Other Physical Science

Types of Degrees Other Physical Science Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many physical sciences (other) graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	148
Doctor’s Degree	34
Graduate Certificate	9

What Other Physical Science Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to physical sciences (other) and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Other Physical Science Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in physical sciences (other) should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Other Physical Science Majors

When studying physical sciences (other), you’ll learn many skills that will help you be successful in a wide range of jobs - even those that do not require a degree in the field. The following is a list of some of the most common skills needed for careers associated with this major:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Abilities for Other Physical Science Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a physical sciences (other) student include the following:

• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Other Physical Science Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with physical sciences (other):

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Professors	9.4%	$65,660
Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists	6.8%	$107,230

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Other Physical Science?

The major attracts more women than men. About 70% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physical sciences (other) majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	4
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	7
White	105
International Students	12
Other Races/Ethnicities	13

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Other Physical Science, too. About 8.1% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Saudi Arabia
• United Kingdom
• Bangladesh

How Much Do Other Physical Science Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

The U.S. Department of Education found that students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree in physical sciences (other) made a median starting salary of $52,798 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $52,798 (25th percentile) and $52,798 (75th percentile).

Note that some of these people may have jobs that are not directly related to a physical sciences (other) degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Physical Sciences (Other) majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $76,990 to $139,680 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Other Physical Science

Some careers associated with physical sciences (other) require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for physical sciences (other) careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	1.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	31.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	7.5%
Master’s Degree	27.1%
Doctoral Degree	25.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	7.0%

Online Other Physical Science Programs

In 2020-2021, 59 schools offered a physical sciences (other) program of some type. The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	5	2
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	15	2
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	12	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Other Physical Science Worth It?

The median salary for a physical sciences (other) grad is $110,090 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 176% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,403,800 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Other Physical Science

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physical sciences (other).

Major	Number of Grads
Chemistry	5,005
Physics	3,727
Geological & Earth Sciences	2,491
Materials Sciences	448
Astronomy & Astrophysics	371
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	342
General Physical Sciences	107
Physics and Astronomy	23

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By NASA under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.