Astronomers
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 19-2011.00United States
Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.
- Median annual earnings
- $128,835
- Projected change
- +0.7%
- Typical education
- Doctoral degree or more
- Employment
- 3.25K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
91.3% of the workforce
Growing to 3.27K by 2035
Explore this career by location
Compare nationwide estimates with state or county job-market data.
Showing United States
Loading available locations…
Build the skills
ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
Loading related ASU learning
The work
What astronomers do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.
- Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals.
- Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments.
- Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects.
- Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.
- Supervise students' research on celestial and astronomical phenomena.
- Teach astronomy or astrophysics.
- Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers.
- Measure radio, infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions from extraterrestrial sources.
- Develop instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis.
- Review scientific proposals and research papers.
- Raise funds for scientific research.
- Develop and modify astronomy-related programs for public presentation.
- Serve on professional panels and committees.
- Calculate orbits and determine sizes, shapes, brightness, and motions of different celestial bodies.
- Conduct question-and-answer presentations on astronomy topics with public audiences.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $78,000
- 25th percentile
- $99,923
- 50th percentile
- $128,835
- 75th percentile
- $166,005
- 90th percentile
- $195,187
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $128,835 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+0.7%average or slower
20253,245 jobs
2035 projected3,268 jobs
23 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Doctoral degree or more
- 91.3%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 8.7%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Postdoctoral Associates108 postings
- 02Postdoctoral Fellows100 postings
- 03Postdoctoral Researchers87 postings
- 04Postdoctoral Scholars72 postings
- 05Postdoctoral Research Associates35 postings
- 06Professors of Physics and Astronomy25 postings
- 07Astronomers24 postings
- 08Postdoctoral Research Fellows20 postings
- 09Quantum Information Scientists20 postings
- 10Project Scientists18 postings
- 11Research Support Managers16 postings
- 12Assistant Scientists14 postings
- 13Scientists13 postings
- 14Fellows11 postings
- 15Researchers11 postings
- 16Logistics Experts9 postings
- 17Research Interns9 postings
- 18Research Physicians9 postings
- 19Astronomy Instructors8 postings
- 20Research Fellows7 postings
Top employers
- 01Pennsylvania State University88 postings
- 02Harvard University42 postings
- 03Herc36 postings
- 04Sandia Corporation33 postings
- 05Los Alamos National Laboratory28 postings
- 06Argonne National Laboratory25 postings
- 07University of Colorado System Office24 postings
- 08NASA23 postings
- 09Postdocjobs23 postings
- 10University of California23 postings
- 11Princeton University19 postings
- 12Cornell University16 postings
- 13Indiana University-Bloomington16 postings
- 14University of Hawaii System Office15 postings
- 15University of Minnesota15 postings
- 16National Radio Astronomy Observatory14 postings
- 17University of California-Berkeley14 postings
- 18New York University13 postings
- 19Argonne Agency12 postings
- 20Brookhaven National Laboratory12 postings
Keep looking