The average annual salaries for astronomers in the state of California are shown in Table 1. The comparison of the salary statistics of astronomers among California cities is shown in Table 2. The salary statistics are based on the national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 and published in April 2023 [1].
| Percentile bracket | Average annual salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $81,830 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $110,620 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $137,780 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $171,250 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $208,450 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for astronomers in California in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) is $208,450. The median (50th percentile) annual salary is $137,780. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent is $81,830.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of astronomers from 2012 to 2022.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 10-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $137,780 | -9.25% | 32.34% |
| 2021 | $150,530 | -13.47% | - |
| 2020 | $170,800 | 5.24% | - |
| 2019 | $161,850 | 27.28% | - |
| 2018 | $117,700 | 23.49% | - |
| 2017 | $90,050 | -27.68% | - |
| 2016 | $114,980 | -16.39% | - |
| 2015 | $133,820 | -11.78% | - |
| 2014 | $149,580 | -5.74% | - |
| 2013 | $158,170 | 41.06% | - |
| 2012 | $93,220 | - | - |
Table 3 shows the median annual salary of astronomers in some California cities and metropolitan areas. We note that the median annual salary of astronomers in state of California ranges from $105,820 to $170,720. The highest paying area for astronomers in California is San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara with a median annual salary of $170,720. The second highest paying city/area in California State is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (mean annual salary $170,690). The lowest paying area is Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale with a median annual salary of $105,820.
| Cities/Areas | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana | |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale |