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Physical Science Technicians

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 41.0301 - 41.0399.

Types of Degrees Physical Science Technicians Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Physical Science Technicians may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	744
Associate’s Degree	1,133
Bachelor’s Degree	1
Master’s Degree	1,044

What Physical Science Technicians Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Physical Science Technicians emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Chemistry — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Production and Processing — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

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

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Physical Science Technicians program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Monitoring — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.5 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Physical Science Technicians careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.0 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.9 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	3.9 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.8 / 7
Working with Computers	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	✓
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Operational databases	Data base user interface and query software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Physical Science Technicians graduates include:

• Ammonia Still Operator
• Chemical Plant Operator
• Chemical Process Operator
• Process Operator
• Chemical Operator
• Glycerine Plant Operator
• Acid Extractor
• Control Board Operator
• Salt Refiner
• Reactor Operator
• Clay Plant Treater
• Ripening Room Operator
• Chlorinator
• Catalyst Unit Operator
• Nitroglycerin Separator Operator

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	42.4%
Bachelor’s degree	27.2%
Some college courses	12.6%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	8.9%
Postsecondary certificate	7.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%
Master’s degree	0.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Physical Science Technicians?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 67% of Physical Science Technicians degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	963	33.0%
Men	1,959	67.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	1,228	42.0%
Asian	90	3.1%
Hispanic or Latino	1,084	37.1%
Black or African American	336	11.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	10	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	7	0.2%
Two or More Races	62	2.1%
Race Unknown	61	2.1%
International Students	44	1.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Physical Science Technicians Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Physical Science Technicians 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	$54,327
4 years	$82,599
5 years	$92,712

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $92,712 — roughly 71% above the 1-year mark.

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

Online Physical Science Technicians Programs

Fully online options are documented by IPEDS for Physical Science Technicians. 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
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 Physical Science Technicians Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Physical Science Technicians graduates earn a median of $82,599 four years after completion — roughly 117% 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
Science Technologies Technicians	7,092
Science Technologies/Technicians, Other	2,518
Biology/Biotechnology Technologies/Technicians	1,212
Nuclear and Industrial Radiologic Technologies/Technicians	338
SCIENCE TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS	—

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.