How much does NASA pay per hour in 2026: GS scale hourly breakdown
The 2026 General Schedule pay tables went into effect on the first full pay period of January 2026, incorporating a 1% overall increase from 2025. When converted to hourly rates using the federal standard work year of 2,087 hours, NASA civil servant pay ranges from approximately $26/hr for an entry-level GS-5 position to over $92/hr for a senior GS-15 Step 10 employee at a high-locality center like Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. NASA Pathways and OSTEM interns earn between $18–$28/hr depending on grade assignment and location.
Here is the complete hourly breakdown for every relevant GS grade at NASA, how locality pay changes the numbers, and how NASA's hourly rates compare to contractor and private-sector equivalents.
GS base pay converted to hourly rates (2026)
The General Schedule has 15 grades and 10 steps within each grade. Federal employees advance through steps based on time in grade and satisfactory performance. The following table shows 2026 base pay (before locality adjustments) converted to hourly equivalents using the standard 2,087-hour federal work year.
| GS Grade | Step 1 Annual | Step 1 Hourly | Step 10 Annual | Step 10 Hourly | Typical NASA Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | $22,060 | $10.57 | $27,565 | $13.21 | Student aide (rare) |
| GS-3 | $27,060 | $12.97 | $35,177 | $16.85 | Clerical, admin support |
| GS-5 | $33,246 | $15.93 | $43,218 | $20.71 | Admin assistant, entry technician |
| GS-7 | $41,153 | $19.72 | $53,498 | $25.63 | New grad (BS), Pathways entry |
| GS-9 | $50,326 | $24.12 | $65,422 | $31.35 | Engineer (MS entry), analyst |
| GS-11 | $60,886 | $29.18 | $79,152 | $37.93 | Engineer (2–4 yrs), scientist |
| GS-12 | $72,989 | $34.98 | $94,883 | $45.47 | Journey-level engineer |
| GS-13 | $86,815 | $41.60 | $112,860 | $54.08 | Senior engineer, researcher |
| GS-14 | $102,596 | $49.16 | $133,378 | $63.91 | Branch chief, lead engineer |
| GS-15 | $120,701 | $57.84 | $156,910 | $75.18 | Division chief, senior scientist |
These are base rates only. Every NASA employee receives a locality pay adjustment on top of the base, adding 17–44% depending on the geographic location of their center. The hourly rates above represent the floor — actual hourly rates are higher for all NASA employees.
Federal hourly rates are calculated by dividing annual salary by 2,087 hours — the official federal work year. This figure represents a 40-hour week across 52.18 weeks (the average annual weeks accounting for leap years). NASA employees work a standard 80-hour biweekly pay period, but many centers offer alternative work schedules including compressed schedules (4/10s where you work four 10-hour days) and 5/4/9 schedules (alternating 5-day and 4-day weeks with 9-hour days). These flexible arrangements provide extra days off without changing your total hours or hourly rate.
Hourly pay with locality adjustments by NASA center
NASA's ten field centers span different locality pay areas. The locality adjustment adds a percentage to base pay, significantly changing the effective hourly rate. The table below shows adjusted hourly rates for the three most common scientist and engineer grades.
| NASA Center | Location | Locality % | GS-12 Step 1 /hr | GS-13 Step 1 /hr | GS-15 Step 1 /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ames Research Center | Mountain View, CA | +44.15% | $50.42 | $59.96 | $83.37 |
| Jet Propulsion Lab* | Pasadena, CA | +35.89% | $47.53 | $56.52 | $78.59 |
| Johnson Space Center | Houston, TX | +35.15% | $47.27 | $56.22 | $78.17 |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | Greenbelt, MD | +33.94% | $46.85 | $55.72 | $77.48 |
| Armstrong Flight Research | Edwards, CA | +28.36% | $44.90 | $53.40 | $74.27 |
| Langley Research Center | Hampton, VA | +27.77% | $44.70 | $53.16 | $73.93 |
| Glenn Research Center | Cleveland, OH | +25.57% | $43.93 | $52.25 | $72.65 |
| Marshall Space Flight Center | Huntsville, AL | +24.09% | $43.40 | $51.62 | $71.78 |
| Kennedy Space Center | Cape Canaveral, FL | +22.10% | $42.71 | $50.80 | $70.64 |
| Stennis Space Center | Bay St. Louis, MS | +18.54% | $41.47 | $49.31 | $68.57 |
*JPL employees are technically Caltech employees and follow a separate pay system, but the locality area applies to any federal employees stationed there.
