Astrophysicists

Employers

Because astrophysicists require such expensive equipment to do their job, their employers are generally limited to large colleges or government agencies. Some government agencies that employ astrophysicists include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the U.S. Naval Observatory, and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, known as Fermilab, a physics laboratory. Fermilab is the home of one of the world's most powerful particle accelerators, which scientists from various institutions use to conduct research to better understand energy and the atom.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there are approximately 23,600 physicists and astronomers working in the United States. Most work for scientific research and development services firms or colleges, universities, and professional schools. Twenty percent of astronomers and 14 percent of physicists work at colleges, universities, and professional schools.

Approximately 16 percent of physicists and 21 percent of astronomers work for the federal government, mostly with the Department of Defense and NASA. These scientists work all over the country, but most are employed in areas where large universities or research laboratories are located.

Starting Out

Many astrophysicists get their first paying job as graduate students who assist professors in astronomy, physics, or astrophysics. These assistant jobs are known in the field as postdoctoral positions. Students may help the professors grade undergraduate and graduate papers or assist them in recording and compiling astronomical data in the observatory. Beginning jobs in government may include internships or temporary positions with specific research projects. The job market for astrophysicists is very competitive; students and recent graduates often must volunteer their time at university or government observatories and work other jobs until they can find full-time, paid work.