Other Physical Science
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Types of Degrees Other Physical Science Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many physical sciences (other) graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 297 |
Master’s Degree | 99 |
Associate’s Degree | 67 |
Doctor’s Degree | 39 |
Graduate Certificate | 1 |
What Other Physical Science Majors Need to Know
In an O*NET survey, physical sciences (other) majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.
Knowledge Areas for Other Physical Science Majors
Physical Sciences (Other) majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Skills for Other Physical Science Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to physical sciences (other):

- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- 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.
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
Abilities for Other Physical Science Majors
Physical Sciences (Other) majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
What Can You Do With a Other Physical Science Major?
Below is a list of occupations associated with physical sciences (other):
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Natural Sciences Managers | 9.9% | $123,860 |
Professors | 9.4% | $65,660 |
Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists | 6.8% | $107,230 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Other Physical Science?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical sciences (other) majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 10 |
Black or African American | 18 |
Hispanic or Latino | 22 |
White | 208 |
International Students | 11 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 28 |
Geographic Diversity
Students from other countries are interested in Other Physical Science, too. About 3.7% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:
- China
- India
- Saudi Arabia
- United Kingdom
- Turkey
How Much Do Other Physical Science Majors Make?
Bachelor’s Degree Starting Salary
According to 2017-2018 data from the U.S. Department of Education, students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in physical sciences (other) have a median salary of $18,100 during the early years of their career. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $18,100 (25th percentile) and $18,100 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in physical sciences (other), it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.
Salaries According to BLS
Physical Sciences (Other) majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $76,990 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 Other Physical Science
Some careers associated with physical sciences (other) require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.
Find out what the typical degree level is for physical sciences (other) careers below.

Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) | 1.9% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 31.9% |
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. | 7.5% |
Master’s Degree | 27.1% |
Doctoral Degree | 25.9% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 7.0% |
Online Other Physical Science Programs
In 2018-2019, 57 schools offered a physical sciences (other) program of some type. 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 | 4 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 1 | 0 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 16 | 2 |
Post-Master’s | 1 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 12 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Is a Degree in Other Physical Science Worth It?
The median salary for a physical sciences (other) grad is $110,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.
This is 176% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,403,800 after 20 years!

Top Ranking Lists for Other Physical Science
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Majors Related to Other Physical Science
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physical sciences (other).
Major | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Chemistry | 22,156 |
Physics | 13,927 |
Geological & Earth Sciences | 9,522 |
General Physical Sciences | 4,527 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,168 |
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,072 |
Materials Sciences | 681 |
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- 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.
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