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Physics

Types of Degrees Physics Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Physics have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	1,493
Bachelor’s Degree	7,123
Master’s Degree	2,380
Doctor’s Degree	1,914

What Physics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Physics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — 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 built by a Physics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Physics careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Physics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by 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	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Clinical trial management software	Data base user interface and query software	✓
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physics graduates include:

• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Trial Manager
• Postdoctoral Fellow
• Clinical Research Director
• Postdoctoral Researcher
• Clinical Program Manager
• Oncology Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Research Administrator
• Clinical Research Nurse Coordinator
• Clinical Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trial Coordinator
• Clinical Manager
• Clinical Research Monitor

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	34.8%
Doctoral degree	22.0%
Master’s degree	14.3%
Post-doctoral training	12.8%
Postsecondary certificate	4.5%
Some college courses	3.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.7%
Post-master’s certificate	1.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.6%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.5% of Physics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,294	25.5%
Men	9,616	74.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	6,057	46.9%
Asian	1,277	9.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,703	13.2%
Black or African American	356	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	14	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	6	0.0%
Two or More Races	564	4.4%
Race Unknown	368	2.9%
International Students	2,565	19.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physics Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of 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	$50,456
4 years	$75,002
5 years	$86,291

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $86,291 — roughly 71% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Physics Programs

Fully online options is tracked by IPEDS for 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
Associate’s	8	14
Bachelor’s	3	8
Master’s	3	9

^{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 Physics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Physics graduates earn a median of $75,002 four years after completion — roughly 97% 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	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 and Astronomy	40.11

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.