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Physicists vs Astronomers

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Physicists and Astronomers on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Physicists Astronomers
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$166,290
$132,170
Employment · BLS OEWS
21,340
1,560
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
76th pct
85th pct

At a glance

Dimension Physicists Astronomers
Median pay $166,290 $132,170
Employment 21,340 1,560
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection About average (+4.0%) About average (+2.2%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 1,700 100
Typical education · O*NET Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
AI exposure · published exposure studies High · 76th pct High · 85th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 73rd pct · 38% of tasks 73rd pct · 38% of tasks
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Automation-leaning (57.2%) Augmentation-leaning (59.3%)
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman Yes Yes

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Physics, Mathematics, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Written Comprehension, Number Facility, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Fluency of Ideas, Originality, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Active Listening, Writing, Active Learning, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering, Learning Strategies, Complex Problem Solving, Category Flexibility, Near Vision, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Judgment and Decision Making, English Language, Education and Training, Flexibility of Closure.

Specific to Physicists

  • Instructing
  • Visualization
  • Programming
  • Systems Analysis
  • Systems Evaluation
  • Speed of Closure

Specific to Astronomers

  • Far Vision
  • Selective Attention
  • Monitoring
  • Social Perceptiveness
  • Coordination
  • Perceptual Speed

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Development environment software , Object or component oriented development software , Graphics or photo imaging software , Data base user interface and query software , Operating system software , Spreadsheet software , Office suite software , Presentation software , Word processing software , Analytical or scientific software .

Specific to Physicists

Specific to Astronomers

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Physicists or Astronomers — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Physicists vs Astronomers." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-astronomers

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Physicists vs Astronomers. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-astronomers

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-physicists-vs-astronomers,
  title  = {Physicists vs Astronomers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-astronomers}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.