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Ground Software Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

E-Space

Senior Ground Software Engineer

Saratoga, CA · On-site

$135.10K - $178.10K/yr

E-Space is looking for a Senior Software Engineer to join our Ground Software team. You will collaborate with multidisciplinary engineering teams to build the mission-critical software that powers ...

AST SpaceMobile

Senior Ground Software Engineer (Cyber)

OR · On-site +1

$122.40K - $161.30K/yr

Position Overview We are seeking a Senior Ground Software Engineer with deep fullstack development experience to help design, build, and maintain software and infrastructure that supports ...

AST SpaceMobile

Senior Ground Software Engineer (Cyber)

$125.40K - $165.30K/yr

Position Overview We are seeking a Senior Ground Software Engineer with deep full-stack development experience to help design, build, and maintain software and infrastructure that supports mission ...

K2 Space

Senior Ground Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

The Role As a Senior Software Engineer on our Ground Software team, you are responsible for creating the software that is used to build, test, and fly our satellites and customer payloads. You will ...

K2 Space

Senior Ground Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $200K/yr

The Role As a Senior Software Engineer on our Ground Software team, you are responsible for creating the software that is used to build, test, and fly our satellites and customer payloads. You will ...

Apex

Ground Software Engineer (Mid)

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$150K - $185K/yr

... ground software experience. * Bachelor's degree in CS, EE or equivalent. * Strong proficiency in programming languages such as Go, TypeScript, Python, and Rust. * Familiarity with microservices ...

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Ground Software Engineer information

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$63.5K

$147.5K

$205.5K

How much do ground software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 1, 2026, the average yearly pay for ground software engineer in the United States is $147,524.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $120,000.00 and $173,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Ground Software Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Ground Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (often in languages like C++, Java, or Python), a background in computer science or engineering, and knowledge of satellite ground systems. Familiarity with software development tools, real-time operating systems, and experience with mission control systems or telemetry processing platforms are typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for this role. These skills and qualities ensure reliable software that supports mission-critical ground operations and fosters collaboration within multidisciplinary teams.

What are some typical challenges a Ground Software Engineer faces when integrating new systems with existing ground infrastructure?

Ground Software Engineers often encounter challenges when integrating new software with legacy ground systems, such as ensuring compatibility between different hardware interfaces and communication protocols. They may also need to address issues related to real-time data processing, security requirements, and system scalability. Collaboration with cross-functional teams—including hardware engineers, network specialists, and mission operations personnel—is essential to identify potential integration issues early and develop effective solutions.

What are Ground Software Engineers?

Ground Software Engineers are professionals who design, develop, and maintain software systems that support space missions from the ground. Their work typically involves building tools for mission control, telemetry processing, satellite communication, and data management. These engineers ensure that spacecraft can be monitored, commanded, and controlled from Earth, often collaborating closely with hardware engineers and mission operators. They play a crucial role in mission success by enabling real-time data analysis, automation, and troubleshooting for space operations.

What is the difference between Ground Software Engineer vs Satellite Software Engineer?

AspectGround Software EngineerSatellite Software Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related fields; experience with embedded systems and real-time softwareSimilar credentials; focus on embedded systems, real-time software, and aerospace standards
Work EnvironmentGround stations, control centers, labs, often in aerospace or defense industriesSatellite onboard systems, spacecraft, aerospace facilities
Employer & IndustryAerospace, defense, satellite communication companiesSatellite manufacturers, space agencies, aerospace firms
Search & Comparison IntentPeople comparing roles in satellite ground control and software developmentRoles related to satellite onboard software development

While both roles involve embedded and real-time software skills, Ground Software Engineers focus on developing and maintaining ground station systems and control software, whereas Satellite Software Engineers work on onboard satellite systems and firmware. The roles often overlap in skills but differ in environment and specific responsibilities.

More about Ground Software Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Ground Software Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Ground Software Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Ground Software Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Ground Software Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Ground Software Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Ground Software Engineer jobs are:
Ground Software Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Ground Software Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 90% Full Time, 5% Temporary, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $147,524 per year, or $70.9 per hour.
Senior Software Engineer, Ground Software

Senior Software Engineer, Ground Software

Muon Space

San Jose, CA

$184K - $208K/yr

Other

Posted 13 days ago

Job description

About the role

Muon is looking for a Senior Software Engineer (Back-end) to join our Ground Software team. The ideal candidate is a self-motivated and versatile software engineer who is excited to build our cloud infrastructure, web services and applications like mission planning & control software, ground station integrations, and tools to gain insight into Earth's complex systems. Our team broadly owns all the software that enables us to communicate with the satellite, as well as customer APIs that enable multi-satellite planning and scheduling. We are fully responsible for the software we build through its full lifecycle; from implementing deployable applications, managing the infrastructure they run on, and supporting them running in production.

Responsibilities
  • Build a world class Mission Planning & Control System in the cloud, using tools like Docker and FastAPI
  • Participate in designing our cloud architecture: choosing which technologies we will use, how we will organize the system, and when we should build systems in-house vs buy them off the shelf, to maximize the impact of our team
  • Manage the infrastructure we will use to deploy our cloud applications, using tools like Kubernetes, Helm, and AWS Lambda
  • Build the spacecraft-to-cloud data integration: processing and archiving the command history and telemetry, using tools like Kafka, InfluxDB, and Grafana
  • Build the APIs and tooling to integrate our cloud with remote antenna ground station networks
  • Architect systems to achieve low latency and fault tolerance
  • Deploy infrastructure and tools to workstations, on-premises data centers, and cloud environments
Qualifications
  • B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in computer science or related field, or equivalent experience
  • 8+ years experience as a software engineer in a team environment
  • Strong programming experience in Python for web development
  • Experience with cloud-native software development in at least one major cloud provider (AWS, GCP, Azure) using containers
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills
  • Excited to work in a fast-paced environment with new opportunities each week
Nice-to-have Skills
  • Experience with the AWS / Govcloud ecosystem
  • Experience managing CI/CD in cloud-based development, staging, and production environments
  • Have a passion for simple architectures and clean APIs
  • Strong Linux fundamentals and comfortable with Linux development and deployment environment
  • IT and Information security (authentication, encryption)
  • Experience smoothly deploying continuously evolving data services to customers
Salary

The salary range for this role is $184,000 - $208,000 plus a competitive equity grant and comprehensive benefits package. Final compensation will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and geographic location as assessed during the interview process.

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