National salary
What is the average astronomer salary?
The BLS reports a $128,820 national median for astronomers in May 2025. The mean is $132,920, but the median is the more useful midpoint because it is less sensitive to a smaller number of very high wages.
BLS estimates 2,120 jobs in this occupation. The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is $78,010 to $195,190, a difference of $117,180. Employer, setting, specialty, location, and responsibility all sit inside that national range.
Percentiles describe where wages fall across the occupation. They do not assign a wage to a specific experience level.
What moves the number
What affects an astronomer salary?
Employer setting
Federal agencies, research organizations, and public universities use different pay structures. The occupation is small enough that each setting matters.
Research independence
Postdoctoral, staff, and senior research positions carry different levels of responsibility for projects, funding, and supervision.
Technical specialization
Instrumentation, computational methods, and work with large scientific datasets can widen the roles available beyond one research question.
Geography and job count
Astronomer estimates appear for only a small set of states, so a state median must be read beside the employment count.
State comparison
Astronomer salary by state
The table pairs every state median below with its employment estimate. It is ordered by median salary, but the job count matters: a high figure based on a small occupational market describes a different opportunity than a similar figure supported by thousands of jobs.
The largest state employment estimates for astronomers are Maryland (980 jobs), California (110 jobs), and Arizona (100 jobs). Read those market sizes against the national estimate of 2,120 jobs before treating a state wage as a relocation signal.
| Rank | State | Median | 10th–90th percentile | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $132,620 | $83,200–$214,450 | 980 |
| 2 | Arizona | $129,020 | $75,600–$177,020 | 100 |
| 3 | California | $123,540 | $76,020–$195,190 | 110 |
| 4 | Hawaii | $102,000 | $71,590–$139,720 | 100 |
BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment counts are estimates and may be rounded.
Degree context
How education connects to astronomer pay
Research and academic astronomer jobs typically require a Ph.D., often followed by a postdoctoral research position.
Most astronomers do not spend every night looking through a telescope. BLS describes office-based work with data, models, code, proposals, and papers. Observatory visits may happen only a few times a year, although some roles are based at observatories.
The wage percentiles do not separate workers by degree or experience. Use the education requirement to decide whether the route is open to you, then use the state and national wage distributions to understand the market rather than treating one percentile as a personal forecast.
Career guide See how to become an astronomer Pathway route · Doctoral degree for research and academiaCommon questions
Astronomer salary FAQ
What is the median astronomer salary?
What is the national astronomer salary range?
How many astronomers does BLS count?
Does the 10th-percentile astronomer salary mean entry level?
What education do astronomers need?
Primary sources
Sources for astronomer salary data
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 for the national distribution, state wages, and employment estimates.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Astronomers for education, duties, and work-setting context.
Wage records and occupation facts reviewed August 28, 2026.