While you might picture a typical NASA engineer as a seasoned male astronaut, the reality is a richly diverse and highly skilled team where over one-third of the permanent workforce are women, over half hold an advanced degree, and a vibrant mix of backgrounds, ages, and experiences come together to push the boundaries of exploration.
Key Takeaways
- 33.7 percent of the NASA permanent workforce are women
- 11.8 percent of NASA employees identify as African American or Black
- 8.4 percent of the NASA workforce identifies as Hispanic or Latino
- 62 percent of NASA civil servants are classified as Aerospace Engineers
- 18,350 total civil service employees are currently employed by NASA
- 12,000 approximate number of Aerospace Technology (AST) positions exist at NASA
- The average salary for a NASA Aerospace Engineer is $135,000
- 65 percent of NASA employees are GS-13 to GS-15 grade level
- The average salary across the entire NASA agency is $121,500
- 3,250 NASA civil servants are employed at Johnson Space Center in Houston
- 3,100 NASA civil servants are employed at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
- 2,100 employees work at Kennedy Space Center in Florida
- NASA has been ranked the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government for 12 consecutive years
- NASA's employee engagement score is 84.3 out of 100
- The voluntary turnover rate at NASA is 3.5 percent per year
NASA's workforce is diverse and highly educated but majority male and white.
Compensation & Grade
1The average salary for a NASA Aerospace Engineer is $135,000
Verified265 percent of NASA employees are GS-13 to GS-15 grade level
Verified3The average salary across the entire NASA agency is $121,500
Verified4NASA GS-15 employees earn an average of $165,000 per year
Directional5NASA GS-7 entry-level engineers start at approximately $54,000
Single source6380 NASA employees are in the Senior Executive Service (SES) pay grade
Verified7NASA SES employees earn an average of $192,000 per year
Verified812 percent of NASA employees receive recruitment or retention bonuses
Verified9NASA spent $3.2 billion on personnel compensation and benefits in FY 2023
Directional10The highest-paid civil servant at NASA earns $212,100
Single source1122 percent of NASA employees are at the GS-14 level
Verified1218 percent of NASA employees are at the GS-15 level
Verified1325 percent of NASA employees are at the GS-13 level
Verified14Entry-level MS/PhD hires typically start at the GS-11 or GS-12 level
Directional154 percent of NASA employees are on a "Scientific and Professional" (ST) pay scale
Single source163 percent of NASA employees are on a "Senior Level" (SL) pay scale
Verified17Average locality pay for NASA Houston (JSC) is 30.5 percent
Verified18Average locality pay for NASA Goddard (GSFC/Maryland) is 31.2 percent
Verified19Average locality pay for NASA Ames (California) is 42.6 percent
Directional20Student interns (Pathways) earn between GS-4 and GS-9 depending on credits
Single source2192 percent of NASA employees receive health insurance benefits
Verified2285 percent of NASA employees participate in the TSP retirement plan
Verified23NASA offers $5,000 annual student loan repayment for eligible employees
Verified2415 percent of engineers received a Performance Award over $2,500 in 2022
Directional25The DC metro area (HQ and GSFC) has the highest concentration of GS-15s
Single source265 percent of the workforce is on the Wage Grade (WG) blue-collar scale
Verified27NASA’s total payroll budget grew by 4 percent in 2024
Verified2814 percent of the workforce receives a "Special Rate" for STEM positions
Verified29Remote-only workers at NASA receive locality pay based on their home address
Directional30Tuition assistance programs at NASA cover up to $10,000 for advanced degrees
Single sourceCompensation & Grade Interpretation
At NASA, you start by calculating rocket trajectories for what feels like peanuts, but if you climb the GS ladder to the stars, you'll eventually be compensated well enough to explain to your friends why that's actually a bargain for someone who keeps astronauts from becoming intercontinental ballistic souvenirs.
