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NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is a United States government agency that has a workforce of more than 18,000. NASA also employs approximately 40,000 contractors and grantees.
NASA Job Categories
Although the job that is most commonly associated with NASA is astronaut, a wide range of non-astronaut employees also work for NASA. These include administrative professionals, attorneys, engineers, scientists, medical doctors, pilots, secretaries, clerical workers, senior managers, technicians, students and interns.
Salaries
NASA salaries are dependent upon the type of job a person is hired to do and how much experience the employee has. Regular, non-contract employees are Civil Service workers and are paid according to a specific wage and grade scale.
Entry-Level Wages
The NASA website provides detailed information about the starting salaries for individuals in each NASA job category. As the site explains, these salaries are also dependent upon many factors, including where a person is employed, what the cost of living is in the area and special qualifications required for a specific job.
Salary Examples
Some examples of starting NASA annual salaries, according to the NASA website, are $60,000 to $71,000 for astronauts, $68,000 to $84,000 for medical doctors, $16,000 to $20,000 for secretaries and clerks, and $25,000 to $37,000 for technicians. Added to these base salaries would be "locality" pay, which would increase each starting salary significantly.
Salary Averages
According to the most recent figures posted by the U.S. government, the average salary of a NASA employee is $77,000 per year. However, average salaries for each NASA job category differ.
Job Postings
In order to find out about jobs that are available at NASA, it is best to check the official NASA website or use a Federal Government job bank, such as USAJOBS.
Source:
NASA: Cost Estimating Website: Salaries
Simply Hired: Average NASA Salaries
Resource:
JobBankUSA: Occupational Outlook Handbook: Aerospace Engineers
NASA People: Understanding Your NASA Pay
NASA Jobs: NASA Occupations
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