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 (290) , Aerospace Engineer (125) , Engineer (101) , Astronaut (95) , Internship (77) , Software Engineer (56) , Systems Engineer (38) , Software Engineer(Internship) (37) , Mechanical Engineer (35) , 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 283 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 97 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 80 reviews)); "benefits are good and useful" ((in 68 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 60 reviews))

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

"low pay and old buildings" ((in 141 reviews)); "Government salaries are low and therefore it's hard to subsist in CA without a higher salary." ((in 58 reviews)); "Long hours and lots of talking about sending people into space." ((in 32 reviews)); "there are no cons, very good management" ((in 31 reviews)); "Poor leadership." ((in 15 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

(1,790 total reviews)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

83% approve of CEO

59% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.4

Culture & values

4.4

Work/Life balance

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.3

Career opportunities

4.2

Senior management

4.0

Compensation and benefits

NASA has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,790 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

5.0

Nov 6, 2017

Amazing Place To Work

Software engineer(internship)

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Everything in NASA is hands on. I was initially assigned to the UX Development Team, but within the first couple of weeks I was able to branch out and learn so much. My mentors were friendly and ver VERY helpful. Once you work there, everyone makes an effort to help you out; whether it is finding another project for you to work on at NASA, or helping you out.

Cons

Some of the projects may seem very simple and bland.

5.0

Aug 2, 2017

NASA is a great place to work at

Aeronautical engineer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

-You get government benefits -Great money -Flexible work times

Cons

At the HQ, parking is horrible and

4.0

Jun 12, 2017

NASA Software Engineer Intern

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great mentor Allowed me to be in a position where I could strengthen my weaknesses as a developer, but also showcase my talents. My internship was not like most internships at Nasa Armstrong. Most interns do not work closely with their mentors, and are left on their own to complete a project. Also, I'm happy to know that my work will be used in later stages of development, whereas most intern projects are not used.

Cons

3 months isn't enough to learn the structure, politics, and all the other dynamics of an engineering environment

Viewing 67 - 69 of 1,790 Reviews

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