How many employees work at NASA?
National Aeronautics & Space Administration has approximately 40,381 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. NASA’s total headcount has declined 12.2% from 46,011 employees in 2023 to 40,381 in 2026.
Is NASA hiring right now?
Yes, NASA is actively hiring. NASA had 110 active job postings in 2026, a 24.0% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About NASA’s Workforce
National Aeronautics & Space Administration is an Aerospace and Defense company that employs 40,381 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 6th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1958, the company is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..
NASA's workforce has declined 12.2% from 2023 to 2026, down 4.1% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 40,381 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (79.2%), followed by South Asia (7.0%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (1.8%).
NASA's functional groups are Finance and Operations (49.4%), Engineering (30.2%), and Sales and Marketing (20.3%). The average salary is $106,485, ranging from a median of $121,000 in North America to $10,000 in South Asia, down 1.3% year over year in 2026.
NASA's active job postings fell 24.0% in 2026 to 110, with new postings per month cooling from 465 in 2023 to 54 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is positive and improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Founded
- 1958
- Industry
- Aerospace and Defense
- Employees
- 40,381
- YoY
- -4.1% (-3,006)
As of March 2026
NASA workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for NASA. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsNASA Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- NASA had 40,381 employees in 2026, a 4.1% decline (-3,006) from 2025.
- NASA had 40,689 employees in 2025, a 4.1% decline (-3,255) from 2024.
- NASA had 43,944 employees in 2024, a 2.4% decline (-937) from 2023.
- NASA had 44,881 employees in 2023, a 0.3% decline (+872) from 2022.
NASA's total workforce has declined from 46,011 employees in 2023 to 40,381 in 2026.
National Aeronautics & Space Administration quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 40,381 | -3,006 | -4.1% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 40,689 | -3,255 | -4.1% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 41,646 | -2,216 | -3.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 43,860 | -1,266 | -2.6% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 43,387 | -945 | -2.6% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 43,944 | -937 | -2.4% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 43,862 | -1,032 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 45,126 | -885 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 44,332 | +161 | -0.9% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 44,881 | +872 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 44,894 | +1,409 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 46,011 | +1,687 | +0.6% |
See NASA's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataNASA Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of NASA's global workforce with approximately 79% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
NASA employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 31,613 | 79.2% |
| South Asia | 2,792 | 7.0% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 723 | 1.8% |
| South America | 702 | 1.8% |
| Southern Europe | 621 | 1.6% |
| Northern Europe | 533 | 1.3% |
| Western Europe | 516 | 1.3% |
| Southeast Asia | 446 | 1.1% |
| Central and Western Asia | 386 | 1.0% |
| Arab States | 381 | 1.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataNASA Employee Count by Department (2026)
NASA's employee groups are Finance and Operations (49.4%), Engineering (30.2%), and Sales and Marketing (20.3%).
NASA employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 19,391 | 49.4% |
| Engineering | 11,859 | 30.2% |
| Sales and Marketing | 7,967 | 20.3% |
Compare NASA's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataNASA Employee Salary by Region (2026)
NASA's average employee salary is $106,485 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $10,000.
NASA median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $121,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $83,000 |
| Northern Europe | $79,000 |
| Western Europe | $76,000 |
| Southern Europe | $51,000 |
| East Asia | $46,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $33,000 |
| Arab States | $33,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $33,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $27,000 |
| South America | $19,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| North Africa | $13,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $12,000 |
| South Asia | $10,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to NASA's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataNASA Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- NASA had 110 active job postings in 2026, a 24.0% decline (+70) from 2025.
- NASA had 40 active job postings in 2025, a 125.6% decline (-135) from 2024.
- NASA had 175 active job postings in 2024, a 121.2% decline (-538) from 2023.
- NASA had 713 active job postings in 2023, a 71.4% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 54 new roles/month, down from 58 in 2025 and 208 in 2024.
NASA's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 24.0% in 2026 to 110, with new postings per month cooling from 465 in 2023 to 54 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataNASA Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across NASA's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is positive and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About NASA
- How fast is NASA growing?
- In 2026, NASA's headcount shrank 4.1% to 40,381 employees, down from 43,387 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are NASA employees located?
- Most NASA employees are based in North America (79.2% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at NASA?
- The average employee salary at NASA is approximately $106.5k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does NASA open per year?
- In Q1 2026, NASA opened 162 new job postings. In 2025, NASA opened 692 new job postings — about 58 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was NASA founded and where is it headquartered?
- NASA was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..
- Compare NASA to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about NASA.
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