How many employees work at NASA?

National Aeronautics & Space Administration has approximately 40,692 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. NASA’s total headcount has declined 11.3% from 45,857 employees in 2023 to 40,692 in 2026.

Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 20232026Published August 2026

Is NASA hiring right now?

Yes, NASA is actively hiring. NASA had 108 active job postings in 2026, a 25.1% decline from 2025 see job openings & hiring trends.

About NASA’s Workforce

National Aeronautics & Space Administration is an Aerospace and Defense company that employs 40,692 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 7th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1958, the company is headquartered in Washington, Washington, D.C..

NASA's workforce has declined 11.3% from 2023 to 2026, down 3.6% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 40,692 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (79.1%), followed by South Asia (7.0%) and South America (1.9%).

NASA's functional groups are Finance and Operations (49.5%), Engineering (30.4%), and Sales and Marketing (20.0%). The average salary is $105,996, ranging from a median of $120,000 in North America to $9,000 in South Asia, down 1.2% year over year in 2026.

NASA's active job postings fell 25.1% in 2026 to 108, 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
40,692
YoY
-3.6% (-2,705)

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NASA Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of NASA annual worldwide employee count from 2023 to 2026.
  • NASA had 40,692 employees in 2026, a 3.6% decline (-2,705) from 2025.
  • NASA had 40,967 employees in 2025, a 3.7% decline (-2,945) from 2024.
  • NASA had 43,912 employees in 2024, a 2.3% decline (-923) from 2023.
  • NASA had 44,835 employees in 2023, a 0.3% decline (+810) from 2022.

NASA's total workforce has declined from 45,857 employees in 2023 to 40,692 in 2026.

National Aeronautics & Space Administration quarterly employee count

YearQtrEmployeesYoY ChangeYoY %
2026Q140,692-2,705-3.6%
2025Q440,967-2,945-3.7%
2025Q341,798-2,047-3.0%
2025Q243,784-1,240-2.4%
2025Q143,397-916-2.4%
2024Q443,912-923-2.3%
2024Q343,845-965-2.3%
2024Q245,024-833-2.0%
2024Q144,313+130-0.8%
2023Q444,835+810-0.3%
2023Q344,810+1,262+0.3%
2023Q245,857+1,499+0.4%

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NASA 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 South America.

NASA employees by region

RegionEmployees% of Total
North America31,81679.1%
South Asia2,8007.0%
South America7471.9%
Southern Europe7001.7%
Sub-Saharan Africa6641.7%
Northern Europe5991.5%
Western Europe4941.2%
Southeast Asia4441.1%
Central and Western Asia3720.9%
Pacific Islands3480.9%

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NASA Employee Count by Department (2026)

NASA's employee groups are Finance and Operations (49.5%), Engineering (30.4%), and Sales and Marketing (20.0%).

NASA employees by department

DepartmentEmployees% of Total
Finance and Operations19,44449.5%
Engineering11,94130.4%
Sales and Marketing7,86720.0%

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NASA Employee Salary by Region (2026)

NASA's average employee salary is $105,996 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $9,000.

NASA median employee salary by region (USD)

RegionMedian Salary
North America$120,000
Pacific Islands$88,000
Northern Europe$81,000
Western Europe$78,000
Southern Europe$52,000
East Asia$46,000
Eastern Europe$36,000
Arab States$34,000
Central America and the Caribbean$34,000
Central and Western Asia$29,000
South America$21,000
Southeast Asia$17,000
North Africa$13,000
Sub-Saharan Africa$12,000
South Asia$9,000

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NASA Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of NASA annual active job postings from 2023 to 2026.
  • NASA had 108 active job postings in 2026, a 25.1% decline (+67) from 2025.
  • NASA had 41 active job postings in 2025, a 124.1% decline (-134) from 2024.
  • NASA had 175 active job postings in 2024, a 121.3% decline (-540) from 2023.
  • NASA had 715 active job postings in 2023, a 71.1% decline from 2022.
  • Hiring velocity in 2026: 54 new roles/month, down from 59 in 2025 and 209 in 2024.

NASA's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 25.1% in 2026 to 108, with new postings per month cooling from 465 in 2023 to 54 in 2026.

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NASA 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

NegativePositive

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Frequently Asked Questions About NASA

How fast is NASA growing?
In 2026, NASA's headcount shrank 3.6% to 40,692 employees, down from 43,397 in 2025.
See the full headcount history
Where are NASA employees located?
Most NASA employees are based in North America (79.1% of headcount), followed by South Asia and South America.
Explore where the workforce is based
What is the average salary at NASA?
The average employee salary at NASA is approximately $106k per year.
Analyze the salary distribution
How many new job postings does NASA open per year?
In Q1 2026, NASA opened 163 new job postings. In 2025, NASA opened 704 new job postings — about 59 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..
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