How is a NASA astronaut chosen and how much money does he earn per year?

How is a NASA astronaut chosen and how much money does he earn per year? To work for the US agency, it is necessary to pass a very difficult selection process

The astronaut profession is one of the most attractive and the ones that arouse the most admiration. Who has not ever dreamed of looking at the Earth from the outside? At a time when the space race seems to be gathering steam again, with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos vying for NASA contracts, cosmonauts may once again capture our imaginations. But what does it take to be a NASA astronaut? And what is the salary?

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How to become an astronaut

To become a NASA astronaut, you must first be a US citizen. Those who meet this condition will have to pass a long list of requirements, such as having a university degree in engineering, science, or mathematics with at least three years of experience, being in excellent physical shape, and, in the case of pilots, having completed a thousand flight hours.

Astronauts are part of a very competitive field. According to NASA, every two years, an average of 4,000 applicants apply for just 20 jobs. In the last call, in 2019, only 12 candidates were selected from a total of 18,000.

The salary of an astronaut

NASA astronauts, as government employees, are paid on a salary scale for the GS-12 and GS-13 categories. It also depends on the experience and merits of each one. The lowest salary in the GS-12 category is $65,140 a year, about 54,000 euros, while a GS-13 astronaut can earn up to $100,701 (83,000 euros).

However, there is a possibility for an astronaut to move up to the GS-15 category. In that case, he could earn a maximum of 142,000 dollars per year (117,000 euros), although the figure will depend on his position, responsibility, and performance within the astronaut corps.