Astronomers
Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.
2,120 people do this job in the US. $128,820 a year.
of the working time. Estimate.
- 65%
- 15%
- 20%
Measured, from Anthropic's usage data (2025). Counts help on part of a task.
On the chosen pace and reliability. Estimate.
Share of the working time within reach, now to 2030
What each choice means: , , , , . Every pace starts from .
At this date and pace, models finish tasks up to 4.4 h long four times in five.
How far this has come
With GPT-4, measured in March 2023, 0% of this job's working time was within reach at . With Claude 3.7 Sonnet, measured in February 2025, 0%. With Claude Mythos Preview (early), measured in April 2026, 2%. Today's estimate: 3%.
A backcast: today's task data with the best model METR had measured by each date. It shows how fast the models have moved, not what anyone forecast at the time.
The tasks
Sorted by . 17 tasks from .
| Task | Kind | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 23% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 3.3 work weeks | 0%Half by Apr 2029 | |
| Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.Done more than weekly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 22% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 2.5 work days | 8%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Develop instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 19% | 4.2 work days6.7 h to 4.2 work weeks | Stays with people | |
| Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments.Done more than monthly by most who do it. AI observed on this task. | 14% | 1 work day2.5 h to 2.5 work days | 6%Half by Sep 2027 | |
| Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h50 min to 1.7 work days | Stays with people | |
| Supervise students' research on celestial and astronomical phenomena.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 2.5 h1.3 h to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Teach astronomy or astrophysics.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 4% | 3.3 h1.7 h to 1 work day | Stays with people | |
| Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 2% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Direct the operations of a planetarium.Done yearly or less by most who do it. | 2% | 2.5 work days6.7 h to 4.2 work days | Stays with people | |
| Develop and modify astronomy-related programs for public presentation.Done more than monthly by most who do it. | 1% | 1 work day2.5 h to 4.2 work days | 5%Half by Dec 2027 | |
| Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.Done more than weekly by most who do it. | 1% | 1.3 h25 min to 3.3 h | Stays with people | |
| Measure radio, infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions from extraterrestrial sources.Done more than yearly by most who do it. | 1% | 6.7 h1.7 h to 4.2 work days | 6%Half by Jan 2028 |
Within reach, per task: the share of the task's time whose instances are short enough for a model to finish at the chosen date, pace and reliability. Half by: the date half of that time comes within reach.
Jobs that share skills with this one
From O*NET's related occupations. Within reach now and by the end of 2028, long-run pace, four in five.
- Physicists3% now, 52% by 2028
- Mathematicians4% now, 43% by 2028
- Physics Teachers, Postsecondary20% now, 61% by 2028
- Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers3% now, 55% by 2028
- Biochemists and Biophysicists1% now, 46% by 2028
- Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary18% now, 62% by 2028
Where this job works
The industry groups that employ the most of it (BLS, May 2025).
Where the most of these jobs are
The metro areas with the most people in it (BLS, May 2025).