What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Astronomers in the U.S. earn more than $128,820 a year — the middle 80% land between $78,010 and $195,190. About 2,120 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Astronomers”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$128,820typical pay / year
2,120people in this work
$195,190+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Learning4
Teach astronomy or astrophysics.
+Write the lecture for Friday's undergraduate class explaining dark matter halo growth and torque theory,…
Teach astronomy or astrophysics.
+Write the lecture for Friday's undergraduate class explaining dark matter halo growth and torque theory, prepare two problem sets with grading rubrics, and upload the slides and solutions to the course site by Thursday evening.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft WordESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Study the formation of galaxies
+Run the semi‑analytic model varying feedback parameters, compare the resulting halo mass functions to the…
Study the formation of galaxies
+Run the semi‑analytic model varying feedback parameters, compare the resulting halo mass functions to the observational sample, save the plots and a short interpretation paragraph, and circulate to the theory group for critique by next Monday.
The tools that do the workC++Pythonjob descriptionsWikipedia
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Present research at conferences
+Draft a conference poster that presents the new simulation results, pick four panels (methods, result,…
Present research at conferences
+Draft a conference poster that presents the new simulation results, pick four panels (methods, result, comparison, conclusions), write the 250‑word abstract, and send the poster PDF to Prof. Chen for signoff by Friday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
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Work with space engineers and data analysts
+Coordinate with the propulsion team and the data-analysis group to merge our simulated spacecraft pointing…
Work with space engineers and data analysts
+Coordinate with the propulsion team and the data-analysis group to merge our simulated spacecraft pointing logs with the observatory photon-count tables, validate the time stamps against the mission clock, and produce a cleaned dataset for joint modeling by Friday.
The tools that do the workPythonLinuxESCOjob descriptions
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The daily work16
Conduct photometry to measure light flux from objects
+Measure aperture photometry for the eight targets in last night’s imaging run, apply bias and flat…
Conduct photometry to measure light flux from objects
+Measure aperture photometry for the eight targets in last night’s imaging run, apply bias and flat corrections, subtract local background, compute flux and magnitude with uncertainties, flag saturated or blended sources, and save a calibrated photometry table ready for plotting.
The tools that do the workPythonWikipedia
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Research the formation, structures, properties, and development of interstellar matter
+Compile and synthesise recent literature and simulation outputs on interstellar cloud chemistry and…
Research the formation, structures, properties, and development of interstellar matter
+Compile and synthesise recent literature and simulation outputs on interstellar cloud chemistry and turbulence, model density and temperature profiles that match observed column densities, and draft a two‑page methods summary with key equations and testable predictions.
The tools that do the workPythonESCO
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Carry out scientific research in observatory
+Plan and document the next three nights of observatory work: list targets with coordinates and priority,…
Carry out scientific research in observatory
+Plan and document the next three nights of observatory work: list targets with coordinates and priority, specify exposure times and filter sequence to reach required signal‑to‑noise, note calibration frames needed, and produce an observing checklist for the telescope operator.
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Gather experimental data
+Collect and log experimental measurements from the instrument run: ingest raw detector files, record…
Gather experimental data
+Collect and log experimental measurements from the instrument run: ingest raw detector files, record environmental and instrument settings, perform quick quality checks for noise and tracking errors, and produce a timestamped dataset with provenance notes.
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Perform theoretical research
+Develop and test the analytic derivation for dark matter halo stability, work through the perturbation…
Perform theoretical research
+Develop and test the analytic derivation for dark matter halo stability, work through the perturbation expansion to second order, generate figures of predicted density profiles, and draft the results section for internal review by Thursday.
The tools that do the workPythonjob descriptions
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Conduct observational research
+Plan the observing run for La Silla, list target fields with coordinates and exposure times, produce an…
Conduct observational research
+Plan the observing run for La Silla, list target fields with coordinates and exposure times, produce an observing checklist that includes calibrations and weather constraints, and email it to the instrument scientist by Monday morning.
