They spent 9 months in space, but Boeing won’t pay them a penny more
Despite being ‘stuck at work’ for 9 months, the two astronauts won’t see their wages increased.
Most people wouldn’t be happy in staying back an extra hour for a meeting that absolutely-definitely-could-have-been-an-email, never mind 9 months overtime, in space, without overtime or hazard pay.
That’s exactly what the two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, have just had to endure. And you read right: Boeing aren’t giving them an extra penny.
The duo first launched from Earth’s surface in June 2024, expecting the journey to last just over a week. However, after multiple thrusters on Boeing’s Starliner capsule malfunctioned during docking, the two astronauts remained stranded in orbit until yesterday, March 18, 2025. Talk about overtime.
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth after 9 months stuck in space. pic.twitter.com/3VGV3fsbzf
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 18, 2025
How much do Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore make?
According to NASA’s 2024 pay rates, the pair make an annual salary of $152,258.
“[There’s] no hazard pay, there’s no overtime, there’s no comp time,” Mike Massimino, a veteran of two Space Shuttle missions, previously told MarketWatch. “There’s no financial incentive to stay in space longer.”
“When NASA astronauts are aboard the International Space Station, they receive regular 40-hour workweek salaries,” NASA explained to Fortune in a statement. “While in space, NASA astronauts are on official travel orders as federal employees, so their transportation, lodging, and meals are provided.”
NASA added that the astronauts receive small payments for each day they’re in space. However, in this case, since Williams and Wilmore were on long-term temporary duty, it’s adds up to just around $5 per day. That’s about $1,430 for the entire 286-day period of overtime.
What is clear is that the duo have been keen to change the narrative regarding being ‘stranded’, with Wilmore recently telling CNN that “that’s been the rhetoric. That’s been the narrative from day one: stranded, abandoned, stuck — and I get it. We both get it. But that is, again, not what our human spaceflight program is about. We don’t feel abandoned, we don’t feel stuck, we don’t feel stranded."
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment
Your opinion will be published with first and last names