The median annual wage for astronomers is $104,740. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $54,960, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $165,140.

The median annual wage for physicists is $115,870. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $57,640, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $189,560.

The median annual wages for astronomers in the top industries in which they work are as follows:

Federal government, excluding postal service	$145,780
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	74,620

The median annual wages for physicists in the top industries in which they work are as follows:

Hospitals; state, local, and private	$166,330
Ambulatory healthcare services	135,740
Scientific research and development services	131,280
Federal government, excluding postal service	116,250
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	66,930

Most physicists and astronomers work full time. Astronomers may need to work at night, because radiation from the sun tends to interfere less with observations made during nighttime hours. Astronomers typically visit observatories only a few times per year and therefore keep normal office hours.

Job Outlook for Physicists and Astronomers

Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 14 percent over the next ten years, faster than the average for all occupations.

Physicists are projected to have employment growth in scientific research and development services, educational services, and healthcare and social assistance. The fast growth will result in only about 2,600 new jobs over the 10-year period.

Astronomers is a small occupation, and the fast growth will result in only about 200 new jobs over the 10-year period.

Federal spending is the primary source of physics- and astronomy-related research funds, especially for basic research. Growth in the federal government’s spending for research in physics and astronomy is expected to be more or less flat, and this will dampen the need for physicists and astronomers at institutions heavily dependent on such funding.

Job Prospects for Physicists and Astronomers

Competition for permanent research appointments, such as those at colleges and universities, is expected to be strong. Increasingly, those with a Ph.D. may need to work through multiple postdoctoral appointments before finding a permanent position. In addition, the number of research proposals submitted for funding has been growing faster than the amount of funds available, causing more competition for research grants.

Despite competition for traditional research jobs, prospects should be good for physicists in applied research, development, and related technical fields. Graduates with any academic degree in physics or astronomy, from a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate, will find their knowledge of science and math useful for entry into many other occupations. Database management skills also are beneficial, because of the large datasets these professionals work with.

A large part of physics and astronomy research depends on federal funds, so federal budgets have a substantial impact on job prospects from year to year.

Employment projections data for Physicists and Astronomers, 2016-26
Occupational Title	Employment, 2016	Projected Employment, 2026	Change, 2016-26
Percent	Numeric
Astronomers and physicists	19,900	22,700	14	2,800
Physicists	17,900	20,500	14	2,600
Astronomers	2,000	2,200	10	200