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 4.4 for career opportunities.

What are the top reviewed jobs at NASA?

Intern (291) , Aerospace Engineer (125) , Engineer (101) , Astronaut (95) , Internship (77) , Software Engineer (58) , Systems Engineer (38) , Software Engineer(Internship) (37) , Mechanical Engineer (35) , Engineering Intern (31) , Research Scientist (24) , Summer Intern (23) , Contract Specialist (22) , Astrophysicist (21) , Pathways Intern (21)

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

"Great people and learning experiences" ((in 281 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 95 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 81 reviews)); "Great benefits and time off." ((in 68 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 62 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 57 reviews)); "there are no cons, very good management" ((in 31 reviews)); "Long hours and lots of talking about sending people into space." ((in 28 reviews)); "Some non performers and very poor managers." ((in 12 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.

NASA reviews

4.4

86% would recommend to a friend

(1,796 total reviews)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

83% approve of CEO

61% positive business outlook

Ratings by demographic groups

Race / Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual orientation

Disability

Parent or family caregiver

Veteran status

NASA has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,796 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).

Reviews by job title

2K reviews

4.0

Sep 11, 2023

Great Job...Some employees act like its a cult

Management analyst

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Flexible Schedule Remote Work Interesting subject matter Work/Life Balance Overall Mission

Cons

Group think occurs in some team Outside (new employee) opinions often overlooked in some teams Non-extroverted team members are "picked on" for not wanting to participate in after work activities (by some teams) When more quiet employees explain that they do not like to be in the spotlight and would prefer to assist the presented behind the scenes it is not considered an option. (Everyone needs to be the same)

5.0

Sep 8, 2023

It's a very good place.

Research scientist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Very Nice place to work.

Cons

People are very logical and competitive.

4.0

Sep 7, 2023

wonderful opportunity

Undergraduate research assistant

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

A very interesting and involving group. I got to experience hands on research at my university.

Cons

I did not have any complaints about this opportunity.

Viewing 499 - 501 of 1,796 Reviews

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Great Job...Some employees act like its a cult

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