Ames offers the highest hourly rates but is located in one of the most expensive zip codes in the country (Silicon Valley). For best purchasing power, Houston (Johnson Space Center) and Huntsville (Marshall Space Flight Center) provide competitive locality adjustments combined with moderate-to-low cost of living and no state income tax (Texas) or low state tax (Alabama at 5%).
NASA intern and Pathways hourly pay
NASA hires thousands of interns annually through two primary programs: OSTEM (Office of STEM Engagement) internships and the Pathways Intern Employment Program. Their hourly rates are significantly lower than private-sector aerospace internships but include valuable federal benefits access and a pathway to permanent employment.
| Program / Level | Assigned Grade | Base Hourly | Houston Locality /hr | DC Locality /hr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OSTEM High School | GS-2 equivalent | $11.06 | $14.95 | $14.81 |
| OSTEM Undergraduate (Fr/So) | GS-3 to GS-4 | $12.97–$14.56 | $17.52–$19.67 | $17.37–$19.50 |
| OSTEM Undergraduate (Jr/Sr) | GS-4 to GS-5 | $14.56–$15.93 | $19.67–$21.53 | $19.50–$21.33 |
| Pathways Intern (BS student) | GS-5 to GS-7 | $15.93–$19.72 | $21.53–$26.65 | $21.33–$26.41 |
| Pathways Intern (MS student) | GS-7 to GS-9 | $19.72–$24.12 | $26.65–$32.59 | $26.41–$32.30 |
| Pathways Recent Grad (BS) | GS-7 to GS-9 | $19.72–$24.12 | $26.65–$32.59 | $26.41–$32.30 |
| Pathways Recent Grad (PhD) | GS-11 to GS-12 | $29.18–$34.98 | $39.42–$47.27 | $39.07–$46.85 |
The key advantage of Pathways is the non-competitive conversion to permanent federal employment after completing the internship requirements and your degree. This avoids the highly competitive public vacancy announcement process and gives Pathways graduates a direct on-ramp to a civil service career with full benefits.
NASA Pathways interns earn $18–$28/hr, which is well below SpaceX ($28–$45/hr) or Lockheed Martin ($25–$45/hr) internship rates. However, the conversion pathway to permanent federal employment — complete with FERS pension, TSP 5% matching, FEHB health insurance, and exceptional job security — makes the total career value significantly higher. A Pathways intern who converts to GS-7 at age 22 and retires as GS-14 at age 57 will have accumulated a FERS pension worth approximately $45K–$55K/year for life, plus TSP savings that can exceed $2M with consistent contributions and federal matching.
NASA contractor hourly rates
Roughly half of NASA's total workforce consists of contractors employed by companies such as Jacobs, KBR, Leidos, SAIC, Peraton, and Boeing. Contractor hourly rates are not set by the GS scale and can vary significantly based on the specific contract vehicle, company, and role.
| Contractor Role | Hourly Rate Range | Annual Equivalent | Comparable GS Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Admin / Clerical | $18–$28 | $37K–$58K | GS-5 to GS-7 |
| Technician (entry) | $22–$32 | $46K–$67K | GS-7 to GS-9 |
| Technician (senior) | $30–$45 | $62K–$94K | GS-9 to GS-12 |
| Engineer (mid-level) | $45–$70 | $94K–$146K | GS-12 to GS-13 |
| Senior Engineer | $65–$95 | $135K–$198K | GS-14 to GS-15 |
| Program Manager | $70–$110 | $146K–$229K | Above GS-15 |
| Subject Matter Expert | $85–$150 | $177K–$312K | Well above GS-15 |
Contractor hourly rates appear substantially higher than GS equivalents, especially at senior levels. This reflects the absence of federal benefits — contractors do not receive the FERS pension, TSP matching, or FEHB health insurance that civil servants enjoy. When federal benefits are valued at approximately $30K–$50K per year (pension accrual, health insurance subsidy, TSP match, leave), the total compensation gap between a GS-13 civil servant and a mid-level contractor narrows significantly. At the GS-14/15 level, total federal compensation including benefits is often comparable to or better than contractor rates of $70–$90/hr.
