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Other Physical Science

Instructional content is defined in code 40.9999.

Types of Degrees Other Physical Science Majors Are Earning

Those studying Other Physical Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	23
Bachelor’s Degree	202
Master’s Degree	144
Doctor’s Degree	53

What Other Physical Science Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Other Physical Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Administrative — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

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

Skills

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

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

Abilities

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

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Other Physical Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Working with Computers	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.1 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Other Physical Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
R	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Python	Object or component oriented development software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Other Physical Science graduates include:

• Military Science Teacher
• Interior Design Teacher
• Packaging Professor
• College Instructor
• Interdisciplinary Professor
• Adjunct Instructor
• Lecturer
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• Humanities Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Project Management Professor
• Metal Crafts Teacher
• Assistant Professor
• University Teacher

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	54.7%
Master’s degree	13.5%
Postsecondary certificate	6.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.3%
Some college courses	5.0%
Post-doctoral training	4.8%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.8%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	3.5%
Doctoral degree	3.2%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Other Physical Science?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 50.2% women and 49.8% men among Other Physical Science graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	212	50.2%
Men	210	49.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	247	58.5%
Asian	28	6.6%
Hispanic or Latino	30	7.1%
Black or African American	24	5.7%
Two or More Races	18	4.3%
Race Unknown	31	7.3%
International Students	44	10.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Other Physical Science Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Other Physical Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$58,639
4 years	$42,690
5 years	$55,658

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $55,658 — roughly -5% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Other Physical Science Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Other Physical Science. 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	2	0
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	2	0
Doctoral (Research)	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 Other Physical Science Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Other Physical Science graduates earn a median of $42,690 four years after completion — roughly 12% 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
Physical Sciences, General	2,661
Astronomy and Astrophysics	1,580
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology	1,341
Materials Sciences	650
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.