Salary for NASA engineer: 2026 federal pay explained
$58K–$197K
Engineer Range
GS Scale
Pay System
10 Steps
Per Grade
NASA engineers earn between $58,000 and $197,200 depending on grade, step, and location. All pay follows the General Schedule set by the Office of Personnel Management.
How NASA engineer pay works
Three factors determine your salary:
- Grade (GS-7 to GS-15) — Set by your position's complexity and your qualifications
- Step (1-10) — Increases within a grade based on time in service (~3% per step)
- Locality pay — A percentage add-on based on your center's metro area (16-44%)
Pay table: all engineering grades
| Grade | Base Step 1 | + Houston (35%) | + DC (34%) | + Huntsville (22%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-7 | $42,898 | $57,912 | $57,482 | $52,302 |
| GS-9 | $52,490 | $70,862 | $70,334 | $63,984 |
| GS-11 | $63,526 | $85,760 | $85,120 | $77,450 |
| GS-12 | $76,148 | $102,800 | $102,032 | $92,840 |
| GS-13 | $90,568 | $122,266 | $121,354 | $110,416 |
| GS-14 | $107,015 | $144,470 | $143,396 | $130,468 |
| GS-15 | $125,874 | $169,930 | $168,670 | $153,444 |
Common engineering disciplines at NASA
- Aerospace (0861) — Structures, propulsion, flight mechanics
- Electrical/Electronics (0855) — Avionics, power systems, RF
- Mechanical (0830) — Thermal, mechanisms, ECLSS
- Computer (1550) — Flight software, ground systems
- General (0801) — Systems engineering, integration
All disciplines use the same GS table. Pay differences come from which grade a position is classified at, not the engineering specialty.
For detailed breakdowns, see our NASA engineer salary guide. Browse NASA positions on Zero G Talent.
