Here is something I wish more people knew: you do not have to build a rocket to work at a company that watches the whole planet from orbit. If you have ever wondered how to get a job at Planet Labs, you are asking a smart question. Planet runs one of the biggest fleets of Earth-imaging satellites around, and it hires far more than engineers.
I am Emma, and I love digging into who is hiring in space right now. So let me walk you through this one step by step, in plain English.
What Planet Labs Actually Does
Planet builds and operates satellites that take pictures of Earth, then sells that imagery and the insights from it. Think farmers checking crop health, governments tracking floods, and companies watching supply chains. Its SuperDove satellites are part of the daily monitoring mission, capturing eight-band data of Earth’s changing systems.
Planet also flies Pelican satellites for higher resolution imagery, and Tanager, its hyperspectral satellite program, built to help detect things like methane emissions. That is a lot of hardware, software, data and customers, which means a lot of different jobs.
Why a Planet Labs Career Is Worth Your Attention
Here is the part that matters for you. Space is not only astronauts and launch pads. Roughly 44% of space industry jobs are non-technical, and a company like Planet needs sales, customer success, finance, marketing and operations people just as much as it needs flight software engineers.
Planet is also a company that designs and builds its own satellites in a manufacturing lab in San Francisco. So you get the real, hands-on side of space, plus a business that sells to customers every day. That mix is possible to break into from many starting points.
The Types of Jobs You Will See
When I looked at Planet’s job board, the listings spanned several areas. Here are the big buckets to know:
Engineering roles include flight software, mechanical and thermal engineering, and data pipelines. Operations roles include imaging operations, which is the team that makes sure the satellites collect the pictures customers need. Commercial roles include pre-sales, sales development and customer success. Corporate roles include finance, marketing and more.
Open positions change all the time, so treat any number you read online as a snapshot. Check Planet’s official careers page for what is open today.
Where the Jobs Are
Planet says its team works remotely around the world and also joins from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia and the Netherlands. Some roles are hybrid and ask you to be in an office a few days a week. Read the location line on every posting before you get your hopes up or down.
If you are a student, look for internships too. Planet has offered paid, full-time summer internships based at its San Francisco headquarters office. That is one of the cleanest ways in, and you can start now.
Skills That Help You Get Hired
You do not need every skill on this list. Pick the lane that fits you and get started.
For technical lanes, Python is a real, easy-to-start skill that shows up in data and imaging work. Basic comfort with geospatial ideas, like maps, coordinates and satellite imagery, helps a lot. For operations lanes, being calm, careful and good with checklists matters more than a fancy degree. For business lanes, clear writing, curiosity about customers and the ability to explain a complicated product in simple words will carry you far.
If you want a starter project, a small computer and a free afternoon go a long way. A kit like the Raspberry Pi 5 Starter Kit (#ad): great for learning how real hardware, sensors and code fit together without spending a fortune.
Build Proof, Not Just a Resume
Hiring teams like proof. If you want to know how to get a job at Planet Labs, show that you can already do a small version of the work.
Try this. Pull free satellite imagery from a public source, pick one place you care about, and write a short post about what changed over a year. Maybe a lake shrank or a new building went up. Put it on a simple page or GitHub and link it in your application. That is real, specific and easy for a recruiter to remember.
If you are brand new to coding, a beginner book like Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition (#ad) gives you a step by step path from zero to useful scripts.
Write a Resume That Gets Read
Keep it to one page. Lead with what you did and what happened because of it. Swap vague phrases for plain facts: “built a Python script that sorted 2,000 images in minutes” beats “responsible for data tasks.”
Use the words from the job post when they are true for you. Many companies use software to sort applications first, so matching the language helps a person see your fit. Then add one line on why you care about Earth observation. Make it honest and personal.
Nail the Interview
Expect a mix of conversations about your background, your skills and how you work with others. Technical roles often include problem-solving or coding questions. Commercial roles often include questions about customers and how you would explain the product.
Practice out loud. Tell your story in three short parts: where you started, what you built or learned, and why this role is next. If you are heading into a coding round, a classic prep book like Cracking the Coding Interview (#ad) is worth a look.
Use Your Network Without Being Awkward
You do not need a famous contact. Follow Planet on social media, watch the launch updates, and message people who work in roles you want. Keep it short: say who you are, what you admire about their work, and ask one specific question. Most people like helping someone who did their homework.
Also go to free webinars, local space meetups and online communities. Showing up a few times matters more than showing up perfectly.
Helpful Resources for Aspiring Space Professionals
A few picks I would actually point a friend toward as you get ready:
- What Color Is Your Parachute? 2026 (#ad): a long-running career guide that helps you figure out what you want and how to pitch it.
- Python Crash Course, 3rd Edition (#ad): a friendly way to learn the language behind a lot of data and imaging work.
- Cracking the Coding Interview (#ad): practice problems for technical interviews, so the nerves hit less.
Your Next Step
You do not need to be a rocket scientist. Here is your move this week: open Planet’s careers page, save two roles that look possible, and write down the three skills you would need to close the gap. Then pick one and start.
Real jobs exist beyond “astronaut,” and companies like Planet are hiring people who start where you are. You can do this. Get started now, one small step at a time.
