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General Physics

Types of Degrees General Physics Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Physics may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	1,493
Bachelor’s Degree	6,710
Master’s Degree	1,981
Doctor’s Degree	1,760

What General Physics Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in General Physics emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set developed in a General Physics program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General 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 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Physics graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Training and Teaching Others	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Physics professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Physics graduates include:

• Teacher
• Research Coordinator
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Clinical Project Manager
• Physics Teacher
• High School Spanish Teacher
• Singing Teacher
• Public Speaking Teacher
• High School Coach
• Language Teacher
• Accounting Teacher
• Health Teacher
• Exercise Teacher
• Latin Teacher
• Secondary History Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	46.9%
Doctoral degree	15.7%
Master’s degree	11.2%
Post-doctoral training	9.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	3.6%
Postsecondary certificate	3.2%
Post-master’s certificate	3.0%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.7%
Some college courses	2.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.0%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Physics?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 74.7% of General Physics degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,017	25.3%
Men	8,927	74.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,589	46.8%
Asian	1,204	10.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,593	13.3%
Black or African American	335	2.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.0%
Two or More Races	527	4.4%
Race Unknown	334	2.8%
International Students	2,345	19.6%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Physics Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Physics graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 General Physics Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for General 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	1	6

^{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 General Physics Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, General 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
Physics	40.08
Acoustics	40.0809
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, Other	40.0899
Plasma and High-Temperature Physics	40.0805
Theoretical and Mathematical Physics	40.0810
Physics and Astronomy	40.1101
Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other	40.0299

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.