NASA scientists are responsible for some of mankind's most symbolically impressive achievements.
NASA put man on the moon, sent probes to the edge of the solar system, and helped build the International Space Station. Behind all these feats are the hardworking scientists and engineers who make the magic real. You might expect that for a job title as prestigious as "NASA scientist" the pay is suitably astronomical, but the reality lies closer down to Earth.
NASA Is Part of the Civil Service
NASA, or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, fulfills the federal government's mandate for a civilian space agency. As such, it belongs to the "civil service," which comprises all non-military federal workers. Like most of the civil service, NASA uses the General Schedule developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to determine pay levels for many of its employees, including its scientists. Thus, NASA scientists tend to earn a salary comparable to that of similarly qualified and experienced government scientists outside NASA.
Pay Levels
The General Schedule uses a graded pay system based on salaries in the private sector. Civil servants earn pay raises for job promotions, experience, and time on the job. NASA reports that its entry-level pay for scientists range from about $33,000 to $44,000 annually. Senior career scientists earn between $120,000 to $180,000.
Locality Pay
In addition to their base salary, NASA employees receive a benefit called "locality pay." Locality pay accounts for the different costs of living in NASA's various work locations, as well as other quantifiable costs such as erratic work hours and remote work locations. According to NASA figures, locality pay ranges from 5 percent to 12 percent of the base salary.
Comparison with Private Sector Workers
When it comes to comparisons with private workers, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management finds that, on average, federal employees earn only about 80 percent of what their private-sector counterparts do.
When it comes to NASA scientists in particular, you have to look at the type of work they do and compare that to the market demand for those same services in the private sector. NASA employs a wide variety of scientists, including astronomers, physicists, atmospheric scientists, chemists, and materials scientists. For a group like physicists, the best money lies in healthcare and specialty services, not the federal government. But for a group like astronomers, who have very few entrepreneurial opportunities in their field, the federal government pays the best.
Tags: federal government, NASA scientists, base salary, civil service, General Schedule, group like
