Astrophysicists
Overview
Introduction
Astrophysics is a specialty that combines two fields of science: astronomy and physics. Astrophysicists use the principles of physics to study the solar system, stars, galaxies, and the universe. How did the universe begin? How is the universe changing? These are the types of questions astrophysicists try to answer through research and experimentation. Physicists may also be concerned with such issues, but they use physics to study broader areas such as gravity, electromagnetism, and nuclear interactions. There are approximately 23,...
Quick Facts
Median Salary
Employment Prospects
Minimum Education Level
Experience
Skills
Personality Traits
Earnings
Salaries for astrophysicists tend to parallel those listed for astronomers and physicists because of their job similarities. The median annual salary of astronomers was $127,930 in May 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $56,500, and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $183,500. Fifty percent of astronomers earned between $80,950...
Work Environment
Astrophysicists generally work regular hours in laboratories, observatories, or classrooms. However, some research may require them to work extended or irregular hours. A research deadline or a celestial event such as a meteor shower or asteroid may require extra hours or overnight observation. Some travel may be required, such as to an observatory with a needed piece of equipment or to a confe...
Outlook
The outlook for astrophysics, because it is so closely related to astronomy and physics, mirrors the outlook for those fields. Employment in these fields will grow faster than the average for all occupations through 2032, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The need for scientists, especially those employed by the government, is affected by factors outside the field, such as budgetary cu...