Process
The first behavioral interview round included typical questions such as "Go over your resume" and "Why do you want to work here?"
The second round was technical, delving into many mechanical engineering basics.
Questions
Location of failure of a cantilever beam.
If a table had six legs, three made of wood and three made of aluminum, where would the maximum stress be at?
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 146 interview experiences for the SpaceX Mechanical Engineer role in United States.
Success Rate
8%
Pass Rate
SpaceX's interview process for their Mechanical Engineer roles in the United States is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Positive45%
Neutral41%
Negative14%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for SpaceX's Mechanical Engineer interview process in United States.
SpaceX Work Experiences
3.0
Difficult work, but stock ended up well worth it in the end
Mechanical Engineer • Former Employee
Hawthorne, CA
August 25, 2026
Pros: Stock is really worth it in the long term, and it pays for some of the pain. It is a wonderful place to start a career and learn new things fast.
Cons: 1 year at spacex drains 2-3 years of your life
1.0
Poor Management, Toxic Environment
Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee
Hawthorne, CA
July 18, 2024
Pros: - Given a good team and manager, engineers can succeed and learn a lot. However, these are extremely rare. Most people are fired or leave after <3 years.
Cons: Poor Management
- The culture of 'extreme ownership' is weaponized against engineers. Engineering teams are severely understaffed, employee burnout is high, and teams face political arguments and drama with other teams. However, managers blame engineers for all negative outcomes, citing 'extreme ownership'. You are on your own to deal with both technical challenges and managerial challenges. Managers do not help employees solve problems or grow.
- There is a double standard of work expectations, and many managers work fewer hours than their employees. Expect to work 12-16 hour days to solve problems and have that work go unappreciated by your manager, who instead will blame you for schedule delays despite working at your physical limit.
- VP and executive direction is often misguided, forcing employees to work overtime on tasks not worth doing. For example, I was asked to perform technician duties for weeks as an engineer.
- Employees have an average 3-year tenure. You hear about a few employees mysteriously leaving the company every month, and managers and employees pretend to ignore this, and badmouth and gossip about former employees.
- There is lots of gossip and backstabbing by teammates and coworkers. Certain teammates do no technical work, but instead weaponize gossip. Managers play favorites.
2.0
Not for everyone
Mechanical Engineer • Current Employee
Cape Canaveral, FL
July 21, 2024
Pros: 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.
- 3.0Difficult work, but stock ended up well worth it in the endMechanical Engineer • Former EmployeeHawthorne, CAAugust 25, 2026Pros: Stock is really worth it in the long term, and it pays for some of the pain. It is a wonderful place to start a career and learn new things fast.Cons: 1 year at spacex drains 2-3 years of your life
- 1.0Poor Management, Toxic EnvironmentMechanical Engineer • Current EmployeeHawthorne, CAJuly 18, 2024Pros: - Given a good team and manager, engineers can succeed and learn a lot. However, these are extremely rare. Most people are fired or leave after <3 years.Cons: Poor Management - The culture of 'extreme ownership' is weaponized against engineers. Engineering teams are severely understaffed, employee burnout is high, and teams face political arguments and drama with other teams. However, managers blame engineers for all negative outcomes, citing 'extreme ownership'. You are on your own to deal with both technical challenges and managerial challenges. Managers do not help employees solve problems or grow. - There is a double standard of work expectations, and many managers work fewer hours than their employees. Expect to work 12-16 hour days to solve problems and have that work go unappreciated by your manager, who instead will blame you for schedule delays despite working at your physical limit. - VP and executive direction is often misguided, forcing employees to work overtime on tasks not worth doing. For example, I was asked to perform technician duties for weeks as an engineer. - Employees have an average 3-year tenure. You hear about a few employees mysteriously leaving the company every month, and managers and employees pretend to ignore this, and badmouth and gossip about former employees. - There is lots of gossip and backstabbing by teammates and coworkers. Certain teammates do no technical work, but instead weaponize gossip. Managers play favorites.
- 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.
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