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$10

$63

$91

How much do freelance hardware reliability engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 24, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance hardware reliability engineer in the United States is $63.74, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54.81 and $72.84 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How much do SREs typically get paid?

SREs (Site Reliability Engineers) typically earn between $90,000 and $150,000 annually, depending on experience, location, and company size. Freelance hardware reliability engineers may charge hourly rates ranging from $50 to $150, influenced by project complexity and expertise.

What engineer makes $500,000 a year?

A senior hardware reliability engineer with extensive experience, specialized skills, and certifications can earn around $500,000 annually, especially in high-demand industries like aerospace, semiconductor, or defense. Such roles often require advanced knowledge of testing, failure analysis, and reliability standards, along with leadership responsibilities and working in competitive markets.

What is the difference between Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer vs Hardware Test Engineer?

AspectFreelance Hardware Reliability EngineerHardware Test Engineer
CredentialsRelevant certifications, engineering degree, experience in reliability testingEngineering degree, certifications in testing methodologies
Work EnvironmentIndependent, project-based, remote or on-siteIn-house or contracted, lab or manufacturing settings
Industry UsageUsed across electronics, aerospace, automotive sectorsPrimarily in electronics, consumer devices, and hardware manufacturing

The main difference is that Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineers focus on assessing and improving the long-term durability of hardware products independently, while Hardware Test Engineers concentrate on testing hardware functionalities during development. Freelance Reliability Engineers often work on a project basis with multiple clients, whereas Test Engineers are typically employed within companies to ensure product quality before release.

Are reliability engineers in demand?

Reliability engineers, including hardware reliability engineers, are in high demand across industries such as manufacturing, electronics, and aerospace due to the need for ensuring product durability and performance. Employers seek professionals with skills in failure analysis, testing, and reliability modeling, often requiring certifications like CRE or Six Sigma. The role offers growth opportunities as companies prioritize quality and long-term product success.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Senior hardware reliability engineers with extensive experience, specialized skills in failure analysis, and certifications such as Six Sigma or ISO standards can earn $300,000 or more annually, especially in high-tech industries or leadership roles. Compensation varies based on location, company size, and individual expertise, often including bonuses and stock options.
What cities are hiring for Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs include:
Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Freelance Hardware Reliability Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 2% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $132,583 per year, or $63.7 per hour.
Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer (Starshield)

Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer (Starshield)

SpaceX

Hawthorne, CA

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago

SpaceX rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 144 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

13th of 60 rated aerospace companies

Job description

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.
SR. HARDWARE RELIABILITY ENGINEER (STARSHIELD)
Starshield leverages SpaceX's Starlink technology and launch capability to support national security efforts. While Starlink is designed for consumer and commercial use, Starshield is designed for government use, with an initial focus on earth observation, communications, and hosted payloads.
As a Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer for Starshield, you will play a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and performance of our satellites. You will work on identifying, analyzing, and resolving hardware failures to improve the robustness and longevity of our PCBAs. This role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams, including electrical, mechanical, software, and supply chain, to enhance the overall reliability of the Starshield hardware. This is an opportunity to work on cutting-edge R&D technology and some of the most complex applications of electrical engineering in the industry.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Responsible for troubleshooting, root cause, failure investigations, and corrective actions for Starshield production non-conforming hardware
  • Utilize design schematics, test equipment, and inspection processes to identify the physics of the failure
  • Take extreme ownership in containing suspect or known non-conforming products, driving root cause investigation progress and providing regular updates to technicians, production leadership, and engineering to assist in quarantine and rework activities
  • Drive corrective action to products not meeting design specifications through data driven decisions using yield and defect monitoring to identify common failure modes
  • Work closely with the respective test engineers for your products to keep a close feedback loop improving test assets to reduce false failures and increase test coverage
  • Maximize return on investment for test and inspection processes, determining where to apply lean process checks which ensure that criteria are objective and that reliability goals are consistently met
  • Identify areas for electrical design and manufacturing improvements through new product development cycles, improving final yield by applying best practices to designs and establishing repeatable process control
  • Maintain thorough documentation of failure analysis findings, test results, and corrective actions
  • Collaborate with on-orbit reliability team, driving timely improvements to production through on-orbit investigation findings
  • Provide mentorship and guidance to more junior engineers on the team
  • Serve as technical expert in electronics manufacturing processes to challenge requirements and steer the department towards value added testing

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
  • Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, physics, or other engineering discipline
  • 5+ years in hardware development, failure analysis, or reliability engineering
  • 2+ years of experience with electrical test equipment (e.g., multimeters, signal generators, oscilloscopes, spectrum analyzers) used to verify hardware functionality

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:
  • Master's degree in electrical engineering or equivalent engineering discipline
  • 8+ years of industry experience working with electronic hardware
  • Experience with digital and mixed-signal designs, power electronics, or RF electronics using oscilloscopes, digital multimeters, power supplies, and soldering equipment
  • Demonstrated experience troubleshooting and root causing electrical hardware failures
  • PCBA fabrication experience (familiar with solder, flux, underfill, staking, reflow, temperature control, etc.)
  • Experience with environmental testing such as HALT/HASS, thermal, vibration, and TVAC
  • Experience with RF test equipment (e.g. vector network analyzer, spectrum analyzer) and concepts such as S-parameters, impedance matching, and antenna designs
  • Proficiency in programming languages (e.g. Python, SQL, C, C++)
  • Knowledgeable of IPC standards such as IPC-A-610G
  • Experience developing or supporting any of the following products/processes:
    • Analog, digital, and mixed signal circuit testing
    • Design for excellence (DFX), root cause, derating, and related analyses
    • RF hardware testing
    • Digital communications interfaces including SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet, and RS422
    • Statistical Process Control (SPC)
    • Design of Experiments (DOE)
  • Active Top Secret, Top Secret SCI, DOE Level Q clearance, or the ability and willingness to obtain one

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
  • Able to work extended hours and weekends as needed to support critical path development and/or critical on-orbit operations
  • 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

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay range:
Sr. Hardware Reliability Engineer/: $140,000.00 - $205,000.00/per year
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.

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