Overtime Pay for 9 Extra Months in Space? Nope.
Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore do not get overtime for their unexpectedly long stay on the International Space Station, according to NASA rules. But they do get $5 a day for “incidentals.”
But despite their far-flung destination, and the danger and romance of space travel, when it comes to pay, Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore are treated effectively like any other government employee who takes a business trip to the next state over.
“While in space, NASA astronauts are on official travel orders as federal employees,” Jimi Russell, a spokesman for the agency’s Space Operations Mission Directorate, said via email.
Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore were essentially unable to leave their workplace, a cluster of modules going around the Earth every 90 minutes, for more than nine months. But astronauts aboard the International Space Station receive no overtime, holiday or weekend pay, Mr. Russell said.
Their transportation, meals and lodging are covered, and like other federal employees on work trips, they receive a daily “incidentals” allowance, Mr. Russell said. This is a per diem payment given to employees in the place of reimbursements for travel expenses.
The incidentals allowance for travel to any location is $5 per day, Mr. Russell said.
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/nasa-astronauts-overtime.html
8 Comments
> … in addition to their annual salary — about $152,258, according to NASA
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/us/nasa-astronauts-overtime.html
OP/linked article is intentionally mixing up pay and travel allowances. It is very common to only get a few bucks a day for incidentals if the government is covering lodging and food. The astronauts still get their regular government pay.
This is both hilarious and sad in equal measure. What about the extra money and time spent by their other halves left at home having to do everything and hold down a job? Can’t believe they aren’t being reimbursed in some way.
wow the federal workers union sounds pretty useless.
Great opportunity to pocket the travel per diem and just get snacks out of the vending machine.
Do the astronauts feel like they’ve been wronged? If they do then they have a case. If not, then case closed.
Damn. My per diem on average is 89 dollars while in California. I can see why it’s only five bucks for them,they don’t need to buy anything while up there. Everything is provided anyways and they also don’t have any stores nearby, the nearest one is a couple thousand miles away lol.
You can pay me 5$ a day to go live on the space station.