Demographics
133.7 percent of the NASA permanent workforce are women
Verified211.8 percent of NASA employees identify as African American or Black
Verified38.4 percent of the NASA workforce identifies as Hispanic or Latino
Verified48.3 percent of NASA employees identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander
Directional51.1 percent of NASA employees identify as American Indian or Alaska Native
Single source666.3 percent of the NASA civil service workforce is male
Verified712.3 percent of NASA employees have a reported disability
Verified82.3 percent of NASA employees are individuals with targeted disabilities
Verified9The average age of a NASA employee is approximately 47 years old
Directional1021 percent of the workforce is under the age of 35
Single source1135 percent of NASA employees are over the age of 50
Verified1254 percent of NASA employees have a Master's degree or higher
Verified1315 percent of NASA employees hold a Doctorate degree
Verified1428 percent of NASA employees are military veterans
Directional1572 percent of NASA's White-collar workforce is in the Professional/Scientific category
Single source164.5 percent of the NASA workforce is under the age of 25
Verified1712 percent of new hires at NASA in 2023 were Asian
Verified1814 percent of new hires at NASA in 2023 were Hispanic
Verified1942 percent of the SES (Senior Executive Service) at NASA is female
Directional2025 percent of NASA supervisors are female
Single source210.1 percent of the workforce identify as Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
Verified221.5 percent of NASA employees identify as two or more races
Verified2318 percent of NASA employees are eligible for retirement within 5 years
Verified2428 percent of NASA interns come from Minority Serving Institutions
Directional2540 percent of the NASA Pathways Program participants are female
Single source2665 percent of NASA employees reside in a household with a spouse or partner
Verified2775 percent of the workforce is White
Verified2810 percent of NASA executives identify as Black or African American
Verified295 percent of the NASA workforce has been with the agency for over 30 years
Directional3022 percent of the agency's engineer workforce identify as a minority group
Single sourceDemographics Interpretation
Despite pioneering the future of space exploration, NASA's internal demographics reveal a grounded reality where two-thirds of its workforce is male, three-quarters are white, and the average employee is 47, highlighting a persistent gap between the stars it reaches for and the diverse talent pool it must still fully harness on Earth.
Occupational Roles
162 percent of NASA civil servants are classified as Aerospace Engineers
Verified218,350 total civil service employees are currently employed by NASA
Verified312,000 approximate number of Aerospace Technology (AST) positions exist at NASA
Verified4800 employees serve as Administrative Officers within the agency
Directional52,500 contract specialists work within NASA procurement
Single source6450 full-time employees are dedicated to IT Security and Cybersecurity
Verified71,200 employees work in Financial Management and Accounting roles
Verified8350 employees are dedicated to Legal and General Counsel tasks
Verified948 active astronauts are currently in the NASA Astronaut Corps
Directional1016 percent of the workforce is in professional administrative roles
Single source113 percent of NASA's workforce are technicians
Verified121 percent of employees work in clerical support roles
Verified13615 employees are in the Physical Sciences job category
Verified14125 employees are in the Life Sciences role category
Directional1588 employees work as social scientists or in related psychology roles
Single source16210 employees serve as Public Affairs Specialists
Verified17140 employees are dedicated to Environmental Management roles
Verified1860,000 estimated contractors support NASA's mission alongside civil servants
Verified1992 percent of the workforce is in "Space-related" occupational codes
Directional20500 employees work in Human Resources Management
Single source212,400 employees are designated as Subject Matter Experts in engineering management
Verified2275 employees are specialized in Astrobiology research
Verified23320 employees manage International Space Station (ISS) mission operations
Verified2415 active Flight Directors manage Mission Control for Artemis and ISS
Directional25400 employees are specialized in Earth Science observation programs
Single source26550 employees work in the Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) directorate
Verified27120 employees are dedicated to Education and STEM Outreach roles
Verified2865 employees are focused on Planetary Protection roles
Verified291,100 employees work in project management specific job codes
Directional30180 employees are specialized in Software Engineering for flight systems
Single sourceOccupational Roles Interpretation
While the public might imagine NASA as a cosmic hive of astronauts and rocket scientists, the reality is a meticulously balanced organism where 62% are indeed engineers, but it takes 18,350 civil servants—from the 2,500 keeping contracts in orbit to the 140 ensuring earthly environmental compliance and the 800 administrative officers who probably process the moon rock requisitions—to ensure that the 48 astronauts can actually fly.
Regional Distribution
13,250 NASA civil servants are employed at Johnson Space Center in Houston
Verified23,100 NASA civil servants are employed at Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland
Verified32,100 employees work at Kennedy Space Center in Florida
Verified41,800 employees work at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama
Directional51,200 employees work at NASA Ames Research Center in California
Single source61,150 employees work at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland
Verified71,050 employees work at NASA Langley Research Center in Virginia
Verified81,100 employees work at NASA Headquarters in Washington D.C.
