Astronomer earnings by seniority

90th percentile

Top-level astronomer earnings begin at:

$79.14 per hour

$164,620 per year

75th percentile

Senior-level astronomer earnings begin at:

$67.92 per hour

$141,280 per year

50th percentile

Mid-level astronomer earnings begin at:

$49.70 per hour

$103,370 per year

25th percentile

Junior-level astronomer earnings begin at:

$34.29 per hour

$71,330 per year

10th percentile

Starting level astronomer earnings begin at:

$26.18 per hour

$54,450 per year

Approximate values based on highest and lowest earning segments.

Astronomer salary by state

State Name Average Salary
Arizona $91,620
New Mexico $73,130
Maryland $127,030
District of Columbia $126,060
Massachusetts $123,110
California $117,700
Hawaii $107,950
Colorado $107,580
Texas $103,370

How do astronomer salaries compare to similar careers?

Astronomers earn about the same as related careers in Texas. On average, they make less than natural sciences managers but more than chemists.

Career Median Salary
Natural sciences manager salary $117K
Materials scientist salary $109K
Physicist salary $112K
Nanotechnology engineer salary $109K
Astronomer salary $103K
Atmospheric scientist salary $92K
Geospatial information scientist salary $88K
Biochemist salary $77K
Chemist salary $79K

Source: CareerExplorer (Aggregated)