The tools that do the workLinuxjob descriptions
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Create computer models of space phenomena
+Assemble the numerical model of magnetohydrodynamic jets, implement the boundary conditions, run parameter…
Create computer models of space phenomena
+Assemble the numerical model of magnetohydrodynamic jets, implement the boundary conditions, run parameter sweeps for Lorentz factor and magnetic pitch, save the output cubes and produce time-series plots comparing shock structures.
The tools that do the workC++Pythonjob descriptions
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Develop software to interpret satellite data
+Design and implement the pipeline to ingest Level 1 satellite telemetry, write parsing and calibration…
Develop software to interpret satellite data
+Design and implement the pipeline to ingest Level 1 satellite telemetry, write parsing and calibration routines, validate them against the instrument handbook, and produce a nightly calibrated data product for the team.
The tools that do the workOracle JavaLinuxjob descriptions
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Publish research articles
+Prepare the manuscript from our simulation and observational comparison, assemble figures and tables, write…
Publish research articles
+Prepare the manuscript from our simulation and observational comparison, assemble figures and tables, write the abstract and methods, incorporate coauthor edits, and submit the draft to Monthly Notices by next Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptions
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Collect electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves, or particles from celestial objects
+Schedule the next detector run, configure the array to collect radio, optical and gravitational-wave…
Collect electromagnetic radiation, gravitational waves, or particles from celestial objects
+Schedule the next detector run, configure the array to collect radio, optical and gravitational-wave triggers, verify timing and calibration against the lab standard, and log expected data volumes for the archive team.
The tools that do the workSASWikipedia
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Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.
+Assess the latest survey and telescope-derived datasets to test our null hypothesis, run the statistical and…
Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.
+Assess the latest survey and telescope-derived datasets to test our null hypothesis, run the statistical and model-fitting routines until residuals are explained, quantify the detection significance and prepare a short technical note with plots and p-values for the group meeting on Wednesday.
The tools that do the workPythonLinuxO*NET
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Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.
+Schedule biweekly one-hour mentoring meetings with Maya and Jonah, review their latest drafts and code,…
Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.
+Schedule biweekly one-hour mentoring meetings with Maya and Jonah, review their latest drafts and code, identify the key conceptual gaps in their models, set concrete next-step experiments for two weeks, and draft feedback emails summarising expectations before Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft OfficeO*NET
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Raise funds for scientific research.
+Draft a clear, two-page research summary of our proposed dark-matter simulation, include preliminary results,…
Raise funds for scientific research.
+Draft a clear, two-page research summary of our proposed dark-matter simulation, include preliminary results, explicit budget lines for personnel and compute time, list potential collaborators, and assemble a submission-ready grant packet to send to the foundation by the 15th.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET
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Serve on professional panels and committees.
+Prepare and circulate my comments on the committee agenda, evaluate three competing review proposals against…
Serve on professional panels and committees.
+Prepare and circulate my comments on the committee agenda, evaluate three competing review proposals against the panel criteria, recommend two external reviewers, and draft the consensus statement for the meeting next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Conduct question-and-answer presentations on astronomy topics with public audiences.
+Create a one-hour, illustrated Q&A session on exoplanet detection for the public lecture, assemble four…
Conduct question-and-answer presentations on astronomy topics with public audiences.
+Create a one-hour, illustrated Q&A session on exoplanet detection for the public lecture, assemble four demonstration slides, anticipate five common questions with succinct answers, and email the outreach coordinator the final outline by Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointO*NET
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Direct the operations of a planetarium.
+Review the planetarium's seasonal program, update the show scripts to reflect our latest imagery and…
Direct the operations of a planetarium.
+Review the planetarium's seasonal program, update the show scripts to reflect our latest imagery and observations, set the volunteer roster and training notes for the new laser projector, and send the operations schedule to the museum director by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft WordO*NET
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Says who?
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Activities this job lives in
The human activities behind the tasks — each with its honest AI ceiling.
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Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
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Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.
The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses