eCosmology

How far will I make it with a degree in Astronomy?

A Honourary Bachelor's Degree in Astronomy. What kind of jobs should I be looking for and what the typical salaries are for these jobs.

Public Comments

1. Hi. I'm also an astronomy major. I plan to go to graduate school for astrophysics. If you major in a scientific field you cant really get a job related to that field with only a bacelor's degree, unfortunately. I you stick with Astronomy, you'll either end up being an observer (rare) or a programmer and data cruncher. The latter is much more common (I've heard). You could also become an astronomy professor. During any of these jobs you would likely would working on scientific papers and various projects for extra money and to build a resume. I plan on possibly doing some work like what I've mentioned, but I also want to design spacecraft.
2. Hi, Paul gave a great answer. However, if Paul (or you) wants to design spacecraft, you should be majoring in astronautical engineering, not astronomy. Good luck in whatever you decide!
3. In relations to spacecraft design, it depends on what you do in your graduate research. I did my PhD in astrophysics working on Gamma Ray astronomy and worked on a solid state gamma ray detector for a balloon instrument. I now work in the aerospace industry. So it is applicable if your graduate studies involved detectors and spacecraft like the Hubble or Chandra telescope. If you don't get a profession in academics, or in observation or number crunching you can always find work in industry. You just need to be able to get through the interviews. Apply yourself.