Engineering Physics

Types of Degrees Engineering Physics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many engineering physics graduations there were in 2017-2018 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	689
Master’s Degree	128
Doctor’s Degree	99
Graduate Certificate	85
Associate’s Degree	27

What Engineering Physics Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to engineering physics and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Engineering Physics Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Skills for Engineering Physics Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to engineering physics:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Engineering Physics Majors

As you progress with your engineering physics degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

What Can You Do With a Engineering Physics Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with engineering physics:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Architectural and Engineering Managers	5.5%	$140,760
Engineering Professors	14.7%	$101,720
Nanosystems Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Photonics Engineers	6.4%	$96,980
Physicists	14.5%	$120,950
Validation Engineers	6.4%	$96,980

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering Physics?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 689 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics in 2018, making it rank #177 in popularity. This major tends to be male dominated. About 81% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of engineering physics majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	68
Black or African American	21
Hispanic or Latino	47
White	459
International Students	52
Other Races/Ethnicities	42

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Engineering Physics, too. About 7.5% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Saudi Arabia
• Nepal
• South Korea

How Much Do Engineering Physics Majors Make?

Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that engineering physics students who graduated in 2015-2017 with a bachelor’s degree made a median starting salary of $61,050 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $56,125 (25th percentile) and $64,600 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a engineering physics degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Engineering Physics majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $113,680 to $139,680 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Engineering Physics

Some degrees associated with engineering physics may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to engineering physics have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.2%
Some College Courses	0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	2.0%
Bachelor’s Degree	41.0%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.3%
Master’s Degree	24.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.8%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.6%
Doctoral Degree	16.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.1%

Online Engineering Physics Programs

In the 2017-2018 academic year, 122 schools offered some type of engineering physics program. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	2	0
Bachelor’s Degree	2	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	21	0
Post-Master’s	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	16	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Engineering Physics Worth It?

The median salary for a engineering physics grad is $125,280 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 214% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,707,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Engineering Physics

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to engineering physics.

Major	Number of Grads
Mechanical Engineering	46,014
Electrical Engineering	31,993
Civil Engineering	21,299
Computer Engineering	15,329
Chemical Engineering	14,729
Biomedical Engineering	11,483
General Engineering	11,245
Industrial Engineering	9,714
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering	6,315
Materials Engineering	3,555
Systems Engineering	3,439
Other Engineering	2,900
Petroleum Engineering	2,818
Environmental Engineering	2,746
Operations Research	1,555
Agricultural Engineering	1,546
Engineering Science	1,509
Nuclear Engineering	1,050
Manufacturing Engineering	920
Architectural Engineering	874
Construction Engineering	870
Robotics Engineering	755
Geoscience Engineering	510
Marine Engineering	506
Mining Engineering	434
Biological Engineering	400
Textile Engineering	359
Polymer & Plastics Engineering	348
Engineering Mechanics	329
Ocean Engineering	305
Metallurgical Engineering	218
Biochemical Engineering	124
Ceramic Engineering	111
Electromechanical Engineering	84
Surveying Engineering	73
Paper Science & Engineering	51
Forest Engineering	39
Engineering Chemistry	5

References

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By NASA under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.