Career: Physicists and Astronomers
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
The Milky Way galaxy is a collection of billions of stars, including our planet, our moon, and our sun at its outer edge. Physicists and astronomers use the theories of physics to study the galaxy and everything in it, from the mysterious black holes that may result when giant stars collapse to the movement of electrons.
Of course, no one physicist or astronomer studies everything in the galaxy. If you choose this field, you’ll specialize in an area such as nuclear physics or astrobiology. As an astronomer or physicist, you’ll come up with your own theories and create experiments to see if they’re correct.
Physicists study the laws and structures of all that exists in the universe, including gravity and other natural forces. Astronomers use physics to study space and the bodies within it, like planets and stars.
“Physics tries desperately to define the world in all its complexity.”
Martin, Physicist/Defense Analyst
Are You Ready To...?
- Answer complicated questions
- Use advanced math and computers
- Work with high-tech equipment, such as lasers and telescopes
- Keep careful records of your research
- Publish research papers
- Give talks at conferences
It Helps to Be...
Someone with questions about why the world is the way it is. People who like logic and math and who want to understand the nature of nature will enjoy physics and astronomy.
Make High School Count
- Take advanced math and science classes, including calculus and calculus-based physics.
- Get familiar with computers. While astronomers do look through telescopes, they spend most of their time analyzing data on computers.
- Compete in a science fair or even the International Physics Olympiad.
- Visit the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's website to see their list of Amateur Astronomy Clubs and Organizations around the world.
Did You Know?
- Some physicists work with particle accelerators, often miles long, which speed up atoms until they smash together to reveal the particles they’re made of.
Outlook
Government economists expect slower-than-average job growth in physics and average growth in astronomy, compared with other careers, through 2014. With less money for research, government agencies and universities won't be able to hire as many scientists as they'd like. Physicists will probably find that the private industries that tend to hire them are cutting back on basic research.
There are opportunities for scientists outside of the lab or in other fields. For example, high schools need people with physics degrees to teach.
Compensation
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in 2006 the average earnings of astronomers were $95,000. It also reports salaries by employer:
- Federal executive branch: $117,350
- Private-sector research and development: $96,230
- Colleges and universities: $79,090
In 2006, physicists earned an average of $95,580. Their salaries according to industry were:
- Federal executive branch: $102,920
- Private-sector research and development: $97,990
- Colleges and universities: $66,630
