Studying stars, galaxies, black holes, and the universe, plus the people who build and run telescopes and share the sky with the public.
Top pay: highest pay, longest training
Astronomer: Studies stars, galaxies, planets, and the universe using telescopes and computer models. Typical pay $129k.
Astrophysicist: Uses physics to explain how stars burn, explode, and collapse into black holes. Typical pay $130k.
Cosmologist: Studies the origin, shape, and fate of the entire universe, including dark matter and dark energy. Typical pay $130k.
Radio Astronomer: Uses giant dish antennas to 'see' the universe in radio waves, from baby stars to black holes. Typical pay $128k.
Exoplanet Scientist: Discovers and studies planets orbiting other stars, looking for ones that could support life. Typical pay $128k.
Solar Physicist: Studies the sun, including sunspots and the giant explosions that can knock out power grids. Typical pay $128k.
Astronomical Instrument Scientist: Designs and builds the cameras and spectrographs that attach to telescopes and space observatories. Typical pay $135k.
Astronomical Data Scientist: Builds software and AI to handle enormous sky surveys like the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's 10-year movie of the sky. Typical pay $130k.
Mid pay: solid pay, degree or apprenticeship
Observatory Engineer: Keeps giant telescopes moving, cooled, and pointed perfectly at the sky. Typical pay $100k.
Telescope Operator: Runs a large research telescope through the night for visiting astronomers. Typical pay $66k.
Planetarium Director: Runs a planetarium: creating dome shows, training presenters, and bringing the night sky to the public. Typical pay $75k.
Astronomy Professor: Teaches astronomy at a college and leads research on stars, galaxies or planets. Typical pay $100k.
Telescope Mirror Coating Technician: Strips and re-coats giant telescope mirrors with a layer of aluminum or silver far thinner than a soap bubble so they stay sharp. Typical pay $66k.
Radio Quiet Zone Interference Engineer: Hunts down stray radio signals, from microwave ovens to spark plugs, that would drown out faint cosmic signals at radio telescopes. Typical pay $98k.
Starter: fastest way in
Planetarium Presenter: Leads live shows under a planetarium dome for school groups and families. Typical pay $42k.
Observatory Technician: Maintains the electronics, cooling systems, and mechanics at a telescope site. Typical pay $54k.
Astrophotographer: Photographs the night sky and sells prints, teaches workshops, and licenses images. Typical pay $40k.
Meteorite Hunter & Dealer: Searches for space rocks that fell to Earth and sells them to museums, scientists, and collectors. Typical pay $40k.
Night Sky Ranger: A park ranger who runs stargazing programs and protects dark skies at national and state parks. Typical pay $45k.
Telescope Sales & Repair Specialist: Helps stargazers choose, set up and fix telescopes and astronomy cameras at specialty stores and repair shops. Typical pay $43k.
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.