---

Physical Science

Types of Degrees Physical Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Physical Science may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2,241
Bachelor’s Degree	364
Master’s Degree	43
Doctor’s Degree	13

What Physical Science Majors Need to Know

Studies in Physical Science develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Physical Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Physical Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills developed in a Physical Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Physical Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Physical Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
StataCorp Stata	Analytical or scientific software	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physical Science graduates include:

• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Research Coordinator
• ESL Instructor (English as a Second Language Instructor)
• Public Speaking Teacher
• English Instructor
• Secondary Teacher
• High School Coach
• Bilingual Teacher
• High School Teacher
• Science Teacher
• Art Teacher
• High School Spanish Teacher
• Physical Fitness Teacher
• Language Instructor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	63.6%
Master’s degree	8.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	3.5%
Post-doctoral training	3.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.7%
Doctoral degree	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physical Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 48% women and 52% men among Physical Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,278	48.0%
Men	1,383	52.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Physical Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	982	36.9%
Asian	344	12.9%
Hispanic or Latino	593	22.3%
Black or African American	278	10.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	46	1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	142	5.3%
Race Unknown	87	3.3%
International Students	185	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physical Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Physical Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$29,769
4 years	$39,802
5 years	$49,400

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,400 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Physical Science Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Physical Science. 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
Associate’s	8	7
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Physical Science Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Physical Science graduates earn a median of $39,802 four years after completion — roughly 5% 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
Physical Sciences, General	40.01
Chemistry, General	40.0501
Physics, General	40.0801
Acoustics	40.0809

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.