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physics and astronomy

Types of Degrees physics and astronomy Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing physics and astronomy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	14
Master’s Degree	16
Doctor’s Degree	9

What physics and astronomy Majors Need to Know

Programs in physics and astronomy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that physics and astronomy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in physics and astronomy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Physics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills emphasized by a physics and astronomy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, physics and astronomy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by physics and astronomy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
National Instruments LabVIEW	Development environment software	—
Synergy Software KaleidaGraph	Analytical or scientific software	—
Wolfram Research Mathematica	Analytical or scientific software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
iParadigms Turnitin	Information retrieval or search software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for physics and astronomy graduates include:

• Instructor
• College Faculty Member
• Adjunct Professor
• College Professor
• Professor
• Assistant Professor
• University Faculty Member
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• Associate Professor
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Volcanology Professor
• Research Professor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	27.4%
Master’s degree	23.8%
Bachelor’s degree	21.1%
Post-doctoral training	15.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.0%
Some college courses	2.4%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.2%
High school diploma or equivalent	1.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	1.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.5%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in physics and astronomy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.4% of physics and astronomy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	10	25.6%
Men	29	74.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physics and astronomy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	18	46.2%
Hispanic or Latino	4	10.3%
Black or African American	1	2.6%
Two or More Races	1	2.6%
Race Unknown	2	5.1%
International Students	13	33.3%

^{See minority definition below.}

Related Programs

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

Program	CIP Code
Physical Sciences	40
Astronomy and Astrophysics	40.02
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	40.04
Chemistry	40.05
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	40.06
Materials Sciences	40.10
Physical Sciences, General	40.01
Physical Sciences, Other	40.99
PHYSICAL SCIENCES	40.00
Physics	40.08

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.