AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 19-2011.00

Will AI replace Astronomers?

Astronomers: AI can already handle 10 of 17 tasks; the work mostly needs a frontier-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 17 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Astronomers, from most to least exposed. 10 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers. 88 Observed Standard 4.7
Calculate orbits and determine sizes, shapes, brightness, and motions of different celestial bodies. 80 Estimated Standard 3.3
Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.7
Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments. 75 Estimated Frontier 4.5
Supervise students' research on celestial and astronomical phenomena. 75 Estimated Frontier 4.2
Measure radio, infrared, gamma, and x-ray emissions from extraterrestrial sources. 75 Estimated Standard 4.0
Raise funds for scientific research. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Serve on professional panels and committees. 75 Estimated Frontier 3.3
Conduct question-and-answer presentations on astronomy topics with public audiences. 75 Estimated Standard 3.2
Review scientific proposals and research papers. 65 Estimated Standard 3.8
Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.1
Develop instrumentation and software for astronomical observation and analysis. 50 Estimated Frontier 4.0
Develop and modify astronomy-related programs for public presentation. 50 Estimated Standard 3.5
Direct the operations of a planetarium. 50 Estimated Frontier 2.5
Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues. 40 Observed Efficient 4.4
Teach astronomy or astrophysics. 35 Estimated Efficient 4.1
Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects. 8 Estimated No tier 4.4

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 2 of 17 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 15 of 17. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 93% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 93% of the work is something AI can address at some tier, and 7% is hands-on.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
2,120
Median annual wage
$128,820
Middle half of earners
$99,920 to $166,000
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+2.2%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Astronomers and AI

Will AI replace Astronomers?

AI already handles 10 of the 17 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 61 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +2.2% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Astronomers?

61 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 2 of the 17 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 15 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Astronomers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers; Calculate orbits and determine sizes, shapes, brightness, and motions of different celestial bodies; Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals. They are three of the 10 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A frontier-tier model or lower covers 93% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Astronomers, and what do they earn?

2,120 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $128,820 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +2.2% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Astronomers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/astronomers

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