Software Engineer Internship Contract Jobs in California

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.

SPRING 2027 SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INTERNSHIP/CO-OP

SpaceX seeks extraordinary students to join us for software engineering roles in Spring 2027. As a software intern, you will work closely with your mentor and other employees who will help you apply your knowledge and grow your skills on projects that have a significant impact. You'll also get to have some fun and network with other interns and employees through optional social and professional events. If you've demonstrated a commitment to academic success and motivation to apply your knowledge outside of the classroom, you are a great candidate! Aerospace experience is not required to be successful here - rather we look for smart, motivated, collaborative engineers who love solving problems and want to make an impact on a super inspiring mission.

Internships are available with a variety of software engineering teams across the company at Bastrop, TX; Brownsville, TX; Cape Canaveral, FL; Hawthorne (Los Angeles), CA; Irvine, CA; McGregor (Waco), TX; Palo Alto, CA; and Redmond (Seattle), WA.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be enrolled in a bachelor's degree or graduate program
• 3+ months of software programming or development experience
• Software coding experience in one or more of the following: C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, Python
• Applicant for this intern position must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful permanent resident (e.g., green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158.

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• GPA of 3.5 or above
• 6+ months experience developing and deploying software that has been used on real-world applications and projects
• Strong fundamental knowledge of computer architecture and networks
• Experience with software documentation, creating system diagrams, and enumerating software requirements
• Strong skills in debugging, performance optimization and unit testing
• Strong interpersonal skills (examples: leading a student organization or working successfully in teams)
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment with changing needs and requirements
• Ability to work independently and in a team, take initiative, and communicate effectively

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Able to work full time, onsite for a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks beginning in January or March 2027
• Able to provide own transportation for positions at Brownsville, Cape Canaveral and McGregor locations

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Pay Range:

Software Engineering Intern/Freshman/Sophomore: $30.00/hour Software Engineering Intern/Junior/Senior: $34.00/hour Software Engineering Intern/Completed Bachelor's: $36.00/hour Software Engineering Intern/Completed Master's: $38.00/hour Software Engineering Intern/Completed PhD: $40.00/hour

Your salary will be determined by academic level. Pay is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for a stipend to subsidize relocation costs, as well as access to our comprehensive medical coverage and a 401(k) retirement plan. Students joining SpaceX through our internship program will receive the opportunity to attend presentations from company leaders, social and networking events, as well as professional and personal development trainings. Interns are also eligible for paid company holidays. SpaceX offers 10 or more paid holidays per year.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS:

VEHICLE

• DRAGON : The Dragon spacecraft is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth orbit, and beyond. It is the only spacecraft currently flying that is capable of returning significant amounts of cargo to Earth and is the first private spacecraft to take humans to the space station.
• FALCON : The Falcon program tackles space exploration's toughest problems through the ongoing development of our reusable launch vehicles, Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. These vehicles are currently responsible for delivering commercial, national security, and NASA satellites into orbit, as well as supply critical science, supplies, and crew to the International Space Station.
• STARSHIP: The Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket - collectively referred to as Starship - represent a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry both crew and cargo to Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars and beyond. Starship is the world's most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, designed to carry more than 100 metric tonnes to orbit in a fully reusable configuration and powered by our Raptor and Raptor Vacuum (RVac) engines, which are designed for use in the vacuum of space.

SATELLITE / SPACEXAI

• STARLINK: Starlink is the world's largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to millions of users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system, including thousands of satellites, consumer receivers, and the software that brings it all together. Our Starlink teams are also undertaking SpaceX's next-generation mobile network, Starlink Mobile, connecting human beings all around the globe anywhere they can see the sky.
• 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.
• SPACEXAI - SpaceXAI's mission is to create AI systems that can accurately understand the universe and aid humanity in its pursuit of knowledge. This includes Grok, the frontier AI model for everything you need, trained on the world's largest supercluster, and developing Starmind, a new constellation of satellites capturing solar energy in space to power low-cost, high-performance AI compute for Earth.

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.