Annual Salary
£15,609 to £60,000
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Swap to Maths or STEM or go back to all job sectors
Astronomers study the origin and structure of the universe, including its planets, stars, galaxies and black holes.
Average UK salary in 2022 was £33,200
(source Office for National Statistics)
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; away from home
There will be
2.4% more Astronomer jobs in 2027.
Your day to day duties will depend on your area of expertise.
In observational astronomy, you could:
In theoretical astronomy, you could:
You could work in an observatory, in a laboratory, at a university or visit sites.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through a university course.
You'll need a degree and postgraduate qualification to work as an astronomer. You'll usually need to have achieved a first or a 2:
Relevant subjects include:
You can also do an extended 4-year degree to get a postgraduate qualification like a master of physics. These courses include more independent research and can lead directly onto a PhD.
Many employers will expect you to have completed, or be working towards, a PhD in your specialist area of interest.
You'll usually need:
Join an amateur astronomy group to share your interest, develop connections and get observation experience.
Look out for summer schools like Space School UK.
You can find more advice on careers in astronomy from the Royal Astronomical Society and SpaceCareers.uk.
You'll usually start as a post-doctoral researcher before moving on to permanent posts that can lead to becoming a professor.
You can transfer your science skills across lots of careers and sectors, for example:aerospace research and development; satellite research and development; systems analysis; software engineering; teaching and lecturing; science communication; finance
You'll need: