Does NASA pay their employees well?

According to anonymously submitted Glassdoor reviews, NASA employees rate their compensation and benefits as 4.1 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 (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 97 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 82 reviews)); "benefits are good and useful" ((in 67 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 63 reviews))

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

"low pay and old buildings" ((in 149 reviews)); "Government salaries are low and therefore it's hard to subsist in CA without a higher salary." ((in 58 reviews)); "there are no cons, very good management" ((in 31 reviews)); "Long hours and lots of talking about sending people into space." ((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

(1,794 total reviews)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

83% approve of CEO

60% positive business outlook

Company ratings over time

Ratings trend for the last 6 months (1,794 reviews)

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 1,794 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

Dec 8, 2016

Business Development Specialist

Business development specialist

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Interaction with colleagues and other organizations. Collaborate with interesting projects internally and externally and across the agency.

Cons

depending on the organization assigned to, you might not get growth opportunities or promotions.

4.0

Dec 3, 2016

Great Place

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

- Marshall Space Flight Center has a fascinating and diverse work portfolio - Great work environment that values work and life balance - Good health and retirement benefits

Cons

- Arbitrary advancement rules - No bonuses for non-executives limits incentives available for employees - Culture does not celebrate all functions required for success

1.0

Nov 24, 2016

My review hey

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Good fun and team workers

Cons

Long hours small pay

Viewing 1414 - 1416 of 1,794 Reviews

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NASA

NASA reviews

Company ratings over time

Ratings by demographic groups

Reviews by job title

Business Development Specialist

Great Place

My review hey

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