Planetary Astronomy and Science

Types of Degrees Planetary Astronomy and Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many planetary astronomy & science graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Doctor’s Degree	41
Bachelor’s Degree	25
Master’s Degree	22
Basic Certificate	2

What Planetary Astronomy and Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to planetary astronomy and science and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Planetary Astronomy and Science Majors

Planetary Astronomy and Science majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Planetary Astronomy and Science Majors

When studying planetary astronomy and science, you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Abilities for Planetary Astronomy and Science Majors

A major in planetary astronomy and science will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Planetary Astronomy and Science Major?

People with a planetary astronomy and science degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Astronomers	10.0%	$105,680
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Planetary Astronomy and Science?

This major is dominated by women with about 56% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of planetary astronomy and science majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	3
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	3
White	18
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	1

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Planetary Astronomy and Science

Some careers associated with planetary astronomy and science require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for planetary astronomy and science careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	11.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.1%
Master’s Degree	25.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.3%
Doctoral Degree	28.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	29.1%

Online Planetary Astronomy and Science Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	7	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	8	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Planetary Astronomy and Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to planetary astronomy and science.

Major	Number of Grads
Astronomy	908
Astrophysics	444
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	131

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.