Document and Entity Information - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2022	Mar. 10, 2023	Jun. 30, 2022
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2022
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2022
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Document Annual Report	true
Document Transition Report	false
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Trading Symbol	LIFE
Entity Registrant Name	ATYR PHARMA, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001339970
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Small Business	true
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
ICFR Auditor Attestation Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		53,162,052
Entity Public Float			$ 77,194,107
Entity File Number	001-37378
Entity Tax Identification Number	20-3435077
Entity Address, Address Line One	10240 Sorrento Valley Road
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 300
Entity Address, City or Town	San Diego
Entity Address, State or Province	CA
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	92121
City Area Code	858
Local Phone Number	731-8389
Title of 12(b) Security	Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share
Documents Incorporated by Reference	Portions of the registrant’s definitive proxy statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), pursuant to Regulation 14A in connection with the registrant’s 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which will be filed subsequent to the date hereof, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such proxy statement will be filed with the SEC not later than 120 days following the end of the registrant’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2022
Auditor Name	Ernst & Young LLP
Auditor Location	San Diego, California
Auditor Firm ID	42