Is Tesla a good place to work?

Mostly. Tesla hires its robot data collectors and test drivers as full-time staff with stated pay, stock awards and day-one benefits, but the Optimus work is physically hard, output is graded closely, and review rounds have ended in cuts. Optimus collectors walk 7+ hours a day carrying up to 30 lbs, and workers told Business Insider of back injuries, a target of four usable video hours a shift, and dozens let go after a September 2025 review round.

Yes. Tesla, Inc. is Elon Musk's electric carmaker in Austin, Texas, with 134,785 staff at the end of 2025. Its Optimus humanoid, still in development, learns from Data Collection Operators who act out tasks in camera and motion-capture gear in California, Texas and Nevada, on shifts of 8.5 to 12 hours. Its self-driving team hires operators who drive FSD (Supervised) test cars 6 to 8 hours a day, and Robotaxi staff who inspect, clean and charge the fleet.

Yes. The highest-profile humanoid and self-driving data programs in the market, hiring in volume. Payouts: Hourly, regular Tesla payroll, with cash and stock awards and benefits on US postings. Hourly pay as a full-time Tesla employee. Postings read Oct 14, 2026 state $25.25 to $34.50 an hour for Data Collection Operator, Optimus in Fremont and Palo Alto ($23.99 to $32.78 in Marina del Rey) and $22.72 to $36 for SI Vehicle Operator, plus cash and stock awards; Texas and Nevada postings state no pay.

Indeed 3.3/5 (8,433 reviews), as read in October 2026. Praised: A Palo Alto data collection operator (Indeed, July 2025) praised amazing benefits, a team and managers who try to help, and pay that 'wasn't bad'. Criticised: Four Optimus workers told Business Insider (Nov 2025) the job takes a physical toll; one said the uneven 30 to 40 lb camera backpack hurt their back and led to medical leave.

October 2024: Business Insider interviewed nine current and former 'Project Rodeo' test drivers. Its critical-intervention team was trained to take control only to prevent a crash; drivers described cars rolling through red lights and five described near misses in 2024, including almost hitting pedestrians. None reported a crash. Tesla did not respond. June 2025: After Optimus program head Milan Kovac left, Tesla told data collectors it was moving from motion-capture suits and teleoperation to camera-only collection. By November workers wore a five-camera helmet and a 30 to 40 lb backpack, Business Insider reported. Current postings still list motion-capture gear. September 2025: Tesla cut dozens of Optimus data collectors after its twice-yearly performance reviews, Business Insider reported; more than 100 people had worked on data collection at one point. In August 2025 a Palo Alto operator wrote on Indeed that the team was overhired and reviews were being used to lay people off. January 2026: Tesla began public Robotaxi rides in Austin with no safety monitor in the car, after launching there in 2025 with monitors aboard. In the Bay Area, state rules kept a human behind the wheel, so rides there still used safety drivers.

Yes. Its public job board has 169 Tesla jobs open (checked 26 Oct 2026).

A good fit: Fit, careful people near a Tesla site (Fremont, Palo Alto, Marina del Rey, Austin or Henderson for Optimus; many U.S. cities for driving) who want full-time hourly work with benefits and can do weekends or nights. A poor fit: Anyone outside the 5'7" to 6' or 6'3" height range the Optimus gear needs, with back or joint trouble, who wants fixed weekday hours, or who is uneasy testing unfinished driving software on public roads.