Uses giant dish antennas to 'see' the universe in radio waves, from baby stars to black holes.
You might work at the Very Large Array in New Mexico or the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, where cell phones are banned to keep radio silence. Radio astronomers helped take the first picture of a black hole.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 11 years after high school. PhD in astronomy or physics; engineering skills are a plus.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Astronomy, Physics, Electrical Engineering.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years). Growth figure is for physicists and astronomers combined; astronomy alone is a small field with about 2,000 US jobs.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI sorts radio signals and interference; observing runs, instruments and interpretation stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Calculus, Electronics CTE.
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.