Overtime, premium pay, and special rates
Federal employees at NASA are eligible for various forms of premium pay that increase their effective hourly rate:
Overtime (GS-10 and below): Automatic eligibility at 1.5x base hourly rate for hours exceeding 8 in a day or 40 in a week. A GS-9 Step 5 employee earning $27/hr would earn $40.50/hr for overtime hours.
Overtime (GS-11 and above): Eligible for overtime pay, but the rate is capped. The overtime rate for higher-graded employees is calculated as the greater of 1.5x the GS-10 Step 1 rate or the employee's regular hourly rate. In practice, many GS-12+ employees receive compensatory time off (comp time) rather than overtime pay.
Night differential: 10% premium for work performed between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM. This applies to Kennedy Space Center launch operations shifts, Johnson Space Center mission control personnel, and anyone working night shifts at any center.
Sunday premium: 25% additional pay for work performed on Sundays. Combined with night differential, a Sunday night shift can earn an additional 35% above the base hourly rate.
Holiday premium: Double-time for work performed on federal holidays. NASA employees at Kennedy Space Center and Johnson Space Center regularly work holidays during mission operations.
Hourly rate comparison: NASA vs. private sector
How does NASA's hourly pay stack up against commercial space, defense contractors, and other government agencies?
| Category | NASA (GS w/ locality) | SpaceX | Lockheed Martin | NASA Contractor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Engineer /hr | $26–$37 | $50–$60 | $38–$48 | $32–$45 |
| Mid Engineer /hr | $42–$56 | $60–$80 | $48–$65 | $45–$70 |
| Senior Engineer /hr | $50–$76 | $72–$98 | $60–$80 | $65–$95 |
| Intern /hr | $18–$28 | $28–$45 | $25–$45 | $20–$30 |
NASA base hourly rates lag the private sector by 15–35% at every level. However, the comparison changes dramatically when you include the value of FERS pension ($25K–$60K/year in retirement), TSP matching (5% of salary), FEHB health insurance ($8K–$15K/year employer subsidy), 40-hour standard work weeks (SpaceX engineers average 50–60 hours), and accumulated leave time (13–26 days annual leave + 13 sick days + 11 federal holidays). A GS-13 at Houston earning $56/hr works 40 hours per week for an effective annual workload of 2,087 hours. A SpaceX engineer earning $75/hr but working 55 hours per week puts in 2,860 hours annually — earning more per hour but working 37% more hours.
Frequently asked questions
Does NASA pay hourly or salary?
NASA lists all positions with annual salary ranges, but the underlying pay structure is hourly. Civil servants are classified as exempt (salaried, no overtime for GS-11+) or non-exempt (hourly, eligible for overtime). Regardless of classification, pay is calculated based on an hourly rate derived from annual salary divided by 2,087 hours.
What is the starting hourly pay at NASA for a new graduate engineer?
A new graduate with a bachelor's degree typically starts at GS-7 Step 1 ($41,153 base, $19.72/hr). With Houston locality pay, the starting rate becomes approximately $26.65/hr ($55,594 annually). Master's degree holders may start at GS-9 ($24.12/hr base, $32.59/hr with Houston locality).
How often do NASA employees get raises?
NASA employees receive two types of raises: annual across-the-board General Schedule increases (determined by Congress, typically 1–5% per year) and within-grade step increases (automatic at 1-year intervals for Steps 1–3, 2-year intervals for Steps 4–6, and 3-year intervals for Steps 7–9). Together, these provide steady growth of approximately 3–5% annually for the first 18 years within each grade.
Can you negotiate hourly pay at NASA?
Federal pay is set by the GS table and cannot be negotiated in the traditional sense. However, hiring managers can offer a higher starting step within the grade (e.g., GS-12 Step 4 instead of Step 1) based on superior qualifications or the need to match a candidate's current salary. This requires a written justification approved by HR and is used most often for mid-career hires coming from the private sector.
How much do NASA astronauts make per hour?
Active NASA astronauts are graded at GS-13 through GS-15, earning approximately $52–$92/hr depending on grade, step, and Houston locality pay. Newly selected astronaut candidates start at GS-13 (approximately $117K annually or $56/hr with Houston locality). Experienced astronauts at GS-15 can earn up to $191K ($92/hr equivalent at the statutory cap). There is no additional hazard pay for spaceflight.
Browse NASA job openings on Zero G Talent, or see our detailed guide on how much NASA scientists make. For commercial space salary comparisons, check the SpaceX internship salary guide or the aerospace engineer wage overview.
