If you were a NASA engineer, would you need to get a second job?
Most of us would probably think not. But an actual NASA engineer recently shared a TikTok in which she explained that she was applying for a second job in order to pay off her student loans.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA for short, employs a wide range of people, from custodians to full-on astronauts. While some of the lower-end positions pay salaries in the $30,000 to $40,000 range, many of the engineering positions comfortably pay six figures.
You'd think that her years of schooling would ensure a well-paying job. That may be true, but as it turns out, her years of schooling also left her with a crippling amount of student debt.
Kelly goes on to explain the situation in her TikTok video.
She didn't wind up taking the Tiffany's job, but did accept a part-time position at Apple, in part for the employee discount.
Kelly says she wants extra money so she can "do more fun things and not have to worry about it."
This all seems pretty straightforward: she has a great job, but just wants more money. But there's more to it than that.
Kelly has some serious expenses, as she explains in this video: rent, car loan and, most critically, student loans.
She doesn't complain about her situation and seems just fine with working two jobs. But commenters couldn't believe it.
Many of the incredulous comments were along the same lines: someone who has to go to school to years for specialized qualifications, then gets hired at NASA of all places, actually needs a second job?
This is an important point. While she has expenses and wants to have more money so they're easier to pay off, she never says or implies that her NASA job isn't enough.
Hey, if you can't trust a random person on the internet who says their cousin is a retired astronaut, who can you trust?
NASA tends to pay well, but it isn't making millionaires out of anybody.
The hard-working folks at NASA deserve their pay, but NASA is a government agency, and government jobs don't pay as well as jobs in the private sector. The public wouldn't stand for government employees making millions of dollars each.
While it's somewhat shocking that a NASA engineer is seeking out a second job, Kelly doesn't seem bent out of shape about it. She just seems like a workaholic who wants more spending money.
Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
