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Life & Physical Science

Astronomers

SOC 19-2011

Study celestial objects and the structure of the universe.

The job
Median pay
$129k
$100k to $166k typical range
Outlook, 2025 to 2035
Growing fast
+7.8% projected
Openings a year
100
BLS projection
Typical education
Doctoral
Our model
AI displacement risk
Very high
How much of this job AI may do instead of the person
Works with AI
5/100
AI alongside the person rather than instead of them
AI exposure
88th pct
More exposed than 88% of occupations · modeled estimate · 85th pct in Microsoft's data
Future-proof
59/100

At a glance

Annual openings for Astronomers come to about 100, a thin hiring pool by comparison. Growth is the contrast with Biochemists: +7.8% here against +12% there. A median wage of $128,820 sits $61,630 above the typical occupation we cover, and 44% above the median across Life & Physical Science. BLS's 2035 projection for Astronomers is +7.8%, 4.1 points above typical growth across the occupations we cover. Getting in usually takes a doctoral degree. Works-with-AI scores 5/100 against very high displacement risk, leaning toward displacement, with modeled exposure at the 88th percentile.

Take the next step

Weigh it against PhysicistsPay, outlook, entry and AI exposure side by side See where it pays mostMaryland leads at $133k; all states are listed below Find careers like itOpen the map at Astronomers and explore its neighbours See open jobsAstronomers roles hiring now Learn the skillsCourses for Astronomers, who lean most on reading comprehension Real pay & reviewsSelf-reported pay and reviews on Glassdoor

Similar pay in Life & Physical Science

BiochemistsEconomistsPlanetary ScientistsPhysicists

Key skills

Pay and jobs by state

BLS OEWS May 2025, 50 states and DC. Sorted by jobs; per 1,000 is jobs per thousand workers in the state; vs national compares that rate with the country's. A tilde marks a figure estimated from the parent occupation group where BLS publishes none.

StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Maryland9800.426.0×$133k
Texas157 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$120k (estimated)
New York122 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$131k (estimated)
Massachusetts112 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)2.3× (estimated)$162k (estimated)
California1100.00.4×$124k
Arizona1000.02.3×$129k
Hawaii1000.211.7×$102k
Pennsylvania86 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$126k (estimated)
Florida80 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.6× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
North Carolina78 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.2× (estimated)$123k (estimated)
All 50 states and DC
StateJobsPer 1,000vs nationalMedian pay
Illinois67 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$129k (estimated)
Washington67 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.4× (estimated)$147k (estimated)
Virginia62 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.1× (estimated)$129k
New Jersey60 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$141k (estimated)
Ohio60 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$124k (estimated)
Colorado52 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.3× (estimated)$133k (estimated)
Michigan49 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$120k (estimated)
Georgia48 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.7× (estimated)$123k (estimated)
Minnesota46 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.1× (estimated)$130k (estimated)
Indiana39 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$114k (estimated)
Wisconsin38 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
Oregon34 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.3× (estimated)$125k (estimated)
Missouri33 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
Tennessee32 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.7× (estimated)$119k (estimated)
Washington DC26 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)2.7× (estimated)$201k (estimated)
South Carolina24 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
Utah24 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$120k (estimated)
Louisiana22 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
Alabama21 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.7× (estimated)$116k (estimated)
Iowa21 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$113k (estimated)
Kentucky20 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.7× (estimated)$113k (estimated)
Connecticut19 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$153k (estimated)
Idaho18 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.5× (estimated)$105k (estimated)
Kansas18 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$113k (estimated)
Oklahoma17 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.7× (estimated)$115k (estimated)
Nevada16 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$125k (estimated)
Nebraska14 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$105k (estimated)
New Mexico14 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.2× (estimated)$126k (estimated)
Montana13 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.9× (estimated)$111k (estimated)
Mississippi12 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.8× (estimated)$101k (estimated)
Arkansas11 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.6× (estimated)$98k (estimated)
West Virginia11 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.1× (estimated)$107k (estimated)
Alaska10 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)2.3× (estimated)$135k (estimated)
Delaware9 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.4× (estimated)$131k (estimated)
New Hampshire9 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.0× (estimated)$124k (estimated)
Maine8 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$118k (estimated)
North Dakota7 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.2× (estimated)$112k (estimated)
South Dakota7 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.1× (estimated)$102k (estimated)
Rhode Island6 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)0.9× (estimated)$139k (estimated)
Wyoming6 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.6× (estimated)$115k (estimated)
Vermont5 (estimated)0.0 (estimated)1.2× (estimated)$118k (estimated)

Top metro areas

  1. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV520 jobs · $157k median
  2. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH180 jobs

Explore the rankings

Fastest-growing jobsHighest-paying jobsJobs most exposed to AIMost AI-resilient jobsHigh pay, easy to enter All career rankings All 524 BLS occupations Compare careers
Explore Astronomers interactively →

Pay and outlook from BLS (OEWS 2025, Employment Projections 2025-2035). Skills and work activities from O*NET 30.3. AI exposure and future-proof scores are modeled estimates. How these numbers are made.