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Life Support Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Life Support System Engineer II

Long Beach, CA ยท On-site

$137K - $195K/yr

Vast is looking for a(n) Life Support System Engineer II, reporting to the Director of Life Support Systems, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build ...

Life Support System Engineer II

Long Beach, CA ยท On-site

$112K - $159K/yr

Vast is looking for a(n) Life Support System Engineer II, reporting to the Director of Life Support Systems, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build ...

The Support Engineering Sub-Team provides Robinhood employees with secure, simple, and reliable ... Employer-paid life & disability insurance, fertility benefits, and mental health benefits. * Time ...

The Support Engineering Sub-Team provides Robinhood employees with secure, simple, and reliable ... Employer-paid life & disability insurance, fertility benefits, and mental health benefits. * Time ...

Senior Life Support System Engineer

Long Beach, CA ยท On-site

$109K - $150K/yr

Vast is looking for a(n) Senior Life Support System Engineer , reporting to the Director of Life Support Systems, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and ...

Support Engineer

Kirkland, WA ยท On-site

$86K - $129K/yr

Echodyne is seeking a Support Engineer to join our team working in a fast-paced environment ... Company Paid Life Insurance * Company Paid Short & Long Term Disability * Flexible PTO (exempt ...

Support Engineer

Minneapolis, MN ยท Hybrid

$26 - $32/hr

In Office A Day in the Life The Support Engineer provides onsite and remote technical support for a Minneapolis and Mankato. Analyzes and troubleshoots computer support problems and applies ...

Support Engineer

Minneapolis, MN ยท On-site

$26 - $32/hr

In Office A Day in the Life The Support Engineer provides onsite and remote technical support for a Minneapolis and Mankato. Analyzes and troubleshoots computer support problems and applies ...

Support engineer

New York, NY ยท On-site

$112K - $167K/yr

As a senior support engineer, your top priority is helping our developer personas and technical ... Annual work-life stipends for: * Wellness stipend for gym, massage/chiropractor, personal training ...

Support Engineer

$97K - $130K/yr

Hospitals, digital health companies, and life sciences organizations rely on analytics and ... Who We're Looking For We're looking for a Support Engineer who thrives at the intersection of ...

Support Engineer

Omaha, NE ยท On-site

$65K - $75K/yr

We are hiring Support Engineer team members who thrive on helping customers, understanding ... We offer full benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, STD and Life insurance (100% Company-paid ...

Support Engineer

Minneapolis, MN ยท Hybrid

$26 - $32/hr

In Office A Day in the Life The Support Engineer provides onsite and remote technical support for a Minneapolis and Mankato. Analyzes and troubleshoots computer support problems and applies ...

Support Engineer

Omaha, NE ยท On-site

$65K - $75K/yr

We are hiring Support Engineer team members who thrive on helping customers, understanding ... We offer full benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, STD and Life insurance (100% Company-paid ...

Support Engineer

Minneapolis, MN ยท Hybrid

$26 - $32/hr

In Office A Day in the Life The Support Engineer provides onsite and remote technical support for a Minneapolis and Mankato. Analyzes and troubleshoots computer support problems and applies ...

Developer Support Engineer

Cambridge, MA ยท On-site

$152K/yr

Blitzy is a Cambridge, MA based AI software development platform on a mission to revolutionize the software development life cycle. They are seeking a Developer Support Engineer to serve as the ...

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Life Support Engineer information

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How much do life support engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 6, 2026, the average hourly pay for life support engineer in the United States is $39.87, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $29.57 and $46.63 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges faced by Life Support Engineers, and how can they be effectively managed?

Life Support Engineers often work in high-stakes environments such as space missions, submarines, or medical facilities, where system reliability is critical. Common challenges include maintaining and troubleshooting complex systems under time pressure, adapting to rapidly changing situations, and ensuring all components meet stringent safety standards. Effective management of these challenges involves thorough preventative maintenance, regular system testing, and close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams such as medical staff, mission control, or operations technicians. Continuous learning and staying updated on the latest technologies also help Life Support Engineers respond effectively to unexpected issues.

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

To thrive as a Life Support Engineer, you need a strong background in mechanical, electrical, or biomedical engineering, often supported by a relevant degree and experience with life support systems. Familiarity with technical tools such as CAD software, control systems, and environmental monitoring equipment, as well as certifications like OSHA or specialized aerospace safety training, is typical. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and clear communication are essential soft skills for this role. These skills ensure the safe and effective operation of critical life support systems, which are vital for sustaining environments in space, underwater, or medical settings.

What is the difference between Life Support Engineer vs Medical Equipment Technician?

AspectLife Support EngineerMedical Equipment Technician
CertificationsCPR, First Aid, specialized life support certificationsBiomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), manufacturer-specific certifications
Work EnvironmentHospitals, emergency services, aerospaceHospitals, clinics, medical device companies
Job FocusDesign, maintain, and troubleshoot life support systemsInstall, repair, and calibrate medical equipment

While both roles involve working with critical systems, Life Support Engineers focus on designing and maintaining life support systems, often in emergency or aerospace settings, whereas Medical Equipment Technicians primarily repair and calibrate medical devices used in healthcare facilities. Both require technical certifications and a strong understanding of medical or life support systems, but their daily tasks and work environments differ.

