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 (76) , Software Engineer (56) , Systems Engineer (38) , Software Engineer(Internship) (37) , Mechanical Engineer (34) , 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 287 reviews)); "Work life balance is great when you don’t go through management and let HR inform them of any accommodations" ((in 96 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 retirement plan" ((in 70 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 145 reviews)); "Government salaries are low and therefore it's hard to subsist in CA without a higher salary." ((in 62 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)); "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.

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NASA

NASA reviews

Compare reviews

4.4

86% would recommend to a friend

(1,789 total reviews)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.

82% approve of CEO

58% positive business outlook

Ratings by category

4.4

Culture & values

4.4

Work/Life balance

4.3

Diversity & inclusion

4.3

Career opportunities

4.1

Senior management

4.0

Compensation and benefits

NASA has an employee rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars, based on 1,789 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

Aug 29, 2012

Good experience, great people

Co-op

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The employees at NASA are all there to help you grow. Nobody hesitates to chip in when you are stuck or offer their advice. You get to work with some of the best, brightest minds in the country. Great work/life balance. Pay is a bit lower than industry, but job security is strong.

Cons

This is the government, so the typical government bureaucracy is expected. It can take a long time for things to change, especially since the average age of the NASA workforce is quite a bit older than other places. Also, the mission can change with each new president, but that's not really in NASA's control.

5.0

Aug 27, 2012

This was a rewarding environment, and always challenging.

.net developer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Working at NASA was rewarding because you are able to use your background knowledge and combine it with new technologies to create solutions.

Cons

No cons noted for this job.

4.0

Aug 25, 2012

A great experience working with some of the greatest minds of the universe.

Chief executive officer

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

The "cool" factor of working at an organization that has so much recognition. Working on a mission that touches the heart and soul of every human on this planet.

Cons

Shockingly slow to innovate or change. A legacy of greatness often leads to mediocrity.

Viewing 1708 - 1710 of 1,789 Reviews

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Good experience, great people

This was a rewarding environment, and always challenging.

A great experience working with some of the greatest minds of the universe.

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