Whether you’re looking at Long Beach or Hawthorne, relocating for a space role can be career-defining. But this is different from your typical career move: in most industries, you can take a new job without moving. In space, you often can’t.
Why Relocation Is So Common in the Space Industry
More than 80% of the roles we place at EVONA require some on-site work (44% hybrid, 38% on-site). And for electrical engineers, it’s more than 90%. Clearance-required work can’t be done remotely. By definition, no amount of Wi-Fi gets you into a security cleared role. And a lot of hardware work simply has to happen where the hardware is. You can’t test a rocket engine from your kitchen table.
This reality plays out in two common ways. Switch to a competitor with no presence in your city, and you’ll need to move. An engineer at Lockheed Martin in Denver taking a role at Blue Origin in Kent (Washington) doesn’t have a remote option. Get promoted or transferred within a large prime like Boeing or Northrop Grumman, and you might be relocated to a different program site. Whether you were thinking about it or not.
So this isn’t a hypothetical exercise. If you’re in this industry long enough, the relocation conversation will probably come up. In this blog, we’ll tell you how to have it properly. To do that, here’s a list of things to work through before an offer lands, so you can say “yes” or “no” with a straight face.
Is Your Spouse on Board, Really?
First things first. Before saying yes to an interview, have a real talk with your spouse. What will this move do to your relationship, your family, lifestyle and both of your careers? If you have a spouse and kids to consider, a move like this is a family decision rather than a solo one.
Can your partner do their job from there? Push past the polite yes. Does their industry even exist in that city? If your partner’s a marine biologist and you’re moving to Nebraska, “open to it” and “this works” are not the same sentence.
Ask the hard questions early. The candidates who make it through an interview process without doubts research everything, and don’t say yes until both partners are sure. We’ve seen this play out in two ways. In one case, a candidate moved from Vancouver to Toronto. His wife’s company had its headquarters there, so it was a straightforward move for both. On the flipside, another candidate’s wife had already started from scratch after a previous move didn’t work out, when his company folded.
And don’t forget your support network. Have you thought about who’s nearby that you’d actually call at 2am? Do you know anyone in the city you’re moving to? “We’ll make new friends” might be true, but it’s not a plan.
The Price of Bread: A Cost of Living Check
Here’s a quick test: what does a loaf of bread cost in your new city? If you don’t know, you’re not ready to negotiate salary yet. A bigger number on the offer letter means nothing if you haven’t figured out the cost of living. A move from Colorado to California on the “same” salary isn’t a lateral move, it’s a pay cut. Check the rent and you’ll see it immediately. Moving countries adds another layer: US dollars into Canadian dollars looks like a raise until you figure out what a CAD actually buys you.
Run the numbers regardless: 10 to 20 percent ahead of your current spending power, cost of living priced in, is a reasonable bar for a real raise rather than a lateral move. But pay isn’t the only reason to take a role like this. If you’re moving for the mission, the technology, or a company with real momentum, that’s a legitimate trade, as long as you’re making it with your eyes open. Know whether you’re taking a pay cut, and decide honestly if it’s one you’re willing to make.
Go Straight to the Source: Checking a Startup’s Runway
Considering the effort it takes to move, relocating for an early-stage company means you need to commit to their mission ideally for the next 5 years. With a family to consider, you need to know whether the funding will last long enough for you to build a life in a new city.
This isn’t a decision you make off a mission statement. A recruiter can tell you about the role, but only the founder can tell you how much runway is actually left. And if you can’t get a straight answer on funding, that’s a red flag. Ask directly for the number, and don’t accept “we’re in a great position.”
Timing Your Move: Schools, Housing and Notice Periods
Have kids mid-school-year? That’s not a footnote, that’s a reason to push your start date. Pulling a kid out of a school they’re happy in is much harder in February than it might be in June.
If you own a house, are you selling it before or after the move? If you’re renting, what notice do you owe your landlord? Does it line up with your start date, or are you about to double up on a rent payment?
Successful Moves Have This in Common
The moves that don’t work out usually involve: a partner’s hesitation, an aging parent you haven’t considered, a child midway through a school year. And you can’t solve any of these on a Zoom call.
None of this is an argument against relocating. We relocate people into career-defining moves all the time. The difference is that couples that start the conversation on day one give themselves the best chance for success. That means researching schools, neighborhoods, and grocery prices before there’s an offer on the table, not after.
The Move Might Be Risky, but Is It Worth It?
Not every relocation is about managing risk. The real question is whether that risk is worth saying yes to. Space is still an early industry. New companies are attracting real funding and building toward a five-to-ten-year horizon that didn’t exist a decade ago. If you’re at a large company today with a role that’s stalled, little say in what you work on next, and no real path upward, a company with a genuine plan for your career can be worth the move on its own.
Maybe compensation isn’t the real draw. Maybe it’s the technology. The chance to work closer to leadership. To put your name on something that will actually orbit. To work on a problem most companies aren’t touching yet. If you believe in the mission and the role enough, that’s a real reason to move too, even when the numbers don’t quite add up yet.