The salary statistics of astronomers and physicists in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare astronomers and physicist salaries in different industries within the professional, scientific, and technical services sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $72,570 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $104,390 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $130,090 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $161,080 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $193,580 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for astronomers and physicists in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) astronomers and physicists is $193,580. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $130,090. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid astronomers and physicists is $72,570.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of astronomers and physicists in the industry sector of professional, scientific, and technical services from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $130,090 | 1.43% | 16.78% |
| 2017 | $128,230 | -0.83% | - |
| 2016 | $129,300 | 3.91% | - |
| 2015 | $124,240 | 6.05% | - |
| 2014 | $116,720 | 1.71% | - |
| 2013 | $114,720 | 5.63% | - |
| 2012 | $108,260 | - | - |
The average salaries of astronomers and physicists in one industries in the professional, scientific, and technical services sector are shown below. For detailed astronomers and physicist salary information in a particular industry, use the links provided below.
| Industry Name | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities | |
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].