Also called: Astrophysicist, Space Scientist
Uses space telescopes and probes to study stars, galaxies, black holes, and the history of the universe.
You download fresh data from a space telescope, write code to clean it, and look for the faint signal of a planet or a distant galaxy. Then you write papers and proposals to win time on the next observatory.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 10 years after high school. PhD in astronomy or physics, usually followed by postdoctoral research.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Astronomy, Astrophysics.
Growing about average (about 3% over 10 years). Uses BLS astronomers category.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. AI sorts huge telescope datasets and writes analysis code, so smaller teams do more; asking new questions stays human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science, Astronomy.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2011.
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.