Does NASA pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, NASA employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.0 out of 5. Find out more about salaries and benefits at NASA. This rating has been stable over the past 12 months.

How satisfied are employees working at NASA?

86% of NASA employees would recommend working there to a friend based on Glassdoor reviews . Employees also rated NASA 4.4 out of 5 for work life balance, 4.4 for culture and values and 4.3 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at NASA?

Intern (289) , Aerospace Engineer (125) , Engineer (101) , Astronaut (95) , Internship (76) , Software Engineer (56) , Systems Engineer (38) , Software Engineer(Internship) (37) , Mechanical Engineer (34) , Engineering Intern (31) , Research Scientist (24) , Summer Intern (23) , Contract Specialist (22) , Astrophysicist (21) , Senior Software Engineer (21)

What are the pros of working at NASA according to real employee reviews?

"Great people and learning experiences" ((in 284 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 100 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 80 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 65 reviews)); "benefits are good and useful" ((in 63 reviews))

What are the cons of working at NASA according to real employee reviews?

"low pay and old buildings" ((in 151 reviews)); "Government salaries are low and therefore it's hard to subsist in CA without a higher salary." ((in 56 reviews)); "Long hours and lots of talking about sending people into space." ((in 31 reviews)); "Some non performers and very poor managers." ((in 13 reviews)); "We have had 5 company changes in 6 years; but the upper management at White Sands has not changed." ((in 9 reviews))

What are employees saying about NASA layoffs in 2026?

Explore Glassdoor’s employee reviews to understand what current and former employees are saying about NASA layoffs and their outlook for job security at NASA in 2026.

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NASA

NASA reviews

4.4

86% would recommend to a friend

(1,788 total reviews)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

82% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.4

Culture & values

4.4

Work/Life balance

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.3

Career opportunities

4.1

Senior management

4.0

Compensation and benefits

NASA has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,788 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The NASA employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Gobierno y administración pública industry (3.7 stars).

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

3.0

Dec 6, 2025

Great history, but that was the past, what about now?

Aerospace engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great legacy. Can be a big fish in a small pond. Narrow focus on aeronautics. Can get DOGED, creating efficiency. Great work life balance. Every other Friday off. EVERY Federal Holiday off. Great sick leave. Government Pension. Opportunities to pitch ideas and get funding for research and development

Cons

Low Pay. Narrow focus on aeronautics. Leadership typically changes every four years, leading to lack of focus. Funded by stolen money. Can get DOGED but also low pay, so now High risk-Low reward. Will force experimental medical procedures on you during an "emergency" and calls it a vaccine that cures all.

5.0

Dec 5, 2025

3i/atlas

Research scientist/astrophysicist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great workplace, excellent job to do. Pretty fun environment and dedicated peers.

Cons

Not much - some times work can draining.

5.0

Nov 24, 2025

Great Internship

Ostem intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Meaningful experience supported by countless experts in their own fields

Cons

A of of trainings which eat up a 10 week internship

Viewing 37 - 39 of 1,788 Reviews

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Great history, but that was the past, what about now?

3i/atlas

Great Internship

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