Job Description

Overview

SpaceX is actively developing technologies to enable human life on Mars. The Propulsion Technician is responsible for the assembly and testing of rocket hardware and associated sub-assemblies, requiring solid mechanical knowledge and hands-on experience.

Responsibilities

  • Clean, prepare, and assemble various main combustion chamber assemblies and sub-assembly pieces for welding or brazing.
  • Perform work according to procedures, specifications, and test instructions.
  • Operate machinery such as DAVI roll former, automated TIG welding machine, and hydro-forming sheet metal.
  • Run automated machines for surface preparation or thermal barrier coating applications.
  • Read and interpret technical drawings and follow detailed work instructions.
  • Use precision calibrated tools such as torque wrenches, micrometers, and calipers.
  • Perform other related duties to ensure an efficient and effective work environment.
  • Operate forklifts, cranes, and heavy equipment.
  • Perform blending, filing, and shearing of sheet metal piece parts.
  • Clean tools, valves, regulators, and maintain a professional and neat work area.
  • Stage, install, set-up, test, and de-tool Thrust Chamber Assemblies and subassemblies.
  • Troubleshoot engines and cell systems.
  • Operate test cell instrumentation and use computer network systems as described in the test instruction.
  • Accept or reject test units based on calculated test data and results.

Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalency certificate.
  • 6+ years of experience working in a production, mechanical, or manufacturing environment.
  • Experience working in an aerospace environment is preferred.
  • Experience staging, installing, removing, and de-staging propulsion engines is preferred.
  • A&P license is preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience working on aircraft or rocket engines is preferred.
  • 5+ years of aerospace engines experience is preferred.
  • Knowledge of pressure, temperature, and flow measurement devices; mechanical and electrical systems; and/or propulsion engines.
  • Strong mathematical, basic computer, problem solving, and decision-making skills.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work independently or as part of a team to meet aggressive schedules.
  • Ability to operate and understand readouts on automated asset user interfaces and hydrostatic proof booth.

Benefits

  • 401k
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • PTO

Additional Information

  • Able to lift a minimum of 25 lbs unassisted.
  • This is a 2ND shift role working from 3:30 PM - 2:00 AM, overtime and weekends as needed.
  • Able to stand for extended periods – 8 hours minimum.
  • Able to stoop, bend, crawl, and maneuver in tight spaces.

Benefits

401k
Health Insurance
Dental
Vision
PTO

How this job compares in Hawthorne, CA

Pay in context

At roughly $44/hr, this posting sits about 21% above the $36/hr median for welding jobs in Hawthorne, CA — toward the top of a $31–$56/hr middle band drawn from 37 postings with published pay. Put another way, it pays more than about 68% of the comparable postings we have wage data for. Pay that far above local median usually comes attached to something: a harder cert requirement, travel, night shift, or overtime that isn't really optional. Worth establishing which before you accept.

The local market in Hawthorne, CA

We're tracking 37 other active welding openings in Hawthorne, CA right now, from 5 different employers. 13 of them were added in the last week. Across California as a whole we're tracking 627 other active welding openings from 306 employers. A metro this active generally means you have real leverage — employers here are competing for the same welders. Browse every welding job in Hawthorne, or widen the search to California.

SpaceX currently has 30 other openings live in California, which is usually a sign of either steady growth or steady turnover — worth asking which in the interview.

The most active employers in California at the moment, by number of open welding reqs, are SpaceX (30), Aerotek (16), and Volt (16). Volume like that usually means either a genuine expansion or a staffing agency working several client sites — worth knowing which before you apply.

Within California, the best-paying metros we track by median hourly rate are Redondo Beach at $51/hr, Santa Ana at $48/hr, and Long Beach at $40/hr. If you can relocate or commute, that spread is worth factoring in.

What you'll be running

This posting calls for TIG. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode with filler added by hand, giving the operator the most control of any process. It is slow, demanding, and the standard for stainless, aluminum, and anything where the bead has to look as good as it holds.

See all manufacturing welder openings if you want to compare this against similar roles.

Similar openings near Hawthorne, CA

Pay figures are medians computed from live postings in the Welding Pros index, not from survey data, and they move as employers post. Propulsion Technician - Raptor Chamber & Nozzle Assembly & Final Assembly, Level 4/5 - 2nd Shift figures were last recalculated when this page was built.