Spacecraft & stations · Robotic space exploration
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) jobs
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a NASA center managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, builds and operates robotic spacecraft and instruments: Mars rovers, planetary missions and Earth-science satellites.
, SpaceJobs.Now lists 127 open jobs at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); their typical pay runs $90.9k to $216k a year, with a median of $124k.
Typical pay, live
Latest NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) openings
Read 7 Nov 2026, 10:01 UTCGuidance and Control Engineer II - TS/SCI (opens the job details)
Flight Software · JPL Campus · 1d agoDetails
$118,248–$144,144/yrCable Fabrication Technician III (opens the job details)
Technicians · JPL Campus · 1d agoDetails
$88,608–$109,200/yrMechanical Designer IV (opens the job details)
Mechanical · JPL Campus · 1d agoDetails
$159,952–$190,632/yr- $143,208–$180,336/yr
Navigation Engineer II (opens the job details)
Flight Software · JPL Campus · 2d agoDetails
$118,248–$144,144/yrFlight Software Engineer I (opens the job details)
Flight Software · JPL Campus · 2d agoDetails
$96,616–$117,104/yrMechatronics Engineer III (opens the job details)
Mechanical · JPL Campus · 2d agoDetails
$152,360–$189,280/yrMechanical Systems Engineer IV (opens the job details)
Mechanical · JPL Campus · 2d agoDetails
$170,144–$215,800/yr- $97,656–$114,192/yr
- $99,112–$118,560/yr
- $115,544–$138,008/yr
Cable Fabrication Technician II (opens the job details)
Technicians · JPL Campus · 2d agoDetails
$75,504–$91,936/yr
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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on our lists
Where NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s current postings put it, each list naming every other space employer in the same spot.
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NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at a glance
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), a NASA center managed by Caltech in Pasadena, California, builds and operates robotic spacecraft and instruments: Mars rovers, planetary missions and Earth-science satellites.
127 roles taken from its careers site on 2026-11-07A recruiter wrote to you in NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s name?
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s own sites: nasa.gov · jpl.jobs · citjpl.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com.
What NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) pays
Read from the ranges on its open jobs · 2026-11-07The median is $124k/yr over the 127 open jobs with a posted range, and single figures go from $43.7k/yr up to $273k/yr. Interns, technicians and senior engineers all sit in that figure; the table below separates the disciplines.
Measured from 127 distinct posted rates, at this employer, each as a year's pay (an hourly rate × 2,080 hours).
The top-paying NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) jobs open now
Every 127, highest pay firstGroup Supervisor I/II - Mechanical Structures & Articulation (352C) (opens the job details)
Mechanical · JPL Campus · 1w agoDetails
$216,632–$273,000/yr- $212,264–$264,992/yr
Programs & Business · JPL Campus · 2w agoDetails
$217,152–$263,848/yrSenior Communications and Signal Processing Engineer (opens the job details)
RF & Payloads · JPL Campus · 4mo agoDetails
$206,128–$250,536/yrData Scientist IV (opens the job details)
Science & Data · JPL Campus · 1mo agoDetails
$165,360–$227,864/yr
The middle half is the 25th percentile of what roles pay (the middle of each posted range, as a year's pay: an hourly rate counts at 2,080 hours, 40 a week for 52 weeks) to the 90th-percentile posted top, measured the same way for every list on the site. A posting's range is base salary only: stock, sign-on money and bonuses are extra where a company offers them. The methodology explains how each pay figure is measured and graded.
What NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) looks for
The usual bar in each discipline NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is staffing right now. A posting can ask for more or less (a clearance, a degree, years on hardware), so check the role itself before applying.
A business, finance, law or engineering degree; program managers often hold a PMP or an engineering background.
A science, engineering or data degree; geospatial and intelligence roles may need a clearance.
An electrical or computer engineering degree; harness and board technicians often hold IPC certifications.
Often no degree for logistics and maintenance; buyers and planners usually have business or supply-chain training.
An engineering degree or inspection certifications (NDT levels, AS9100 experience); safety roles want EHS credentials.
A computer science degree or equivalent experience; some programs need a US security clearance.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s disciplines
Each discipline page covers the work itself, the usual entry bar and the pay posted for it across the industry.
For the wider picture, open the pay tables for every discipline or the space employers that pay the most.
Signing up with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Researched Oct 2026Apply for JPL's jobs on its own careers site, where every posting states NASA's designated-country rule; students apply to JPL's internship programs through its Academic Engagement Office, ideally between October and February for a summer internship.
Eligibility
- JPL is a federal facility: under NASA's rules it does not accept applications from citizens of designated countries, or people born in one, unless they are U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents or have other protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). Each posting says so.
- Internships: students with citizenship on NASA's designated countries lists, or another affiliation with a designated country such as country of birth or dual citizenship, are ineligible; foreign nationals from other countries have limited places through the JPL Visiting Student Research Program.
- Internships: continued student status, the program's own requirements, and study in a STEM or STEM-adjacent field.
The sign-up steps
- 1
Find a job on JPL's careers site
JPL posts its openings on its own careers site, where each posting states its requirements, its pay range and NASA's designated-country rule.
- 2
Students: choose an internship program
JPL's programs include the Student Independent Research Internship (SIRI), the JPL Visiting Student Research Program and the JPL Visiting Researcher Program; JPL Human Resources offers student employment separately. Apply only to programs whose requirements you meet.
- 3
Apply early for the summer
Deadlines vary by program. For summer internships JPL recommends applying between October and February, and an application stays active in its system for 8 months.
- 4
Get a nomination where a program needs one
For programs that require a nomination, connect with your campus faculty advisors.
- 5
Review by the Academic Engagement Office
Program coordinators in JPL's Academic Engagement Office review internship applications. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee a placement.
Tips to get accepted
- JPL internships are paid: most programs come with a stipend, and most require a commitment of at least 10 weeks.
- JPL says students gain the most from research experiences on Lab, so expect to work in Pasadena.
What isn't public
- JPL publishes no step-by-step account of its full-time hiring beyond its postings: its interviews and timelines are not described.
- JPL's internship FAQ states no GPA minimum; each program's own page sets its requirements.
Sources (2)
- JPL, Internships FAQ
- JPL careers site (each posting's designated-country statement)
Questions about NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
How do I apply to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)?
Choose a role below and use its Apply button, which opens that posting on NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s careers site; the application goes straight to NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Screening, interviews and any offer happen between you and the company, without us.
What does NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) pay?
Across the 127 open NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) jobs that give a pay range, the middle of the market is $90.9k–$216k/yr and the median $124k/yr. The lowest posted figure is $43.7k/yr and the highest $273k/yr. These are base salary ranges as the postings give them; equity, bonuses and relocation help come on top where offered.
Which disciplines is NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) staffing?
Of its 127 openings, the largest groups are programs & business (31), science, imaging & earth data (23) and avionics & electrical (13).
What does NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) ask for in program management and business jobs in space?
A business, finance, law or engineering degree; program managers often hold a PMP or an engineering background. The exact bar is in each NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) posting.
How fresh is this list of NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) roles?
We read NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)'s public careers site every night. A role stays here as long as NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) keeps it up, dated with our last check.
Companies that compete with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for staff
Space employers recruiting the same disciplines as NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), in the same states: who has roles open now, the ranges they post and where their sites are.
All the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) alternativesOther names in spacecraft & stations
Lockheed Martin Space builds GPS and missile warning satellites, NASA's Orion crew capsule and deep space probes.
$104k–$270k/yrTypical pay, live1,719 open
Satellites, space telescopes, cargo spacecraft and rocket boosters, inside a defense prime.
$109k–$250k/yrTypical pay, live745 open
Satellites, payloads and space station modules, a joint venture of Thales and Leonardo.
Range given per postinga pay range on 0% of its open roles395 open
Software-defined radios, phased-array payloads and satcom terminals for space and defense.
$125k–$252k/yrTypical pay, live321 openHiring at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)? How space employers put their roles in front of more engineers here.