Astronaut
$66K–$161K (NASA)
Requirements
STEM degree + flight experience
Education Path
- STEM Degree
- Flight Training
- NASA Selection
Skills Needed
- Piloting & spacecraft ops
- Physical fitness
- Team leadership
- Crisis management
- STEM fundamentals
Space Careers
A guide for students exploring careers in space science, engineering, and exploration - with salary ranges, education paths, and where to apply.
From flying in orbit to analyzing telescope data, space careers span many disciplines. Each card below outlines requirements, a step-by-step education path, key skills, and real organizations that hire in these fields.
Astrophysicist
$70K–$180K
Requirements
PhD in physics or astronomy
Education Path
- BSc Physics
- MSc
- PhD
- Postdoc
Skills Needed
- Mathematical modeling
- Data analysis
- Scientific writing
- Observational techniques
- Programming (Python)
Aerospace Engineer
$75K–$160K
Requirements
BSc in Aerospace Engineering
Education Path
- BSc Aerospace
- Internships
- Industry (SpaceX, Boeing, NASA)
Skills Needed
- CAD & simulation
- Propulsion systems
- Structural analysis
- Systems engineering
- Project management
Planetary Geologist
$65K–$130K
Requirements
PhD in geology or planetary science
Education Path
- BSc Geology
- Graduate Studies
- Research / Mission Teams
Skills Needed
- Field geology
- Remote sensing
- Spectroscopy
- GIS mapping
- Sample analysis
Mission Control Specialist
$60K–$120K
Requirements
STEM degree + specialized training
Education Path
- Engineering Degree
- NASA Co-op / Internship
- Flight Controller Certification
Skills Needed
- Real-time systems monitoring
- Communication protocols
- Procedure execution
- Team coordination
- Problem-solving under pressure
Space Data Scientist
$90K–$180K
Requirements
MS in Computer Science or Data Science
Education Path
- BSc CS/Math
- MS Data Science
- Space Agencies or Private Sector
Skills Needed
- Machine learning
- Python / R
- Big data pipelines
- Satellite imagery analysis
- Statistical modeling