A NASA engineer has revealed she's been applying for a second job at Tiffany and Apple, sparking debate not only about how much the space agency pays its employees, but also the cost of living over in the US.
TikToker Kelly (@sexybabypartygirl) posted a video recently revealing she was on her way to an interview at luxury jewellery retailer Tiffany and Co.
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"I'm a NASA engineer and I'm applying for a job at Tiffany's, part-time," she said, showing us the outfit she would be wearing that day before filming as she went to her interview.
Kelly, from Houston in Texas, later revealed that she had got the job as an 'operations person' for the company, but also had an 'interview with the Apple store' in the pipeline.
Naturally, many people had the same question after watching the video, which has had 3.2 million views.
"Soo even nasa doesn't pay that well?" one asked.
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Someone else wrote: "IF SOMEONE WHO WORKS AT NASA NEEDS A SECOND JOB I HAVE NO HOPE FOR MY FUTURE."
A third said: "Giirllll.... NASA ENGINEER!..... applying for.... Apple?.... Tiffany? HUH?!?"
Another pointed out: "I know y'all think nasa is cool but it's a government job quite like many others that doesn't pay astronomically."
Offering up a brief explanation, Kelly jumped into the comments section to reveal why she needed another part-time job.
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She wrote: "Trying to make money to visit my family more they live in Wisconsin."
In a follow-up video, Kelly also said: "I like my job at NASA, we get paid well. I just need a little more money.
"I'm not looking for a new job - like, full-time job - but my rent is high, I have student loans, I have car loans and I like to thrift a lot so."
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She added: "I got my degree in chemical engineering from Wisconsin... Would not recommend."
Kelly ended up getting both jobs she interviewed for, but eventually went for the role at Apple - a 'technical specialist at a retail store' - admitting she'd probably use the staff discount there more.
But despite the TikToker sayings he felt 'super excited', many people couldn't get past their concerns.
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"You know capitalism has failed us when a highly skilled highly educated person who helps us go to SPACE has to get a second job," one person fumed.
Another commented: "I just looked at the pay scale for a Nasa engineer, are you freaking kidding me, that's all you make???"
According to job search engine ZipRecruiter, the average annual wage for a NASA engineer in Houston, is $87,880 (£65,362). The national average, meanwhile, is $95,114 (£70,743).
Some people, however, praised Kelly's decision to take on a second job, saying: "Thank you so much for normalising this. Enjoy the new perks."
LADbible has contacted NASA for a comment.
Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@sexybabypartygirl
Topics: Viral, News, Nasa, TikTok