Survey of 100,000 federal workers puts the space agency at the top
Federal government employees have rated NASA — the country’s space agency — as the top workplace in the United States.
The survey of federal workers, the first of its kind, polled 100,000 staff at 28 major government agencies.
NASA ranked first among women and third among men. It was tops among minorities, younger workers and older workers. In every agency surveyed, supervisors and executives rated their satisfaction higher than did lower-level employees. But at NASA, both groups rated their agency as number one.
The survey was conducted by the Office of Personnel Management in 2002, several months before the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated on re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.
A survey conducted after the accident showed workers are afraid to speak up about safety concerns and feel they are not respected by management. That survey, conducted by Behavioral Science Technology Inc., was designed to assess NASA’s workplace culture.
Best federal agencies to work for in the U.S.
The survey of federal workers, the first of its kind, polled 100,000 staff at 28 major government agencies.
NASA ranked first among women and third among men. It was tops among minorities, younger workers and older workers. In every agency surveyed, supervisors and executives rated their satisfaction higher than did lower-level employees. But at NASA, both groups rated their agency as number one.
The survey was conducted by the Office of Personnel Management in 2002, several months before the Columbia space shuttle disintegrated on re-entry on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.
A survey conducted after the accident showed workers are afraid to speak up about safety concerns and feel they are not respected by management. That survey, conducted by Behavioral Science Technology Inc., was designed to assess NASA’s workplace culture.
Best federal agencies to work for in the U.S.
| Rank | Agency |
| 1 | National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 2 | National Science Foundation |
| 3 | Office of Management and Budget |
| 4 | General Services Administration |
| 5 | Environmental Protection Agency |
| 6 | Office of Personnel Management |
| 7 | U.S. Air Force |
| 8 (tie) | Department of Commerce |
| 8 (tie) | Department of the Interior |
| 10 | Department of the Army |
| 11 | Department of Health and Human Services |
| 12 | Department of the Navy |
| 13 (tie) | Department of Agriculture |
| 13 (tie) | Department of Transportation |
| 15 (tie) | Department of Energy |
| 15 (tie) | Social Security Administration |
| 17 | Department of Veteran Affairs |
| 18 | Department of Labour |
| 19 | Department of State |
| 20 | Department of Housing and Urban Development |
| 21 | Department of Treasury |
| 22 | Agency for International Development |
| 23 | Department of Justice |
| 24 | Small Business Administration |
| 25 | U.S. Marine Corps |
| 26 | Department of Education |
| 27 | Defense Agencies |
| 28 | Federal Emergency Management Agency |
