# How much does NASA pay in 2026?

**Author:** Zero G Talent
**Published:** 2026-02-28
**Category:** salary-guides
**Tags:** nasa, salary, aerospace, career-guide

[Read on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/blog/how-much-does-nasa-pay-2026)

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# How much does NASA pay in 2026?

<div class="blog-stats">
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">$38K–$222K</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Full Range</div>
  </div>
  <div class="blog-stat">
    <div class="blog-stat-value">GS Scale</div>
    <div class="blog-stat-label">Pay System</div>
  </div>
</div>

NASA pays $38,000–$222,000 depending on position, grade, and location. Engineers earn $58K–$197K, astronauts earn $105K–$161K, and Senior Executives earn up to $222K.

## Quick answer

| You are... | NASA pays... |
|-----------|-------------|
| New engineer (BS) | $52K–$76K (GS-7, varies by center) |
| Engineer after 5 years | $103K–$135K (GS-12) |
| Senior engineer | $111K–$160K (GS-13) |
| Astronaut | $105K–$161K (GS-13/14) |
| Support/admin | $38K–$75K (GS-4 to GS-7) |

Locality pay adds 18–44% to base GS salary depending on NASA center location. Houston adds 35%, DC adds 34%, Huntsville adds 22%.

## The real question: is NASA pay competitive?

Base salary? No — SpaceX and defense primes pay 10–40% more at most levels. But NASA adds:
- FERS pension (~30% of final salary per year for life after 30 years)
- TSP 5% match
- 4.0/5 work-life balance (vs. SpaceX 2.4/5)
- Federal job security

For detailed tables, see our [NASA pay rate guide](/blog/nasa-pay-rate-2026). For career progression, see [salary at NASA for an engineer](/blog/nasa-engineer-salary-2026).

Browse [NASA positions on Zero G Talent](/space-jobs-at-nasa).

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*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*