Also called: Science Planner, Observation Planner
Plans exactly what a telescope or probe will look at, minute by minute.
You fit hundreds of observation requests into a schedule, making sure the telescope never points at the Sun and the data fits in the downlink. When a supernova pops off, you rework the plan fast.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's in physics, astronomy, or engineering.
Ways in: 4-year college. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Astronomy, Physics, Aerospace Engineering.
Growing about average. Small niche at NASA centers and observatories.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI schedulers plan telescope observations automatically, cutting planner jobs; fixing conflicts stays human.
Classes: AP Physics, Computer science, Statistics, Astronomy.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-4099.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.