Physics

Types of Degrees Physics Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many physics graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	1,949
Doctor’s Degree	1,752
Graduate Certificate	26

What Physics Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to physics 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 Physics Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.

Skills for Physics Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to physics:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities for Physics Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a physics student include the following:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• 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).

What Can You Do With a Physics Major?

People with a physics degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Physicists	14.5%	$120,950
Physics Postsecondary Professors	10.2%	$90,800
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	7.5%	$60,320

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Physics?

This major attracts more men than women. About 77% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of physics majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	96
Black or African American	35
Hispanic or Latino	148
White	853
International Students	722
Other Races/Ethnicities	95

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Physics, too. About 37.0% of those with this major are international students. The most popular countries for students from outside the country are:

• China
• India
• Nepal
• Iran
• Saudi Arabia

How Much Do Physics Majors Make?

Master’s Degree Starting Salary

Data from the U.S. Department of Education shows that physics students who graduated in 2017-2019 with a master’s degree made a median starting salary of $83,811 per year. During this timeframe, most salaries fell between $74,181 (25th percentile) and $99,060 (75th percentile).

It’s important to note that just because the people reporting these salaries have a degree in physics, it does not mean that they are working in a job related to their degree.

Salaries According to BLS

Physics majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $64,340 to $125,280 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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 Physics

Some careers associated with physics require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for physics careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.3%
Some College Courses	0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.5%
Bachelor’s Degree	27.3%
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.	6.3%
Master’s Degree	22.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.4%
Doctoral Degree	28.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	12.8%

Online Physics Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 958 schools offered some type of physics program. 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)	3	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	178	5
Bachelor’s Degree	11	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	287	3
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	221	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Physics Worth It?

The median salary for a physics grad is $103,830 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 160% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $1,278,600 after 20 years!

Majors Related to Physics

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to physics.

Major	Number of Grads
Chemistry	5,005
Geological & Earth Sciences	2,491
Materials Sciences	448
Astronomy & Astrophysics	371
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	342
Other Physical Science	191
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 A. T. Service under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.