What does NASA JPL work on?
We’re working on missions to investigate the surface and interior of Venus and to study the ocean deep below the icy crust of Jupiter’s moon Europa. JPL is taking part in missions to map Earth’s surface and to chart minute movements of the planet’s ice and land-covered surfaces. A leader in robotic space exploration, JPL has sent rovers to Mars, probes to our solar system’s farthest reaches, telescopes into space to study the universe, and satellites into Earth orbit to better understand our home planet.
Are JPL employees NASA employees?
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is operated by California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). JPLers are Caltech employees and are considered Federal Contractors. How much does a Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl make? As of Nov 1, 2025, the average hourly pay for a Jet Propulsion Laboratory Jpl in the United States is $22.
Is JPL owned by NASA?
Managed by the California Institute of Technology and based in Pasadena, JPL is NASA’s only federally-funded research and development center. JPL is the result of a Caltech graduate student’s research into rocket propulsion in the late 1930s. To thrive in a role at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), you typically need a strong background in engineering, computer science, physics, or a related STEM field, often supported by an advanced degree.
Does NASA JPL pay well?
Nasa Jpl Salary in California. Salaries below this are outliers. According to NASA, civilian astronaut salaries are determined by the US Government’s pay scales – or more specifically grades GS-13 to GS-14. As of 2022, the GS-13 pay scale ranges from $81,216 to $105,579 per annum. This is up to $8,798.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.What is the highest salary at NASA? The highest-paying job at NASA is Astrophysicist with a salary of $158,544 per year (estimate). What is the lowest salary at NASA? The lowest-paying job at NASA is Intern with a salary of $54,780 per year (estimate).Aerospace engineer positions at SpaceX begin at $95,000 per year, dwarfing NASA’s offering which must adhere to the federal government’s General Schedule pay scales. Here, salaries begin at around $55,000 for engineers with bachelor’s degrees working at the Kennedy Space Center, based in Florida.