Career profile · SOC 19-2011

Astronomers

Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.

Median salary
$132,170
per year
Growth outlook
Average
BLS 10-yr
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
AI exposure
4.5/10
automation risk

Salary distribution (US)

Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.

Bottom 10%
$62,410
25th %ile
$93,300
Median
$132,170
75th %ile
$172,770
Top 10%
$214,140

Top skills

Critical Thinking Active Learning Mathematics Reading Comprehension Complex Problem Solving Science Writing Speaking Programming Active Listening

Knowledge you'll build

  • Physics
  • Mathematics
  • Computers and Electronics
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Engineering and Technology

A day in the life

Your day might start at a university office writing Python scripts to process terabytes of telescope data collected overnight from observatories in Chile or Hawaii. By mid-morning you are in a collaboration meeting with physicists halfway around the world, discussing what a peculiar light curve might mean for exoplanet atmospheres. Afternoons could involve writing grant proposals, mentoring graduate students, or preparing a lecture on stellar evolution. A few times a year you travel to an observatory for an observing run, staying up all night aligning the telescope, monitoring atmospheric conditions, and capturing photons from galaxies billions of light-years away.

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