What we offer
ESA is proud to be a place that looks after its people from the moment they sign their contract through to retirement – and beyond. Learn more about our employment conditions, including benefits and flexible working conditions to support you in your professional and personal life.
ESA Salaries and allowances
ESA is an intergovernmental organisation part of the Co-ordinated Organisation system, therefore its salary and pension terms and conditions are established by this system.
ESA salaries are exempt from national income tax in ESA Member States, in line with Annex I of the ESA Convention.
Your salary depends on the grade category of your position (usually A or B – see the ESA salaries table). A-grade positions require a Master in a relevant domain as a minimum and mostly involve scientific, engineering or business support activities, while B-grade positions are mainly for secretarial, administrative or technical support activities.
Depending on your personal circumstances, you may also be eligible for additional allowances such as:
- Family allowances: your household situation, for example if you have children or other dependants, may entitle you to a family allowance.
- Home leave: if you are expatriated, ESA covers the travel expenses for you and your family to make a return trip to your home country every two years.
- Education allowance: if you are expatriated, you may benefit from a partial reimbursement of the education costs of your children.
- Relocation support: if you move from another country to work for ESA, your removal expenses will be reimbursed and you will receive an installation allowance. Some ESA establishments also offer help in finding accommodation.
- Expatriation allowance: if you are not a national of your host country and have not been residing continuously in it for more than one year before starting at ESA, you may receive an expatriation allowance.
Flexible working arrangements and work-life balance
At ESA, we understand that working arrangements are not one-size-fits-all. Our flexible scheme is designed to help you tailor your work schedule to fit your personal needs. Here’s how we make it work:
- Flexible working hours: The standard working week at ESA is 40 hours spread over five eight-hour days. You can adjust your daily start and finish times to suit your own schedule and commitments.
- Remote and teleworking options: You can work from home for 40% of the month and up to 80% with management agreement. Telework is foreseen from your principal residence in the country of your workplace* but you also have the option, with some limitations, to telework from another country.
- Part-time opportunities: ESA offers part-time schemes at 50%, 60% or 80% of full-time hours, which can be adopted after you have been working at ESA for a certain amount of time. This allows you to reduce your working hours without stepping away from your career, giving you more time to focus on other important aspects of your life.
* The workplace is specified in all vacancies. At ESA, we work at over nine locations in seven countries (France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Spain and the UK).
Working life and work-life balance
Each ESA establishment offers a range of facilities and services to improve the quality of your working life and work-life balance:
Support for families
Depending on the ESA establishment, you may benefit from:
- Childcare services (onsite or through agreements with local services depending on the establishment)
- Summer activities for ESA children
- A school bus service taking children of ESA staff to local international schools is organised at some sites
- The award-winning ESA Space Camp offers ESA children aged 8-17 the chance to embark on a two-week trip filled with educational, sports, arts and crafts, cultural and social activities during the summer
- Support networks, partially run by spouses and partners of staff, are available at some ESA sites
Facilities
- Subsidised restaurant and coffee bar
- Medical centre
- Free car parking and electric car charging facilities
- Sports facilities including gym and exercise classes (the range of facilities on offer varies across the different ESA establishments)
Social, cultural and sport activities
A big part of life at ESA is the strong sense of community at all sites, and this is particularly aided by the wide range of social clubs and programmes, cultural activities and sports clubs to get involved in at your establishment, all run by ESA volunteers. From sailing to photography, music to gourmet food, it is a great way to meet colleagues beyond your team while also pursuing your interests - or discovering new ones! Another volunteer-run group at ESA is the Humanitarian Relief Fund, through which fundraising campaigns are organised to provide help to communities around the world affected by natural disasters.
Leave
Taking time off is essential for maintaining your well-being. ESA’s leave policies are designed to ensure that you have ample time to recharge:
- Annual leave: Every year, you’ll receive 32.5 days of annual leave (30 days for Young Graduate Trainees and Internal Research Fellows).