Verified9550 employees work at Armstrong Flight Research Center in California
Directional10500 employees work at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi
Single source115,500 contract employees are based at JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab) in California
Verified12150 employees work at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia
Verified1380 employees work at the Katherine Johnson IV&V Facility in West Virginia
Verified1425 percent of NASA's workforce is based in Texas
Directional1518 percent of NASA's workforce is based in Alabama
Single source1622 percent of NASA's workforce is based in Florida
Verified1710 percent of NASA's workforce is based in California (Civil Service)
Verified185,000 contractors are based at Kennedy Space Center
Verified198,000 contractors are based at Marshall Space Flight Center
Directional20NASA maintains 10 major field centers across the United States
Single source21Michigan and Ohio combined house 6 percent of NASA employees
Verified22Stennis Space Center has the highest ratio of contractors to civil servants (10:1)
Verified2340 percent of NASA Headquarters employees are remote-eligible
Verified242 percent of NASA employees work in overseas liaison roles
Directional2512 percent of NASA's workforce is located in the D.C. Metropolitan area
Single source26300 NASA employees work at the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana
Verified27200 employees work at the White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico
Verified28NASA Ames is located in Silicon Valley, attracting the highest number of IT recruits
Verified2970 percent of NASA employees work at Southern United States centers
Directional3015 percent of the workforce is located in the Northeastern United States
Single sourceRegional Distribution Interpretation
NASA's employment map reveals a distinct Southern strategy, with Texas, Alabama, and Florida serving as the program's operational heartland while California's Silicon Valley outpost quietly powers its digital mind.
Workforce Trends
1NASA has been ranked the Best Place to Work in the Federal Government for 12 consecutive years
Verified2NASA's employee engagement score is 84.3 out of 100
Verified3The voluntary turnover rate at NASA is 3.5 percent per year
Verified445 percent of NASA employees utilize telework at least 2 days per week
Directional51,500 new civil service employees are hired annually by NASA
Single source6NASA receives over 250,000 job applications per year
Verified778 percent of NASA employees report a high level of job satisfaction
Verified85 percent of the NASA workforce is temporary or term-limited
Verified92,000 interns are hired across all NASA centers each year
Directional1060 percent of Pathways interns are converted to permanent status upon graduation
Single source1188 percent of NASA employees believe their work is important
Verified1212 percent of the current workforce has joined NASA within the last 2 years
Verified13NASA’s "Future of Work" plan allows for 25 percent of the workforce to be fully remote
Verified14The average length of service at NASA is 15.4 years
Directional15NASA intends to increase its workforce by 2 percent to reach 18,700 by 2025
Single source1672 percent of employees feel they have opportunities for professional development
Verified1768 percent of employees believe leadership is effective
Verified18NASA’s workforce diversity has increased by 5 percent since 2018
Verified1914 percent of NASA employees have military reservist status
Directional2095 percent of NASA employees participate in annual ethics training
Single source21The agency "Employee Net Promoter Score" (eNPS) is +52
Verified2282 percent of employees report a positive work-life balance
Verified234.2 percent of the workforce is part of the "Next Gen" young professional group
Verified24Retirement eligibility is expected to peak in 2026 at 24 percent
Directional2530 percent of NASA employees have received a "NASA Honor Award"
Single source2690 percent of employees agree that the agency is successful at accomplishing its mission
Verified2752 percent of NASA positions require Top Secret security clearance
Verified281,800 employees transitioned from term to permanent status in the last 5 years
Verified29NASA’s hiring cycle time (job post to offer) averages 92 days
Directional3015 percent of NASA employees work in "critical need" technical areas
Single sourceWorkforce Trends Interpretation
NASA's statistics reveal a workplace where employees are so engaged and mission-driven that even the 3.5% voluntary turnover feels less like people quitting and more like the universe gently borrowing back a few stars for a while.
Sources & References
- Reference 1NASAnasa.govVisit source
- Reference 2SCIENCEscience.nasa.govVisit source
- Reference 3EEOCeeoc.govVisit source
- Reference 4NASAPEOPLEnasapeople.nasa.govVisit source
- Reference 5BESTPLACESTOWORKbestplacestowork.orgVisit source
- Reference 6USAJOBSusajobs.govVisit source
- Reference 7ASTROBIOLOGYastrobiology.nasa.govVisit source
- Reference 8SMAsma.nasa.govVisit source
- Reference 9GLASSDOORglassdoor.comVisit source
- Reference 10FEDERALPAYfederalpay.orgVisit source
- Reference 11OPMopm.govVisit source
- Reference 12JPLjpl.nasa.govVisit source