The new space economy: private companies selling launches, space station visits, weightless flights, and trips to the edge of space.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Space Startup Founder: Starts a new space company, maybe building rockets, satellites, or space services, and raises money to grow it. Typical pay $150k.
Launch Services Mission Manager: The main contact between a rocket company and the customer whose satellite is riding on the rocket. Typical pay $135k.
Space Business Development Manager: Wins deals for a space company: selling launches, satellite data, or seats to orbit. Typical pay $140k.
Space Product Manager: Decides what a space product (a satellite data service, a spacecraft bus) should do and guides engineers to build it. Typical pay $140k.
Zero-G Parabolic Flight Pilot: Flies a jet in steep roller-coaster arcs so passengers float weightless for about 20 seconds at a time. Typical pay $125k.
Stratospheric Balloon Flight Crew: Pilots giant balloons that lift passenger capsules to the edge of space for sunrise views of Earth's curve. Typical pay $85k.
Space Tourism Experience Designer: Designs every moment of a space tourist's trip, from the welcome dinner to the window views. Typical pay $85k.
Space Marketing Manager: Tells the story of a space company to customers, investors, and the public. Typical pay $100k.
Space Industry Recruiter: Finds and hires engineers, technicians, and operators for fast-growing space companies. Typical pay $72k.
Starter: fastest way in
Zero-G Flight Coach: Guides passengers on weightless flights, keeping them safe and helping them enjoy floating. Typical pay $45k.
Rocket Launch Tour Guide: Leads visitors around launch sites and space centers and gets them the best views of rocket launches. Typical pay $37k.
Space Customer Concierge: Handles travel, schedules, families, and every small detail for customers flying to space. Typical pay $52k.
Memorial Spaceflight Coordinator: Helps families send a small portion of a loved one's ashes into space on real rockets, and organizes the launch day. Typical pay $50k.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.