What are Life Support Engineers?

Life Support Engineers are professionals who design, maintain, and oversee systems that provide essential resources such as air, water, temperature control, and pressure regulation in environments where humans cannot survive unaided, such as space stations, submarines, or research labs. Their work ensures the safety and well-being of crew members by monitoring environmental conditions and responding to emergencies. They often collaborate with scientists, medical personnel, and other engineers to develop and implement life support technologies.
More about Life Support Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Life Support Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Life Support Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Life Support Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Life Support Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Life Support Engineer job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Locum Tenens, 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 95% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 3% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $82,930 per year, or $39.9 per hour.

Life Support System Engineer II

Vast

Long Beach, CA โ€ข On-site

$137K - $195K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


Job description

At Vast, our mission is to contribute to a future where billions of people are living and thriving in space. Vast is developing next-generation space stations to ensure a continuous human presence in space for America and its allies, enabling advanced microgravity research and manufacturing, and unlocking a new space economy for government, corporate, and private customers. Using an incremental, hardware-rich and low-cost approach, Vast is rapidly developing its multi-module Haven Station. Haven Demo's 2025 success made Vast the only operational commercial space station company to fly and operate its own spacecraft. Next, Haven-1 is expected to become the world's first commercial space station when it launches, followed by additional Haven modules to enable permanent human presence by 2030. Our team is all-in, committed to executing our mission safely and on time. If you want to work with the most talented people on Earth furthering space exploration for humanity, come join us.
Vast is looking for a(n) Life Support System Engineer II, reporting to the Director of Life Support Systems, to support the development of the systems that will be required for the design and build of human-rated space stations.
This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location.
Responsibilities:
  • Own the design and development of the environmental and thermal control systems for our artificial-gravity space station, from initial design trades to fully functional and validated system.
  • Iterate on manufacturing processes and development testing in a fast-paced environment.
  • Own the project delivery timeline from early design through production, launch, and orbit insertion.
  • Perform systems engineering tasks and fluid analyses.
  • Lead design reviews internally and externally with suppliers and customers.
  • Work with interdisciplinary stakeholders to ensure the component will integrate with the necessary avionics, software, and mission operations systems.
  • Make sure that all designs are manufacturable and reliable.
  • Bring technical excellence to everything you do.

Basic Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in an engineering or science discipline.
  • 2+ years of experience working with fluid or environmental control systems or components.
  • 3+ years of hands-on hardware experience performing fabrication, assembly and/or testing.

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Master's degree in an engineering discipline.
  • Proactive problem-solving skills such as failure analysis, root cause investigation, and design of experiment creation.
  • Ability to perform trade studies using first principles and engineering fundamentals to make clear recommendations even with partial information.
  • Experience with rotating machinery.
  • Experience with soft goods.
  • Experienced in NX.
  • Solid understanding and application of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T) and tolerance stack-up analysis.
  • Experience with structural analysis methods (hand calcs, FEMAP, ANSYS) in order to optimize hardware to strength requirements as well as to evaluate for life and fracture.
  • Knowledge of metallic and fluid system manufacturing techniques, processes, equipment, and other processes such as machining, welding, brazing, tube bending, etcetera.
  • Able to work well in an integrated collaborative team environment, including frequent interactions with technicians, other engineers, and managers.
  • Highly self-motivated with strong organizational and written/oral communication skills - able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment with the ongoing drive for continuous improvement in all aspects of work.

Pay Range:
  • Life Support System Engineer II : $112,300 - $159,460
  • Senior Life Support System Engineer : $137,700 - $195,550

Pay Range: California
$112,300-$195,550 USD
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Base salary will vary depending on job-related knowledge, education, skills, experience, business needs, and market demand. Salary is just one component of our comprehensive compensation package. Full-time employees also receive company equity, as well as access to a full suite of compelling benefits and perks, including: 100% medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, generous paid time off; up to 20+ days of vacation for exempt staff and up to 10+ days of vacation for non-exempt staff with the ability to cash-out unused vacation annually, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, ClassPass credits, personalized mental healthcare through Spring Health, and other discounts and perks. We also take pride in offering exceptional food perks, with snacks, drip coffee & onsite barista, cold drinks, and dinner meals remaining free of charge, and lunch subsidized as part of Vast's ongoing commitment to providing high-quality meals for employees.
U.S. EXPORT CONTROL COMPLIANCE STATUS
The person hired will have access to information and items subject to U.S. export controls, and therefore, must either be a "U.S. person" as defined by 22 C.F.R. ยง 120.62 or otherwise eligible for deemed export licensing. This status includes U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), and asylees and refugees with such status granted, not pending.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Vast is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Vast 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.