- Public holidays: In addition to your annual leave, you’ll benefit from 12 public holidays each year, giving you even more opportunities to enjoy a break.
- Home leave for expatriates: If you’re an expatriate working at ESA, we offer additional support to help you stay connected with your home country. Under certain conditions, you may be eligible for an extra eight days of home leave every two years, with the expenses of return travel for you and your family members covered by ESA.
- ESA also makes provision for pregnancy, bonding, parental/family care and sick leave, as well as special leave for personal and family related reasons.
Training and development
To support your professional growth, you will have access to a comprehensive catalogue of internal training courses for personal and business development, project management and leadership and people management. Our training programmes are as diverse as the challenges in space exploration. Here’s what you can expect:
- Cutting-edge technical training: If you’re an engineer, scientist or technical professional, our specialised courses will keep you at the forefront of space technology. Led by industry or in-house experts, these programmes cover topics from the latest satellite systems to the complexities of interplanetary missions. At ESA, you won’t just keep up with advancements—you’ll drive them.
- Leadership and soft skills development: Our training programmes also emphasise leadership, communication and teamwork. Whether you’re aspiring to lead projects or manage international collaborations, our soft skills training will prepare you to excel in any role.
- Career growth at every stage: Whether you’re just starting out or already established in your career, ESA supports your professional journey. Early-career professionals can take advantage of the newcomer onboarding programme and skill-building trainings, while mid-career and senior employees have access to advanced courses. All ESA employees can access external training opportunities throughout their career at the agency. At ESA, your career path is as expansive as your ambitions.
A position at ESA opens doors to various other opportunities for boosting your career beyond formal training courses. Every day, you interact with experts working alongside you at your duty station and virtually, while technical presentations and guest lectures are regularly organised at most ESA sites. Staff may also be invited to attend conferences related to their field of work.
Learn more about training and development at ESA here.
Relocation support
One of the practical requirements of working for ESA is that your principal residence must be within a 100 km radius of your duty station (the ESA site where you work). If you need to move house to meet this requirement, ESA is on hand to help make the transition as smooth as possible. In our relocation support package, we offer reimbursement of your removal expenses, plus an installation allowance to help with the costs associated with settling into your new home. At some sites, you may also count on assistance in finding accommodation.
World-wide private insurance cover
From the date you start working at ESA, you are affiliated to our social security scheme providing cover for sickness, maternity, accident and disability. The scheme includes medical care worldwide on a primary basis, a full medical check each year and access to psychological support. Under certain conditions, coverage can be extended to your spouse/partner and children.
Retirement and pension
The ESA retirement age is 63.
As a staff member, you accrue pension rights yearly and are eligible for a retirement pension from the age of 63 after completing 10 years of service. The maximum pension entitlement is 70% of the last earned salary, which is reached after 35 years of service.
If you leave the agency before completing 10 years of service, you receive a leaving allowance (a one-time payment based on pension contributions made during the period of your service).
A unique and inspiring place to work
Our mission is the peaceful exploration and use of space for the benefit of everyone. We watch over Earth, develop and launch inspiring and unique space projects, train astronauts and push the boundaries of science and technology, seeking answers to the big questions about the Universe. We are a family of scientists, engineers and business professionals from all over Europe working together in a diverse and multinational environment. We are dedicated to united space in Europe and united Europe in space.
While there is great diversity in the background, nationality and expertise of the people of ESA, we are united in our dedication to our mission. The activities of the agency inspire and motivate us to perform at our very best. If this sounds like the type of environment that you, too, would thrive in, we invite you to consider a career at ESA.
More information
Learn more about ways to join us and our recruitment process. You can also browse our current vacancies here.
Meet your future colleagues and find out more about ESA from the people who make it the great place that it is.
More questions? Check out our Frequently asked questions page.
The information published on ESA’s careers website regarding working conditions is correct at the time of publication. It is not intended to be exhaustive and may not address all questions you would have.
