How much does Thomas Pesquet earn?

The question comes up often because it projects onto an astronaut the logic of a top-level athlete or a celebrity airline pilot. The reality is administrative: European Space Agency astronauts are staff members of the agency, recruited to a position and paid according to the grade and step system used by coordinated European organizations, such as the OECD or NATO. The entry level depends on diploma and experience, then progresses with seniority.

This status carries two consequences that are often overlooked. First, ESA pays no specific bonus for a spaceflight: going to space comes with no contractual bonus. Second, as in any international organization, the pay includes elements that aren't salary in the French sense — expatriation allowances, family allowances — and falls under its own tax regime.

ESA publishes grade ranges in its recruitment notices, but does not publicly link a given staff member to a specific step. No official source can therefore confirm what Thomas Pesquet earns, and the figures circulating in the press are reconstructions based on pay scales, not verified data. On a subject where estimates vary widely, it is better to abstain than to spread an unverifiable number.

An astronaut can receive side income clearly separate from their employment: royalties for books and photo collections, speaking fees for off-duty conferences. These activities are governed by the agency's rules on outside activities, and are not part of the public pay for their position.