Physicists and astronomers

Average salary: $109,020 (physicists); $121,720 (astronomers)

Demand: Mixed. Market is good in energy, defense, and applied research and development, but competition is tight for some positions and funding has been cut for many areas of research.

Qualifications: Doctorate and postdoctoral training required for university teaching and research; master's can qualify for applied research and product development; bachelor's degrees can be sufficient for work in engineering or computers