Astronomers build judgment and decision making, complex problem solving and coordination skills that carry over to other work. Below are 25 careers ranked by how closely their skills match, with pay from BLS May 2025. The closest match is Mathematicians (92%).
Updated October 2026 · Data: O*NET 31.0 and BLS OEWS May 2025 · How we match careers
Sorted by skill match.
| # | Career | Skill match | Median pay | Pay change | Extra education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mathematicians | 92% | $126,710 | −2% | None |
| 2 | Biochemists and Biophysicists | 87% | $127,410 | −1% | None |
| 3 | Nanosystems Engineers | 82% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 4 | Computer and Information Research Scientists | 80% | $140,300 | +9% | None |
| 5 | Data Scientists | 78% | $120,230 | −7% | None |
| 6 | Bioinformatics Scientists | 78% | $98,920Pay for the broader BLS group “Biological Scientists, All Other” | Not compared | None |
| 7 | Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | 76% | $100,310 | −22% | None |
| 8 | Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | 75% | $109,270 | −15% | None |
| 9 | Statisticians | 73% | $105,650 | −18% | None |
| 10 | Microsystems Engineers | 73% | $122,930Pay for the broader BLS group “Engineers, All Other” | Not compared | None |
Compared with Astronomers, median $128,820. Skill match is our estimate (0–99) from O*NET 31.0 skills, knowledge, work activities and interests, adjusted for preparation and big pay drops. Pay: BLS OEWS May 2025, national median.
How important each skill is in work as astronomers (O*NET importance, scale 1–5).
The gaps that show up most often across your top 10 matches.
Free and low-cost training: use the CareerOneStop training finder below.
A concrete first step, the skills to add, and the hard parts of each job, from O*NET 31.0 education, training and work context data.
92% skill match · $126,710 · −2% pay
Complex Problem Solving · Programming
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
87% skill match · $127,410 · −1% pay
Quality Control Analysis · Operations Monitoring · Repairing
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
82% skill match · $122,930 (broader BLS group)
Quality Control Analysis · Technology Design · Repairing
No work-context factor stands out as unusually hard in O*NET data.
If you want to stay close to what you do now, these roles are the nearest.
The closest matches are Mathematicians (92% skill match, median $126,710), Biochemists and Biophysicists (87% skill match, median $127,410) and Nanosystems Engineers (82% skill match, median $122,930), based on O*NET 31.0 data and BLS May 2025 pay.
Among the 25 matches, 4 pay more than astronomers at the median. The biggest increases: Medical Dosimetrists (+14%, $147,470), Petroleum Engineers (+12%, $144,910) and Computer and Information Research Scientists (+9%, $140,300).
25 of the 25 matches usually need no more education than you have now, based on O*NET Job Zones.
We compare the importance of skills, knowledge, work activities and interests in O*NET 31.0 for your job and every other career, then adjust for extra preparation and big pay drops. The full method is on our Methodology page.