Astrophysics Degree in Salt Lake City, UT — Salary & ROI 2026
Astrophysics degree analysis for Salt Lake City, UT. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$95K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$140K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.9 yrs
in Salt Lake City
Cost of Living
112
index (100 = avg)
Astrophysics in Salt Lake City, UT Overview
While Salt Lake City has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Astrophysics students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $17,800/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Astrophysics enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Cosmology and Spectroscopy. The adjusted starting salary in Salt Lake City is approximately $95,200.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$9,222/yr
Private Tuition
$38,396/yr
Room & Board
$17,800/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$10,636/yr
Unemployment
6%
Graduation Rate
52%
Astrophysics Salary in Salt Lake City (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Salt Lake City's cost of living index of 112 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Astrophysics salary: $85,000 starting, $125,000 mid-career, $175,000 senior level.Salt Lake City adjustment factor: 1.12x based on the local cost of living index.
Astrophysics ROI Calculator for Salt Lake City
Estimate your return on investment for a Astrophysics degree using local Salt Lake City tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,222 | Private avg: $38,396
Salt Lake City avg aid: $10,636/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$108,088
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$56,000
vs HS diploma in Salt Lake City
ROI Payback Period
1.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Salt Lake City
$1,571,912
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,680,000) minus total education cost ($108,088)
Student Loan Payoff for Astrophysics in Salt Lake City
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Salt Lake City for Astrophysics
University of Utah
public
$9,222/yr
$36,888 total
Westminster University
private
$38,396/yr
$153,584 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Salt Lake Community College
$4,116/yr
Top Employers for Astrophysics in Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Astrophysics graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Salt Lake City Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Astrophysics Job Titles
Astrophysics in Nearby Utah Cities
West Valley City, UT
$84K starting · COL 98.5
6 colleges
West Jordan, UT
$85K starting · COL 99.8
5 colleges
Provo, UT
$111K starting · COL 130
7 colleges
Orem, UT
$104K starting · COL 122
4 colleges
Sandy, UT
$88K starting · COL 103.8
4 colleges
St. George, UT
$106K starting · COL 125
2 colleges
Ogden, UT
$88K starting · COL 103
5 colleges
Layton, UT
$83K starting · COL 97.8
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Salt Lake City
Prompt Engineering
$56K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$106K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$95K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$99K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$90K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$56K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics Degree in Salt Lake City — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Astrophysics ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Salt Lake City.