China's commercial space sector intensifies race for engineering talent

China's fast-growing commercial space sector is fueling a nationwide competition for talent, with companies racing to hire engineers in core fields.

With a rapidly growing number of commercial rockets launched, demand for experts in liquid-propellant rockets and reusable rocket development is growing explosively, according to industry recruitment data and company officials.

"In the first half of this year, more than 100 employees have already joined the company. The onboarding rate has doubled compared with that in the same period last year. The professional backgrounds of the recruited talents are mainly concentrated in aviation, structural manufacturing, and other aerospace-related mechanics specialties. At present, liquid-propellant reusable rocket talent is relatively scarce across the entire industry," said Feng Chunyang, human resources manager at Dongfang Space Technology, a Beijing-based commercial space firm.

In east China's Jiangsu province, local aerospace companies also intensified recruitment efforts.

"Our company has also offered nearly 200 positions. The most prominent gap is in research and development talent for liquid-propellant reusable rockets, and the annual salary for some individual key talents can reach the million-yuan (about 149,000 U.S. dollars) level," said Zhang Chengcong, deputy general manager of Deep Blue Aerospace.

The sector's expansion is creating new openings for graduates and researchers in related fields.

An engineer holding a Tsinghua University PhD in optical engineering who recently joined Chang Guang Satellite Technology in Changchun, Jilin Province shared his experience.

"First, because my major matches the position. More importantly, I think this is one of the industries that best combines my dreams and ambitions with down-to-earth contributions: satellites capture data in space, and at the same time these data can directly serve agriculture, environmental protection, and urban planning, truly landing to solve real problems," said Zhao Yun, the engineer.

According to recruitment platform Zhaopin.com, commercial aerospace job postings rose 21.2 percent year on year from January to July 2026, with average monthly salaries near 20,000 yuan (about 2,980 U.S. dollars). Jobs tied to liquid-propellant reusable rockets jumped 75.6 percent over the same period.

China's commercial space sector intensifies race for engineering talent

Beijing's new-home market has been brisk since October, with higher turnover.

In some real estate sales offices, customers intending to buy a new home packed the reception areas.

Some property offices receive 200 to 300 groups of clients a day.

"We've found an 80-square-meter apartment we like and plan to sign a letter of intent to purchase it," said a local resident.

Many new-home developments have seen an increase in inquiries and in-person visits, with visitor numbers at some projects nearly doubling compared with September.

"Recently, some prospective buyers have come to view the development in the morning, shown strong interest, and returned that afternoon to sign preliminary letters of intent to purchase. Others have already reached out to us on WeChat to ask about the project's sales progress. We can feel that the market is heating up," said Xiang Xue, a real estate salesperson.

Latest data show that from October 1 to 8, transactions of newly built commercial housing in Beijing totaled 128,400 square meters, up 163 percent year on year.

"Buyers' enthusiasm has risen noticeably, helping turn more prospective interest into actual home purchases," said Wu Jing, director of Tsinghua University's real estate research center.

New-home sales in Beijing pick up since October