May 2025 BLS OEWS
Space Career Salaries Compared
Compare national pay for 11 credible space-related occupations. Every row shows the median, the full 10th-to-90th-percentile spread, and the employment estimate behind the number.
Read the spread
A median salary is a midpoint, not an offer
The median tells you where half of an occupation earns more and half earns less. The 10th and 90th percentiles show how wide the occupation is. They do not label entry-level and senior workers. Employer, specialty, setting, location, and responsibility all sit inside the distribution.
The comparison also keeps degree routes visible. A high astronomer median comes after a doctoral pathway for most research jobs. Aerospace engineering technicians have a shorter direct route. Data science is adjacent for space graduates who can prove the required statistics and programming.
National comparison
Space career salaries from highest to lowest median
| Occupation | Route | Median | 10th–90th percentile | Employment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhysicistSOC 19-2012 | Pathway | $172,250 | $82,110–$274,110 | 20,430 | → |
| Computer Hardware EngineerSOC 17-2061 | Adjacent | $161,740 | $92,940–$225,330 | 76,660 | → |
| Aerospace EngineerSOC 17-2011 | Direct | $134,960 | $86,700–$205,890 | 67,710 | → |
| AstronomerSOC 19-2011 | Pathway | $128,820 | $78,010–$195,190 | 2,120 | → |
| Electrical EngineerSOC 17-2071 | Adjacent | $120,630 | $76,550–$184,300 | 198,750 | → |
| Data ScientistSOC 15-2051 | Adjacent | $120,230 | $67,240–$199,130 | 262,440 | → |
| Mechanical EngineerSOC 17-2141 | Adjacent | $104,110 | $73,990–$164,340 | 296,810 | → |
| Atmospheric and Space ScientistSOC 19-2021 | Adjacent | $99,070 | $53,060–$161,890 | 10,000 | → |
| Operations Research AnalystSOC 15-2031 | Adjacent | $88,940 | $57,060–$159,910 | 108,510 | → |
| Aerospace Engineering TechnicianSOC 17-3021 | Direct | $82,890 | $59,050–$125,160 | 11,280 | → |
| Avionics TechnicianSOC 49-2091 | Pathway | $82,280 | $49,410–$113,680 | 18,830 | → |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. National annual wage estimates.
Inside each salary page
State wages include the employment denominator
A state median based on a small occupation should not be read like one supported by thousands of jobs. Each salary page pairs the median with the BLS employment estimate and publishes the state’s own 10th-to-90th-percentile range where BLS provides it.
Start with the national median and full wage spread.
Compare state medians beside their employment counts.
Check whether the education route is Direct, Pathway, or Adjacent.
Primary data
Where the space career salary figures come from
All wage and employment figures come from the May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics release. Duties and entry education come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. The wage survey does not assign percentiles to experience levels, so these pages do not relabel the 10th percentile as entry pay.
Use the space careers hub to compare the work and education routes behind these figures.