# ESA jobs in 2026: how to apply and what to expect **Author:** Zero G Talent **Published:** 2026-02-28 **Category:** career-guides **Tags:** space, europe, salary, career-guide, education [Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/esa-jobs-2026) --- # ESA jobs in 2026: how to apply and what to expect
~2,200
ESA Staff
22 Members
Member States
€7.8B
Annual Budget
The European Space Agency (ESA) employs approximately 2,200 staff across 8 locations in Europe, with an annual budget of around €7.8 billion. ESA jobs are highly competitive — the agency receives thousands of applications for a limited number of openings each year. ## ESA salary grades ESA uses its own salary system (A1 through A6 for engineers/scientists, B1-B6 for support): | Grade | Typical Role | Approximate Gross Salary | |-------|-------------|------------------------| | A1 | Young Graduate Trainee | ~€30,000–€38,000 | | A2 | Junior Engineer/Scientist | ~€50,000–€70,000 | | A3 | Engineer/Scientist | ~€70,000–€90,000 | | A4 | Senior Engineer | ~€85,000–€110,000 | | A5 | Principal Engineer | ~€100,000–€130,000 | | A6 | Head of Section/Division | ~€120,000–€160,000+ | ESA salaries are tax-exempt from national income tax in most member states (similar to other international organizations like the UN). ESA applies its own internal tax at a lower rate. This makes net take-home pay significantly higher than equivalent national salaries. ## Key locations | Center | Location | Focus | |--------|----------|-------| | ESTEC | Noordwijk, Netherlands | Technical center (largest site) | | ESOC | Darmstadt, Germany | Mission operations | | ESRIN | Frascati, Italy | Earth observation data | | EAC | Cologne, Germany | Astronaut training | | ECSAT | Harwell, UK | Telecommunications | | CSG | Kourou, French Guiana | Launch operations (Ariane) | | HQ | Paris, France | Administration | ESTEC in the Netherlands is the primary engineering center, hosting the majority of technical positions. ## Eligibility - **Nationality:** Must be a citizen of an ESA Member State (22 countries + cooperating states) - **Languages:** Fluent in English or French (both preferred) - **Education:** Typically requires a university degree (Master's level preferred for engineering) - **Geographic distribution:** ESA aims to balance staff nationality proportional to member state contributions
Non-EU citizens

ESA jobs are only available to nationals of ESA Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK. Citizens of the US, Canada, Japan, or other non-member countries cannot apply for ESA staff positions.

## How to apply 1. Visit **esa.int/careers** or **jobs.esa.int** 2. Create a profile and search open positions 3. Applications are online — include CV, motivation letter, and reference contacts 4. Selection process: screening → phone/video interview → on-site assessment → offer 5. Timeline: 2–6 months from application to offer ### Entry paths - **Young Graduate Trainee (YGT):** 1-year fixed-term positions for recent graduates. Opens annually (typically autumn). Highly competitive. - **Research fellowships:** 2-year post-doctoral positions - **Staff positions:** Permanent or fixed-term contracts for experienced professionals - **Contractor/National Expert:** Seconded from member state agencies or industry Browse [European space jobs on Zero G Talent](/space-jobs-in-europe), or see our [Airbus Defence & Space careers](/blog/airbus-defence-space-careers-2026) and [Thales Alenia Space careers](/blog/thales-alenia-space-careers-2026). --- *Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*