Space Beach Is Growing: 1,500-Plus Aerospace Jobs in the Pipeline in Long Beach

LONG BEACH, CA — The rocket builders, satellite makers and defense manufacturers that earned Long Beach the Space Beach nickname have spent 2026 lining up new work, and the state's own numbers now put more than 1,500 new jobs in the pipeline across three of them. Governor Gavin Newsom toured Rocket Lab's Long Beach headquarters on October 15 to make the point: the city that built airplanes for generations is now building spacecraft.

No job fair, no single hiring date. Just a steady build-out of aerospace work across the city, and a long window for anyone who wants in.

Ready to search? Jump to the Long Beach aerospace job links →

🔥 Who's Growing in Space Beach

The governor's office announcement from the October 15 visit lays out the local commitments, and company releases fill in the rest.

• Divergent. The Torrance defense manufacturer is moving into a 430,000-square-foot factory in Long Beach that will run 64 of its large-format metal 3D printers, turning out missile airframes and warhead casings. The company says the plant should support about 1,000 direct jobs, and local reporting has it coming online by the end of 2026.
• True Anomaly. The satellite and space-security company is building out a four-acre campus at Douglas Park, next to the airport. The state lists 400 new jobs and a $12.7 million investment tied to its Long Beach expansion, and some positions will require a security clearance.
• Voyager Technologies. A $75 million expansion of its Long Beach aerospace component plant comes with a commitment of 152 jobs under the state's California Competes tax credit, per the May 6 state announcement. Voyager opened a 140,000-square-foot center in the city in March, according to its own release.
• Rocket Lab. Headquartered in Long Beach since 2020, it is preparing its reusable Neutron rocket for a first flight in 2027. Earlier state credits tied the company to 147 full-time jobs across Long Beach and Huntington Beach.

⚠️ What These Numbers Are, and Aren't

These are job commitments and company projections, not open requisitions posted on a single day. None of the four has announced a hiring event or a start date for a specific batch of roles. Tax-credit jobs are typically added over several years. Treat the headcounts as a signal of where the work is heading, then watch each company's careers page and apply directly.

Clearance matters, too. Defense-adjacent work at Divergent and True Anomaly includes classified programs, and those roles generally require U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a clearance. Commercial launch and component work has a wider door.

💼 The Kinds of Jobs Behind the Headcount

Aerospace hiring is not just engineers with advanced degrees. A metal-printing factory needs machine operators, CNC machinists, maintenance technicians and quality inspectors on every shift. Satellite lines need electronics assemblers, test technicians and supply chain staff. The engineering side spans mechanical, electrical, manufacturing and software work.

The local pipeline is real. Cal State Long Beach says it graduates more than 1,200 engineers and computer scientists a year, and the university's economists put aerospace at about 2 percent of Long Beach jobs but 5 percent of its wages.

Adults retraining into the field can start at the city's Long Beach Workforce Innovation Network, which runs its Adult Career Services Center at 4811 Airport Plaza Dr., right in the middle of this cluster. Call 562-570-3700, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

🔎 Where to Aim Your Search

A machinist or quality inspector with a few years in automotive or medical device work is closer to these jobs than they might think.

Start here:

• Aerospace jobs in Long Beach
• Rocket Lab jobs in Long Beach
• Aerospace engineer jobs
• Manufacturing engineer jobs
• CNC machinist jobs
• Quality inspector jobs
• Electronics assembler jobs
• Maintenance technician jobs
• Security clearance jobs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Space Beach?

It is the nickname for Long Beach's cluster of launch, satellite and aerospace manufacturing companies, many of them on the east side around Long Beach Airport and Douglas Park.

Is there a Space Beach job fair coming up?

None of the companies in this story has announced one. Apply through each company's careers page, and check the LocalJobPage Long Beach blog for hiring events as they are announced.

How many jobs are actually open right now?

No combined count exists. The 1,500-plus figure is a total of announced commitments and projections from Divergent, True Anomaly and Voyager, which will be filled over time.

Do I need a degree to work in aerospace?

Not for every role. Machining, assembly, inspection and maintenance jobs often weigh hands-on experience and certifications over a four-year degree.

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• Fall 2026 Long Beach Job Fairs & Hiring Events: Your Complete Guide
• Long Beach Fall Job Fair October 27: Free Walk-In Event on Airport Plaza Drive
• Long Beach's Minimum Wage Line: Same Job, Different Pay a Few Miles Apart

The planes stopped rolling out of the old Douglas plant years ago. The next wave of Long Beach factory jobs is going up a few blocks away, around Douglas Park.