Originally Posted by StupendousMan

Major in physics or astronomy as an undergraduate, then spend 5-6 years in graduate school working on a Ph.D. and racking in debts. Leave grad school around age 28, spend two years as a post-doctoral fellow (salary around $40,000), then maybe another two years as a post-doctoral fellow. Apply for many jobs -- the ratio of applicants to positions available as university professors in astronomy is around 20:1, at a guess. If you succeed, you'll start your "real" job in your early to mid thirties. The starting salaries of academics has a very large range -- maybe $30,000 to $60,000, depending on the school.

Some academic astronomers spend most of their time writing grant proposals and telling grad students how to do the research they don't have time to do themselves. Others spend most of their time teaching classes. Very few spend most of their time doing "astronomy."

(And yes, I'm one of these uncommon creatures)