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Medical Physics

Types of Degrees Medical Physics Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Medical Physics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	2
Bachelor’s Degree	30
Master’s Degree	220
Doctor’s Degree	36

What Medical Physics Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Medical Physics develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Medical Physics graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Medical Physics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Medical Physics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 5 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Medical Physics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Medical Physics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.5 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.3 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Medical Physics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—
Collaborative editing software	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Medical Physics graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• Instructor
• Teacher
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• College Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Lecturer
• Professor
• First Aid Teacher
• Urology Teacher
• Faculty Member
• Optometry Professor
• Podiatry Professor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Medical Physics graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	32.7%
Master’s degree	31.2%
Post-doctoral training	20.8%
Bachelor’s degree	9.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.3%
Postsecondary certificate	2.1%
Post-master’s certificate	0.6%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Medical Physics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 61.1% of Medical Physics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	112	38.9%
Men	176	61.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Medical Physics graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	153	53.1%
Asian	32	11.1%
Hispanic or Latino	24	8.3%
Black or African American	9	3.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	9	3.1%
Race Unknown	10	3.5%
International Students	50	17.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Medical Physics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Medical Physics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$50,939
4 years	$60,432
5 years	$70,561

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $70,561 — roughly 39% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Medical Physics Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Medical Physics. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	1	3

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Medical Physics Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Medical Physics graduates earn a median of $60,432 four years after completion — roughly 59% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Public Health	51.22
Behavioral Aspects of Health	51.2212
Community Health and Preventive Medicine	51.2208
Environmental Health	51.2202
Health Services Administration	51.2211
International Public Health/International Health	51.2210
Maternal and Child Health	51.2209
Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene	51.2206
Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality	51.2213
Public Health Education and Promotion	51.2207
Public Health Genetics	51.2214
Public Health, General	51.2201

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.