What it is, where the jobs are, what it hires for and pays, and the open jobs today.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 09/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Rocket Lab Corporation is a publicly traded aerospace manufacturer and launch service provider. Its Electron orbital rocket launches small satellites and has successfully completed over 75 missions as of January 2026, making it the most prolific small-lift launch vehicle in operation globally. A suborbital variant of Electron, called HASTE, was developed as a testbed to advance hypersonic technology development, while the next-generation reusable Neutron medium-lift launch vehicle is in development to support constellation deployment, interplanetary missions, and human spaceflight. The company is a supplier of satellite components such as star trackers, reaction wheels, solar panels, electric propulsion systems, software-defined radios, composite structures, separation systems, and electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) sensors, as well as flight and ground software. The company also manufactures satellite buses and complete spacecraft as part of its strategic vision to become a vertically integrated, end-to-end space company.
| Fact ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Auckland, Auckland |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Industry | aerospace industry |
| Website | rocketlabusa.com |
Rocket Lab Corporation is hiring in 8 states and 11 cities. These are the places with the most openings, which tell you where its work really happens.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Open jobs ⇅ | Share ⇅ | Note ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long Beach | California | 236 | 55% | |
| Middle River | Maryland | 40 | 9% | |
| Tucson | Arizona | 32 | 7% | |
| Littleton | Colorado | 26 | 6% | |
| Wallops Island | Virginia | 23 | 5% | |
| Albuquerque | New Mexico | 18 | 4% | |
| Chantilly | Virginia | 15 | 3% | |
| Pasadena | California | 15 | 3% | |
| Silver Spring | Maryland | 14 | 3% | |
| Stennis Space Center | Mississippi | 11 | 3% | |
| Washington | District of Columbia | 2 | 0% |
The mix of roles shows what Rocket Lab Corporation needs right now. Pay is the median of the ranges the employer itself published in its ads (only roles with at least two published ranges).
| Role family ⇅ | Open jobs ⇅ | Typical posted range (median low – median high, yearly) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical / Manufacturing engineer | 86 | $100,800 – $161,000 |
| Engineer (other) | 45 | $125,300 – $196,275 |
| DevOps / Cloud / SRE | 43 | $124,000 – $170,500 |
| Operations / Supply chain / Logistics | 43 | $77,600 – $105,000 |
| Other roles | 28 | $94,000 – $130,000 |
| Electrical / Hardware engineer | 27 | $132,000 – $198,000 |
| Technician / Trades / Driver | 26 | $62,400 – $93,600 |
| Software engineer / Developer | 23 | $135,000 – $198,000 |
| Security engineer / Analyst | 23 | $115,000 – $150,000 |
| Project / Program manager | 17 | $153,000 – $215,000 |
| QA / Test engineer | 16 | $109,000 – $171,675 |
| Sales / Business development | 8 | $82,000 – $113,000 |
| Title ⇅ | Open jobs ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Senior Director | 8 |
| Lead | 7 |
| Senior Systems Engineer II | 7 |
| Senior Manufacturing Engineer I | 5 |
| Senior Program Manager I | 5 |
| Senior Systems Engineer I | 5 |
| Senior Program Manager II | 4 |
| Principal Algorithm Engineer | 4 |
| Senior Algorithm Engineer II | 4 |
| Senior Proposal Manager II | 4 |
| Senior Proposal Manager I | 4 |
| Systems Engineering Intern Summer 2027 | 4 |
| Supply Chain Intern Spring 2027 | 4 |
| Security Analyst Intern Summer 2027 | 4 |
| Security Analyst Intern Spring 2027 | 4 |
369 of 432 listings (85%) publish a pay range. Across them the median range is $107,000 – $158,400 a year (the employer's own figures, converted to yearly; not a BLS statistic).
Most listings do not state a seniority level.
0 of 432 listings (0%) mention a remote or flexible location.
We counted how often Rocket Lab Corporation's own 432 ads (those with a full description) state each requirement. This shows the filters the ads apply before anyone reads a resume. We have no data on why candidates are rejected after applying, and we do not guess.
Years of experience. 349 of 432 ads (81%) state a number of years. The median is 5 years; 74% ask for 5 or more and 14% for 10 or more.
| Requirement ⇅ | Ads that state it ⇅ | Share of ads ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 372 | 86% |
| Master's degree | 201 | 47% |
| PhD or doctorate | 135 | 31% |
| 'or equivalent experience' accepted | 88 | 20% |
| High school diploma or GED | 46 | 11% |
| Associate degree | 9 | 2% |
| Requirement ⇅ | Ads that state it ⇅ | Share of ads ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. citizenship mentioned | 432 | 100% |
| U.S. person / export-control (ITAR, EAR) rules | 432 | 100% |
| Background check or drug test | 432 | 100% |
| Security clearance mentioned | 166 | 38% |
| Requirement ⇅ | Ads that state it ⇅ | Share of ads ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Nights, weekends, holidays or on-call | 376 | 87% |
| On-site or in-person work | 324 | 75% |
| Travel mentioned | 88 | 20% |
| Relocation mentioned | 66 | 15% |
| Heavy lifting | 9 | 2% |
| Requirement ⇅ | Ads that state it ⇅ | Share of ads ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| python | 126 | 29% |
| cad | 93 | 22% |
| jira | 55 | 13% |
| c++ | 52 | 12% |
| matlab | 51 | 12% |
| excel | 47 | 11% |
| solidworks | 33 | 8% |
| linux | 32 | 7% |
| fpga | 19 | 4% |
| aws | 17 | 4% |
| sql | 16 | 4% |
| azure | 15 | 3% |
| kubernetes | 15 | 3% |
| machine learning | 13 | 3% |
| salesforce | 12 | 3% |
What the hiring process, culture, schedules and benefits are like is not in our sources, so we do not describe it. Read the job ads and the employer's own site.
Compare Rocket Lab Corporation side by side with another employer:
vs SpaceX vs JPMorgan Chase vs Apple vs TikTok vs Bank of America vs Deloitte vs Leidos vs OpenAI
432 open jobs today, 44 posted in the last 7 days (updated several times a day).
Mostly in Long Beach, CA (236), Middle River, MD (40), Tucson, AZ (32).