1

Astronomy Software Engineer Jobs in Boston, MA (NOW HIRING)

Astronomy Software Engineer information

See Boston, MA salary details

$72.8K

$140.9K

$243.4K

How much do astronomy software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for astronomy software engineer in Boston, MA is $140,883.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $118,400.00 and $153,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an astronomy software engineer?

An Astronomy Software Engineer develops and maintains software used in astronomical research, telescope operations, and data analysis. They work with astronomers to design algorithms, process large datasets, and optimize telescope control systems. Common tasks include developing simulation tools, automating data pipelines, and improving imaging software. This role requires expertise in programming, scientific computing, and an understanding of astrophysical concepts.

What are the day-to-day responsibilities of an astronomy software engineer?

An Astronomy Software Engineer typically spends their day designing, developing, and debugging software to analyze astronomical data or control telescopes and instruments. They may collaborate with astrophysicists, data scientists, and other engineers to implement algorithms, integrate new features, or troubleshoot issues in existing systems. Reviewing scientific requirements, writing technical documentation, and supporting data pipelines or archives are also common tasks. This role requires balancing independent problem-solving with teamwork to ensure software meets rigorous scientific and operational standards.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be an astronomy software engineer?

To succeed as an Astronomy Software Engineer, a solid background in computer science, mathematics, and astronomy—typically with a relevant degree—is essential. Experience with programming languages like Python, C++, or Java, familiarity with astronomical data formats (such as FITS), and use of tools like MATLAB or IRAF are often required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills are valuable soft skills in this field. These abilities are crucial for accurately developing, maintaining, and optimizing software that supports advanced research and scientific discoveries in astronomy.

What are the most commonly searched types of Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA?

The most popular types of Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA are:

What are popular job titles related to Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA?

For Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA look for?

The top searched job categories for Astronomy Software Engineer jobs in Boston, MA are:

What cities near Boston, MA are hiring for Astronomy Software Engineer jobs?

Cities near Boston, MA with the most Astronomy Software Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Astronomy Software Engineer job openings in Boston, MA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $140,883 per year, or $67.7 per hour.

Customer Reliability Engineer - Infrastructure

Sierra Ventures

Boston, MA • On-site

$125 - $130/hr

Other

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

Astronomer empowers data teams to bring mission-critical software, analytics, and AI to life and is the company behind Astro, the industry-leading unified DataOps platform powered by Apache Airflow®. Astro accelerates building reliable data products that unlock insights, unleash AI value, and powers data-driven applications. Trusted by more than 800 of the world's leading enterprises, Astronomer lets businesses do more with their data. To learn more, visit www.astronomer.io.

About this role

The Astronomer Customer Reliability Engineering (CRE) team is responsible for the success of our customers' usage of our managed Airflow service.

The CREs are responsible for operating, monitoring, and maintaining the platform to ensure availability, predictability, and reliable operations.

As an infrastructure specialist within the team, you will focus on the reliability of the underlying cloud infrastructure and Kubernetes clusters. This entails responding to incidents either raised by a customer, or from our monitoring system and then taking further steps to ensure problems are permanently resolved or monitored. As owners of the observability platform, CRE has unlimited potential to improve the reliability of the product and deliver the best possible outcome for our customers.

This role is directly customer-facing and gives exposure to very diverse problems and requirements. CRE get the opportunity to interface with customers from a variety of industries across different cloud providers, and all with different expectations. Your contributions will directly impact customers' success with using the Astronomer products, and you will be able to help make meaningful improvements to the customer experience.

What you get to do:
  • Provide solutions to customers to make them successful using our products.

  • Troubleshoot customer environments and engage in active triaging with customers

  • Participate in on-call rotation for weekend coverage

  • Provide feedback to the product development teams on customer needs and pain points.

  • Build out our monitoring and alerting systems.

  • Build and maintain automation to ensure daily operational tasks are handled as efficiently as possible.

  • Help direct the architecture of the products and contribute where possible.

  • Own the customer experience, working directly with customers to prioritize and solve issues, meet SLAs, and provide 'white glove' guidance on the path to production.

  • Participate remotely within a fully distributed team.

  • Enhance and enrich customer documentation

  • Work with the latest technology and multi-cloud implementations

What you bring to the role:
  • 5 years of experience, preferably with large, complex cloud infrastructures operating at scale

  • 3 years of experience with Kubernetes

  • Experience managing a Production distributed system with at least one major cloud provider (one or all: AWS, GCP, Azure)

  • Strong Linux experience

  • Knowledge of how to operate and monitor issues for distributed systems

  • Previous experience in handling customers issues (internal or external)

  • Strong communication skills

  • DevOps or CI/CD experience

  • Python scripting

  • Good troubleshooting Skills

Bonus points if you have:
  • Experience as a Site Reliability Engineer

  • Worked with Kubernetes Custom Resources

  • Depth of knowledge with Azure

  • Airflow/Big Data Orchestration experience

  • IaC experience

The estimated total compensation for this role ranges from $125,000 - $130,000 based on leveling and geography, along with an equity component and a comprehensive benefits package. This range is merely an estimate; actual compensation may deviate from this range based on skills, experience, and qualifications.

At Astronomer, we value diversity. We are an equal opportunity employer: we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

#J-18808-Ljbffr