Records analyzed
10 sub-agencies
Cross-joined with state geography and occupational mix
OPM FedScope March 2025 Federal civilian workforce
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Headcount, average pay, length of service, sub-agencies, and hiring trends for National Aeronautics and Space Administration, drawn directly from the OPM FedScope federal workforce dataset (March 2025).
The verdict
National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a mid-sized federal agency: 17,973 employees (0.8% of the federal civilian workforce) across 15 states (including DC). At an average salary of $152,463 it pays well above the federal average of $109,869, and headcount declined 1.0% from the prior period.
- Employees
- 17,973
- Share of workforce
- 0.8%
- Avg salary
- $152,463
- States present
- 15
Federal workforce data for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This agency represents 0.8% of the total federal civilian workforce. Source: OPM FedScope, March 2025.
What the Numbers Say About National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Aeronautics and Space Administration employs 17,973 federal civilian workers, which accounts for 0.8% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472 reported in the OPM FedScope March 2025 release. Compared to the prior period, headcount moved down by -1.0%, a signal that hiring authorities and attrition at this agency are shedding net positions during the current reporting window.
Average length of service at National Aeronautics and Space Administration is 16.2 years, spread across its 10 sub-agencies, a retention signal: longer-tenured workforces tend to hold deeper institutional knowledge, while shorter tenure points to faster cycling through early-career hires. For applicants weighing federal employers, that tenure pattern is as telling as headline pay (how this agency's salary compares to the federal average is broken down in Salary Analysis below).
Geographic reach is another signal of scale: National Aeronautics and Space Administration has employees in 15 states (including DC), with the largest concentration in TEXAS (3,197 employees at $159,285 avg salary). Over the most recent 8 months of workforce-dynamics data, the agency recorded 585 accessions against 314 separations for a net change of +271 positions, useful context for job seekers evaluating whether National Aeronautics and Space Administration is expanding, contracting, or simply replacing departures. All figures draw directly from OPM FedScope Employment Cubes and update semi-annually (March and September).
Workforce Overview
Employees
17,973
Mid-sized employer
-1.0% from prior period
Average Salary
$152,463
Well above federal average
+2.1%
Avg Length of Service
16.2 yrs
Long-tenured workforce
Sub-agencies
10
Data vintage
March 2025
OPM FedScope semi-annual snapshot
Source authority
OPM FedScope
U.S. Office of Personnel Management, official federal HR data
National Aeronautics and Space Administration pay vs. federal civilian average
Agency average $152,463 relative to federal average $109,869
Federal General Schedule pay-grade distribution
The federal civilian workforce concentrates in the GS-11 to GS-13 grades. These are the actual federal-wide General Schedule employee counts from OPM FedScope, per-agency grade breakdowns are not published in the public extract, so this shows the national distribution National Aeronautics and Space Administration hires into rather than a modelled per-agency estimate.
National General Schedule grade distribution - 1,517,243 GS employees.
Salary Analysis
How National Aeronautics and Space Administration pay compares to the federal average of $109,869
Workforce by pay band
How National Aeronautics and Space Administration's 17,973 employees split across salary ranges (sub-agency averages).
- $120k–$150k: 8,346 (46%)
- $150k+: 9,627 (54%)
Agency Average
$152,463
Federal Average
$109,869
vs. Federal Avg
+38.8%
Where National Aeronautics and Space Administration ranks on pay
Ranked by agency (not weighted by headcount), its average salary of $152,463 is higher than 65% of the 115 federal agencies (75 pay less on average). Smaller specialized agencies often post higher per-employee averages than large ones like National Aeronautics and Space Administration, so this agency-count rank can differ from a comparison to the government-wide, employee-weighted average shown above. The highlighted bar marks where National Aeronautics and Space Administration sits in the federal pay distribution.
Average-salary distribution across all 115 federal agencies; National Aeronautics and Space Administration ranks higher than 65%.
Salary Range by Sub-agency
Under $80K
0
$80K–$100K
0
$100K–$120K
0
$120K–$150K
8,346
Over $150K
9,627
Sub-agencies & Organizational Units
National Aeronautics and Space Administration has 10 sub-agencies. The highest-paying unit averages $170,094.
| Sub-agency | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center | 3,142 | $157,877 | 15.9 yrs |
| Goddard Space Flight Center | 3,042 | $162,117 | 16.8 yrs |
| George C. Marshall Space Flight Center | 2,276 | $143,410 | 15.8 yrs |
| Headquarters, NASA | 2,129 | $165,011 | 17.4 yrs |
| John F. Kennedy Space Center | 2,070 | $136,697 | 14.9 yrs |
| Langley Research Center | 1,787 | $143,820 | 17 yrs |
| John Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field | 1,423 | $138,928 | 16.4 yrs |
| Ames Research Center | 1,314 | $170,094 | 15.6 yrs |
| Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center | 531 | $144,289 | 15 yrs |
| John C. Stennis Space Center | 259 | $137,095 | 15.2 yrs |
Geographic Presence
National Aeronautics and Space Administration has employees in 15 states (including DC). TEXAS has the most with 3,197 employees.
