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 282 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 99 reviews)); "This makes it easy to win the best place to work in federal government awards year after year." ((in 81 reviews)); "The work that we do also provides great benefit to life here on Earth." ((in 67 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 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 30 reviews)); "Long hours and lots of talking about sending people into space." ((in 29 reviews)); "Some non performers and very poor managers." ((in 13 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

(1,790 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

Jan 1, 2015

gov

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

great place to work in aerospace

Cons

nothing bad to say about nasa

3.0

Dec 12, 2014

Technical excitement mixed with political frustration

Engineering

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The work accomplished at NASA is extremely unique and unmatched to a large degree. It isn't very hard to find work which is both interesting and unique. The job positions are very stable and the benefits are good.

Cons

The yearly budget cycle in Washington DC messes with the organization. Projects can be impacted from a cost and schedule perspective merely because the Congress hasn't acted. Also, the promotion path is geared heavily away from technical areas. Technical promotion paths are difficult to establish and pursue. Pay could be better.

5.0

Dec 10, 2014

Love working here

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Lots of responsibility. High grades relative to other local government jobs. Locality pay is highest in the country. Very cool being part of NASA. Flexible schedule, great vacation and future pension.

Cons

Only con is the terrible traffic getting there.

Viewing 1666 - 1668 of 1,790 Reviews

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$50K - $197K /yr

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