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 284 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 93 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 81 reviews)); "benefits are good and useful" ((in 69 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 66 reviews))

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

"low pay and old buildings" ((in 152 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 35 reviews)); "no management pretty much do what u want" ((in 30 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

5.0

Aug 22, 2017

OSSI Intern

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Casual work environment, people really love their job

Cons

Pace can be slow at times

4.0

Aug 20, 2017

Great Place to work

Web developer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Great working hours Easy commute People are very nice and friendly

Cons

Salary is very low No Bonus or raise

5.0

Aug 5, 2017

Nice place to work

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

This is a place where basic r&d is done. Whether testing the newest flight hardware in the world's biggest wind-tunnel complex, through advances in infrared astronomy, to discoveries of world's around distant suns through the Kepler project. Among more down-to-earth benefits, are a Health Unit, a Gym to work out and a cafeteria to eat out plus 2 other eateries at different parts of Moffett Field. They have events at Ames from conferences throughout the year to bbqs during the summer. Please visit the NASA Ames website for more information.

Cons

None that I can think of at this time.

Viewing 1354 - 1356 of 1,796 Reviews

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Member Experience & Operations Coordinator Position

Facility Specialist (Part-time)

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NASA

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