The highest-paying states for astronomers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment of astronomers in those states are also shown in the table. As shown in the table, with an annual salary of $181,950, Hawaii is the highest paying state for astronomers. It is followed by Massachusetts (average annual salary $176,280). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in April 2023 [1]. For more salary information of astronomers in a specific state, use the links in the table.
| Rank | State | Average Salary i | Entry Level Salary i |
# of Empl. i |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | $181,950 |
$70,520 | 110 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $176,280 |
$114,310 | 50 |
| 3 | Maryland | $139,140 |
$73,100 | 690 |
| 4 | California | $137,780 |
$81,830 | 260 |
| 5 | District of Columbia | $126,060 |
$86,980 | 60 |
| 6 | Texas | $109,030 |
$41,600 | 70 |
| 7 | Arizona | $103,850 |
$75,380 | 110 |
| 8 | Colorado | $103,680 |
$33,280 | 360 |
| 9 | Ohio | $87,290 |
$51,390 | 40 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $86,990 |
$63,300 | 50 |
Note: some states are missing from this table because the median salary information of astronomers in those states is not available at this time.
See also: Highest-paying industries for astronomers, Top paying jobs in America.