Interactive Tables and Charts
Data Workforce
Space Workforce Trends in the United States, Europe, Japan, and India
The United States, Europe, and Japan have all seen net growth in their space workforce over the past decade, with steady increases in Europe, and more varied trends in the United States and Japan.
Foreign-Born Individuals in S&E Occupations in The United States, By Level Of Degree and Occupation: 2017
Although recent data isn’t available, if China keeps up the pace of graduating students with science and engineering degrees, its numbers will swamp the United States.
Representation of Women and Minorities among Senior Officials and Management Compared to Representation in U.S. Workforce, 2020
While all U.S. space companies with at least 100 employees (or at least 50 employees if they do work for the government) are required to collect information on diversity and report it to the U.S. government, most do not make this data available to the public.
Active Launch Vehicle Operators by Type, 2000-2022
Orbital launch attempts have more than tripled since a lull in activity in the early 2000s bottomed out at 55 attempts in 2004. Part of the rapid growth in the past few years is due to a sharp increase in launch vehicle operators after a long period with an average just shy of 10 distinct operators per year.
NASA Civil Servant Workforce, FY 2013-2023
In 2022, NASA was named the best place to work in the federal government among large agencies for the 10th year in a row. NASA attributed this “decade of excellence” to the agency’s continuing dedication to supporting and strengthening its workforce.
Representation of Women and Minorities in Selected Industries, 2020
In the U.S. population as a whole, minorities (non-white individuals) make up nearly 42% of the workforce. Similar proportions of minorities are seen in Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing and Telecommunications.
NASA Civil Servant Workforce Age Profiles over Time 1993-2023
For many years, NASA has been working to manage the aging of its workforce. As of the beginning of FY 2023, 23% of the NASA workforce was eligible for retirement.
Representation of Women and Minorities in Selected Industries and Aerospace Companies
While all U.S. space companies with at least 100 employees (or at least 50 employees if they do work for the government) are required to collect information on diversity and report it to the U.S. government, most do not make this data available to the public. However, four of the largest aerospace contractors — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon — make their EEO-1 reports public.
U.S. Private Sector Space Industry Employment, 2012-2022
The private space sector has grown more than 18% over the past five years and proved to be resilient to the negative effects on total U.S. employment associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Representation of Women and Minorities among Senior Officials and Management Compared to Representation in U.S. Workforce
Four of the largest aerospace contractors — Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Raytheon — make their EEO-1 reports public. Within these companies, the proportion of females and minorities is similar to that seen in the transportation manufacturing sector overall. However, they have significantly fewer Black employees than that sector, on average.