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 (289) , 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 91 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 time off." ((in 66 reviews)); "Good work environment and people" ((in 59 reviews))

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

"Low pay and bureaucracy to deal with" ((in 149 reviews)); "Government salaries are low and therefore it's hard to subsist in CA without a higher salary." ((in 59 reviews)); "no management pretty much do what u want" ((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 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.

NASA reviews

4.4

86% would recommend to a friend

(1,788 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 1,788 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

Jun 28, 2010

Great place to work!!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

I love it here... It's very laid back just as long as you get your work done. The people here are just so open and willing to help you!

Cons

There really isn't much to say about NASA that's negative... it truly is a lovely place to work! Just don't eat the cafeteria food!!

3.0

Apr 28, 2010

NASA Education is going into the tubes, one fiscal year at a time!

Anonymous employee

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

Smart people Fascinating technology Interesting work at the Center A core of employees who care for our nation and planet Get to meet people from around the world

Cons

Two-tier system, contractors and civil servants - caste system Too many civil servants do nothing, or do negative work NASA Education is underfunded NASA Education lacks leadership, locally and nationally

5.0

Feb 26, 2010

Summer research internship

Intern

Recommend

CEO approval

Business Outlook

Pros

NASA is a very prestigious company. The research they perform there is cutting-edge. It was a great opportunity to get research experience and work with some very brilliant minds.

Cons

The downside to NASA's research facilities is that the buildings and equipment are old. I had the opportunity to tour HP Labs while I worked at NASA and the facilities there are much more modern.

Viewing 1765 - 1767 of 1,788 Reviews

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Great place to work!!

NASA Education is going into the tubes, one fiscal year at a time!

Summer research internship

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