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General Physical Sciences

Instructional content is defined in code 40.0101.

Types of Degrees General Physical Sciences Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Physical Sciences may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	2,241
Bachelor’s Degree	364
Master’s Degree	43
Doctor’s Degree	13

What General Physical Sciences Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Physical Sciences emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.

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

Skills

Skills built by a General Physical Sciences program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

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

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Physical Sciences graduates report doing:

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

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Physical Sciences professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Project	Project 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 Physical Sciences graduates include:

• Clinical Project Manager
• Clinical Trials Manager
• Research Coordinator
• Singing Teacher
• Voice Teacher
• Vocal Teacher
• Arts and Crafts Teacher
• Language Instructor
• Economics Teacher
• Secondary History Teacher
• High School History Teacher
• Band Teacher
• Organ Teacher
• Health Teacher
• HS Math Teacher (High School Mathematics Teacher)

What Can You Do With a General Physical Sciences Degree?

Graduates with a degree in General Physical Sciences commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.8%	$77,927	$66,306–$89,549

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	63.6%
Master’s degree	8.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	4.9%
Postsecondary certificate	4.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.6%
Some college courses	3.5%
Post-doctoral training	3.4%
Post-master’s certificate	3.4%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.7%
Doctoral degree	2.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Physical Sciences?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 48% women and 52% men among General Physical Sciences graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,278	48.0%
Men	1,383	52.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	982	36.9%
Asian	344	12.9%
Hispanic or Latino	593	22.3%
Black or African American	278	10.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	46	1.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	4	0.2%
Two or More Races	142	5.3%
Race Unknown	87	3.3%
International Students	185	7.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Physical Sciences Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of General Physical Sciences 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	$29,769
4 years	$39,802
5 years	$49,400

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,400 — roughly 66% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online General Physical Sciences Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for General Physical Sciences. 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	7
Bachelor’s	2	1
Master’s	1	0

^{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 Physical Sciences Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Physical Sciences graduates earn a median of $39,802 four years after completion — roughly 5% 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Physical Sciences	46,659
Chemistry	19,434
Physics	12,910
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences	7,622
Astronomy and Astrophysics	1,580
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	1,341
Materials Sciences	650
Physical Sciences, Other	422
Physics and Astronomy	39
PHYSICAL SCIENCES	—

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.