Astronomers pay in the U.S.
$132,920avg. a year
$63.91 an hour · 2,120 employed
Astronomers in the U.S. earn an average of $132,920 a year and a median of $128,820. Pay is highest in Maryland ($144,760) and lowest in Hawaii ($102,140).
$128,820Median pay
$63.91Average hourly
+5%Avg. pay since 2020
2,120Jobs in the U.S.
Top-paying states for astronomers
Average pay by state. Swipe to see the top 5.
1980 jobs
Maryland
$144,760
$69.60 an hour
2
Virginia
$132,650
$63.77 an hour
3110 jobs
California
$128,340
$61.70 an hour
4100 jobs
Arizona
$127,790
$61.44 an hour
5100 jobs
Hawaii
$102,140
$49.11 an hour
Why people trust JobPayFacts
Official government dataEvery number comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey of employers, not self-reported salaries.
Every state and city830 jobs across all 50 states, D.C. and 199 large metro areas.
Updated every yearNew figures each spring when BLS releases them. This site uses May 2025 data.
Astronomers pay, charted
Pay over time
United States, annual wage, May of each year
AverageMedian
Where the jobs are
Employment by state, May 2025
Average pay by state
May 2025 · tap a state
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Under $128k$128k–$128k$128k–$133k$133k+
Top-paying metro areas
Average pay, May 2025 (areas with 100+ jobs)
| Metro area | Avg. pay | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $153,770 | $73.93 |
Related jobs
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health$91,680
- Chemists$100,450
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers$116,150
- Physical Scientists, All Other$129,230
- Physicists$171,180
- Atmospheric and Space Scientists$106,110
Average U.S. pay, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS
Astronomers pay in every state
States without a figure had too few jobs or too little survey data for BLS to publish.
| State | Avg. pay | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $127,790 | $129,020 | 100 |
| California | $128,340 | $123,540 | 110 |
| Hawaii | $102,140 | $102,000 | 100 |
| Maryland | $144,760 | $132,620 | 980 |
| Virginia | $132,650 | $128,930 | – |
Metro areas with the most jobs
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$153,770
520 jobsQuestions and answers
How much do astronomers make?
The average is $132,920 a year across the U.S. Half earn more than $128,820 and half earn less (the median).
What is the hourly pay?
The average hourly wage is $63.91, and the median is $61.94 an hour.
Which state pays astronomers the most?
Maryland, with an average of $144,760 a year. The best-paying metro area is Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV at $153,770.
What is the pay range?
The lowest-paid 10% earn under $78,010 a year, and the top 10% earn over $195,190.
Sources and notes. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 (trend: May 2020–May 2025), occupation code 19-2011. Wages are gross pay before taxes and don't include overtime premiums, tips, bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers aren't included. Year-to-year changes can partly reflect survey method changes, so treat the trend as a guide. How we use the data. JobPayFacts isn't affiliated with BLS.