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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 emphasize 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

The skill set developed in 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 PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet 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	—
Sakai CLE	Computer based training software	—
Blackboard Learn	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for physics and astronomy graduates include:

• University Faculty Member
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Lecturer
• College Faculty Member
• Associate Professor
• College Professor
• Instructor
• Adjunct Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Geology Teacher
• 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
Physics and Astronomy	40.11
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other	40.0299
Astrophysics	40.0202
Acoustics	40.0809
Astronomy	40.0201
Atomic/Molecular Physics	40.0802
Condensed Matter and Materials Physics	40.0808
Elementary Particle Physics	40.0804
Nuclear Physics	40.0806
Optics/Optical Sciences	40.0807
Physics, General	40.0801

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.