless opportunities for growth and learningCons: Difficult and demanding work, and questionable leadership at times.
- 2.0Not for everyoneMechanical Engineer • Current EmployeeCape Canaveral, FLJuly 21, 2024Pros: Very fast paced, and not a lot of oversight when you make design changes, which can be a blessing or a curse.Cons: No work life balance. In order to be successful, you need to be available/on call 24/7 and work most weekends and holidays. Every year, they are required to fire 10% of the employees, so if you're not a workaholic, you'll eventually get fired.
