Is JPL government or private?
JPL is federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech. JPL is federally funded by NASA and managed by Caltech.The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the most well-known space agency in the world.Managed by Caltech, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center.Managed by Caltech, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center. Designed, built, and operated the United States’ first satellite, Explorer 1, launched in 1958. Explorer 1 produced the first-ever scientific result from space: the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belts.
Is JPL a good place to work?
The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory employee rating is in line with the average (within 1 standard deviation) for employers within the Aerospace & Defense industry (3. While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $174,000 and as low as $20,000, the majority of Nasa salaries currently range between $62,000 (25th percentile) to $117,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $150,000 annually across the United States.Average NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Student Intern daily pay in the United States is approximately $343, which is 183% above the national average.As of Nov 7, 2025, the average hourly pay for a Nasa C E O in the United States is $57. While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $95. Nasa C E O wages currently range between $47. United States.
Does JPL pay well?
How much does a Nasa Jpl make in Pasadena, California? As of Oct 28, 2025, the average annual pay for a Nasa Jpl in Pasadena is $108,784 a year. Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $52. This is the equivalent of $2,092/week or $9,065/month. The estimated total pay range for a Chief Executive Officer at NASA is $193K–$329K per year, which includes base salary and additional pay. The average Chief Executive Officer base salary at NASA is $227K per year.
How many employees are at JPL?
There are about 5,500 JPL employees, including on-site contractors, at the sprawling, 168-acre facility in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains straddling Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge. In November, the agency laid off about 325 employees, citing federal funding concerns. Staffing at JPL has gone from around 6,500 employees in early 2024 to around 4,500 following this week’s layoffs. That is a reduction of more than 30 percent that Kampmeier says leaves a gaping hole in America’s space mission.JPL Director Dave Gallagher stated that these layoffs are designed to establish an appropriate organizational size, enhance fiscal discipline, and optimize core technical capabilities for future success, explicitly disassociating them from the current government shutdown.