| State | Employees | Avg Salary | Avg LOS |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEXAS | 3,197 | $159,285 | 16.2 yrs |
| MARYLAND | 2,864 | $165,057 | 17.4 yrs |
| ALABAMA | 2,295 | $143,961 | 16 yrs |
| FLORIDA | 2,223 | $138,098 | 15.1 yrs |
| VIRGINIA | 2,067 | $143,595 | 16.7 yrs |
| CALIFORNIA | 1,806 | $164,277 | 15.9 yrs |
| OHIO | 1,503 | $140,165 | 16.4 yrs |
| DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA | 816 | $176,297 | 17.3 yrs |
| MISSISSIPPI | 438 | $130,226 | 14.2 yrs |
| NEW MEXICO | 77 | $129,254 | 12.1 yrs |
| WEST VIRGINIA | 44 | $139,835 | 15.6 yrs |
| LOUISIANA | 44 | $148,586 | 14 yrs |
| NEW YORK | 29 | $176,422 | 19 yrs |
| COLORADO | 25 | $166,678 | 18.4 yrs |
| WASHINGTON | 12 | $159,487 | 10.2 yrs |
Workforce Dynamics
Monthly hiring and separation trends. Net change over 8 months: +271.
| Month | Accessions | Separations | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | +263 | -106 | +157 |
| Dec 2024 | +27 | -196 | -169 |
| Nov 2024 | +31 | -0 | +31 |
| Sep 2024 | +26 | -0 | +26 |
| Aug 2024 | +123 | -12 | +111 |
| Jul 2024 | +73 | -0 | +73 |
| Jun 2024 | +16 | -0 | +16 |
| Apr 2024 | +26 | -0 | +26 |
Hiring & Separation Reasons
Why employees join and leave National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Accession Reasons
New Hire - Competitive Service Appointment
425
New Hire - Excepted Service Appointment
160
Separation Reasons
Retirement - Voluntary
280
Quit
34
Employee Tenure Distribution
Average length of service is 16.2 years. Employees in sub-agencies grouped by average tenure.
Under 5 yrs
0
5–10 yrs
0
10–15 yrs
2,070
15–20 yrs
15,903
Over 20 yrs
0
Federal Employment Guides
Learn more about working for the federal government
Similar-Sized Agencies
Federal agencies with a similar workforce size to National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Department of Energy
17,472 employees $145,574 avg
Environmental Protection Agency
16,557 employees $134,437 avg
Department of State
14,163 employees $133,798 avg
Department of Labor
14,107 employees $125,279 avg
General Services Administration
13,182 employees $131,571 avg
Department of Housing and Urban Development
8,671 employees $139,117 avg
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work at National Aeronautics and Space Administration? ▾
National Aeronautics and Space Administration employs 17,973 federal workers as of March 2025. This represents 0.8% of the total federal civilian workforce of 2,289,472.
What is the average salary at National Aeronautics and Space Administration? ▾
The average salary at National Aeronautics and Space Administration is $152,463 per year, which is 38.8% above the federal average of $109,869.
What is the average length of service at National Aeronautics and Space Administration? ▾
The average length of service at National Aeronautics and Space Administration is 16.2 years. The federal average is 11.8 years.
How many sub-agencies does National Aeronautics and Space Administration have? ▾
National Aeronautics and Space Administration has 10 sub-agencies or organizational units. The largest is Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center with 3,142 employees.
In how many states does National Aeronautics and Space Administration have employees? ▾
National Aeronautics and Space Administration has employees in 15 states (including DC). The largest concentration is in TEXAS with 3,197 employees.
Is National Aeronautics and Space Administration hiring or downsizing? ▾
Over the most recent 8 months of data, National Aeronautics and Space Administration had 585 accessions and 314 separations, for a net change of +271 employees.
Where can I find salary data for occupations at National Aeronautics and Space Administration? ▾
PlainGovJobs reports the average salary for National Aeronautics and Space Administration from the OPM FedScope dataset. For pay broken down by individual occupation, browse this site's occupation directory, each occupation page lists its federal average salary and workforce size from the same OPM source.
Data Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) FedScope Employment Cubes, March 2025. Federal civilian non-seasonal full-time and part-time employees. Data does not include military personnel, postal workers, or intelligence agency staff. Last updated: 2026-03-10.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainGovJobs
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from OPM FedScope. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Data currency: Federal workforce figures from OPM FedScope as of the March 2025 snapshot, with current openings from USAJOBS; compiled and last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
PlainGovJobs is rendered directly from OPM FedScope federal-workforce data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on OPM FedScope agency-level employment records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.