Education

• While no specific education is strictly required and states don't license astronomical chemists, many have doctorate degrees in astrology and chemistry. A thorough understanding of physics, math and geology is useful when pursuing a career as an astrochemist. Some graduate schools offer astrochemistry concentrations that would give you a boost when applying for a job.
  
  

Geography

• While astrochemists can technically live everywhere, most seem to work in large cities, since that is where salary data comes from. Many universities offer teaching and research positions in astrochemistry while you're studying and, if you have the proper credentials, will put you in a full-time teaching position after your education is complete.
  
  

Salary

• A random survey of astrochemists in 10 large cities discovered that their average salary was $71,780. The salary ranged from a low of $42,872 in Dallas, Texas, to a high of $88,211 in Houston, Texas. Most salaries -- whether in Orlando or Phoenix -- were between $60,000 and $80,000.
  
  

Benefits

• Although no benefits are standardized for astronomical chemists, most companies offer health insurance and retirement packages. If employed at a university, chemists use their identification to get discounts on local food, films, activities and travel. Many corporations offer discounts for employees, too. Some businesses compensate employees for education, especially if they negotiate that perk as part of their sign-on package.