The salary statistics of astronomers in the industry sector of educational services are shown in Table 1. In Table 2 we compare astronomers salaries in different industries within the educational services sector.
| Percentile Bracket | Average Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| 10th Percentile Wage | $52,640 |
| 25th Percentile Wage | $61,630 |
| 50th Percentile Wage | $81,770 |
| 75th Percentile Wage | $119,180 |
| 90th Percentile Wage | $156,500 |
Table 1 shows the average annual salary for astronomers in the industry sector of educational services. The salaries are shown in 5 percentile scales. The average annual salary for the 90th percentile (the top 10 percent of the highest paid) astronomers is $156,500. The median annual salary (50th percentile) is $81,770. The average annual salary for the bottom 10 percent paid astronomers is $52,640.
The table and chart below show the trend of the median salary of astronomers in the industry sector of educational services from 2012 to 2018.
| Year | Median Salary | Yearly Growth | 6-Year Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $81,770 | 9.66% | 4.77% |
| 2017 | $73,870 | -1.22% | - |
| 2016 | $74,770 | 2.77% | - |
| 2015 | $72,700 | 2.09% | - |
| 2014 | $71,180 | -21.85% | - |
| 2013 | $86,730 | 10.22% | - |
| 2012 | $77,870 | - | - |
Data source: The national compensation survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2018 and published in April 2019 [1].