Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

19-2011 Astronomers

Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
2,080 11.8 % $48.86 $101,630 2.8 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $24.25 $29.34 $45.91 $68.91 $78.82
Annual Wage (2) $50,440 $61,020 $95,500 $143,340 $163,950


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,100 0.04 $43.71 $90,930
Scientific Research and Development Services 500 0.08 $47.99 $99,810
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 460 0.02 $63.23 $131,510

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Scientific Research and Development Services 500 0.08 $47.99 $99,810
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,100 0.04 $43.71 $90,930
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 460 0.02 $63.23 $131,510

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation) 460 0.02 $63.23 $131,510
Scientific Research and Development Services 500 0.08 $47.99 $99,810
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools 1,100 0.04 $43.71 $90,930


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
California 750 0.05 3.29 $49.62 $103,220
Arizona 160 0.07 4.22 $40.77 $84,790
District of Columbia 160 0.24 14.94 $47.99 $99,810
Massachusetts 150 0.05 2.83 $54.01 $112,340
Hawaii 100 0.17 10.31 $48.44 $100,750




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
District of Columbia 160 0.24 14.94 $47.99 $99,810
Hawaii 100 0.17 10.31 $48.44 $100,750
Arizona 160 0.07 4.22 $40.77 $84,790
Massachusetts 150 0.05 2.83 $54.01 $112,340
California 750 0.05 3.29 $49.62 $103,220




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Massachusetts 150 0.05 2.83 $54.01 $112,340
California 750 0.05 3.29 $49.62 $103,220
Hawaii 100 0.17 10.31 $48.44 $100,750
District of Columbia 160 0.24 14.94 $47.99 $99,810
Arizona 160 0.07 4.22 $40.77 $84,790





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 360 0.16 9.65 $57.07 $118,710
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 340 0.09 5.44 $50.27 $104,570
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 140 0.08 5.22 $54.17 $112,660
Tucson, AZ 130 0.37 22.50 $39.96 $83,110




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Tucson, AZ 130 0.37 22.50 $39.96 $83,110
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 360 0.16 9.65 $57.07 $118,710
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 340 0.09 5.44 $50.27 $104,570
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 140 0.08 5.22 $54.17 $112,660




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 360 0.16 9.65 $57.07 $118,710
Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA NECTA Division 140 0.08 5.22 $54.17 $112,660
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 340 0.09 5.44 $50.27 $104,570
Tucson, AZ 130 0.37 22.50 $39.96 $83,110


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012