What Is The Salary Of Astronauts? Know Perks And Benefits NASA Astronauts Like Sunita Williams And Raja Chari Get

Astronauts' salaries vary depending on the space agency they work for, experience, and responsibilities. Read the report to know how much a NASA, Roscosmos, or ESA astronaut earns.

Astronaut Salaries: Astronauts are often regarded as some of the most highly trained and specialised professionals who are tasked with handling complex space missions. Their job involves significant risks, and requires years of preparation. Going by their job description and qualification, it might seem astronauts draw a handsome salary along with enviable perks. However, that may not always be the case. 

So, how much do these spacefarers actually earn? 

Salaries for astronauts, in fact, vary depending on the space agency they are working for, experience, and the responsibilities they are handling during a particular mission. 

Here's an overview of astronaut salaries across different space agencies, along with the perks and benefits they receive.

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NASA Astronaut Salaries, Perks And Benefits

NASA astronauts, who are often at the forefront of space exploration, are typically classified under the US government's General Schedule (GS) federal pay scale, used for civilian employees. 

According to data shared by Space Impulse, which provides market intelligence on the space industry, astronauts get paid according to GS 12-13 rank, which translates to $84,365 (Rs 70,738,11) to $115,079 (Rs 96,491,09) per annum as per 2024 rates. 

NASA, however, says on its website its 2024 pay for astronauts is $152,258 (Rs 1,27,664,83) a year. 

The salary structure is different for NASA astronauts with military backgrounds as they retain their military job while being detailed to the space agency for a stipulated period. NASA says these astronaut candidates are “detailed to the Johnson Space Center and remain in an active-duty status for pay, benefits, leave, and other similar military matters”.

Military astronauts are usually officer-level recruits as they are required to fulfill certain criteria such as years of experience, flying hours etc. 

According to Space Impulse, astronaut Matthew Dominick, a US Navy Commander since 2020, should be earning a salary of $8,199.60 (Rs 6,87,452) a month according to Federal Pay, while Raja Chari, a Brigadier General since 2023 in the US Air Force, could be drawing $10,638.90 (Rs 8,92,033) a month over and above benefits such as insurance, healthcare, and pension.

Sunita Williams is a retired US Navy Captain, and is said to be paid as per 2024 rates for NASA astronnauts, according to different media reports.

NASA astronauts get symbolic travel allowances, but do not receive substantial bonuses for space missions.

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European Space Agency (ESA) Astronauts' Salary, Perks And Benefits

ESA astronauts' salaries follow a different structure, ranging from A2 to A4 pay grades. The pay is lower compared to NASA, but exempted from income tax. 

Entry-level astronauts begin at the A2 grade. The annual salary, according to Space Impulse, could be anywhere between £5,019.45 (Rs 5,55,760) in the UK and €6,251.51 (Rs 5,86,441) in France. 

Their pay can rise to the A3 grade after they have completed basic training, with their salary going up to £6,194.65 (Rs 6,85,749) a month in the UK to €7,713.99 (Rs 7,23,309) in France. 

The grade goes up to A4 for ESA astronauts after their first spaceflight. Accordingly, the salary would be £7,199.16 (Rs 7,96,771.62) in the UK to €8,964.10 (Rs 8,40,511) in France. 

Roscosmos (Russia) Cosmonauts’ Salary, Perks And Benefits

In Russia, Roscosmos cosmonauts earn more modest salaries compared to their Western counterparts.

In April 2021, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to increase cosmonauts’ salaries by 50-70%, as reported by Russian news agency TASS.

Putin suggested the salary of “those who have already been in space and have been holding prominent positions in the cosmonaut team” would be increased by 50%, while the cosmonauts-to-be then undergoing training would be increased by 70%.

The allowances were also to go up accordingly.

The increase, according to another TASS report, took the salary of potential cosmonauts to an average of 300,000 Russian Ruble (Rs 2,74,980) a month, and that of experienced cosmonauts to more than 500,000 Russian Rubles (Rs 4,58,274) a month.

The allowances include bonuses for space missions.