What do they do?
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
Also known as:
Astrophysicist, Biophysics Scientist, Health Physicist, Medical Physicist, Research Physicist, Scientist
No Data Available
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2.4%
Change
Ranks #36 in job growth rate50Job Openings
Ranks #14 in net job growth
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- Doctorate or Professional Degree (52%)
- Master's degree (25%)
- Bachelor's degree (23%)
- Associate's degree (<1%)
- Some college, no degree (<1%)
- High school diploma equivalent (<1%)
- Less than high school diploma (<1%)
Most Popular Majors that prepare Physicists
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#1
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Degrees Granted
2,076
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Female Students
591
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Male Students
1,485
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Median Starting Salary
$55,100
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#2
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Degrees Granted
230
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Female Students
58
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Male Students
172
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Median Starting Salary
$64,763
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#3
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Degrees Granted
211
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Female Students
75
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Male Students
136
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Median Starting Salary
$38,300
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#4
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Degrees Granted
180
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Female Students
49
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Male Students
131
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Median Starting Salary
$55,100
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#5
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Degrees Granted
138
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Female Students
29
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Male Students
109
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Median Starting Salary
$55,100
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People in this career often have these skills:
- Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- 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.
- Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
People in this career often know a lot about:
- 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.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
People in this career often have talent in:
- Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
- Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
- Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
- Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
- Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
- Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
- Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Visualization - The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
- Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
- Speed of Closure - The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
- Selective Attention - The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
People in this career often do these activities:
- Analyze geological or geographical data.
- Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
- Apply mathematical principles or statistical approaches to solve problems in scientific or applied fields.
- Collaborate on research activities with scientists or technical specialists.
- Operate laboratory or field equipment.
- Prepare proposals or grant applications to obtain project funding.
- Develop theories or models of physical phenomena.
- Instruct college students in physical or life sciences.
- Evaluate new technologies or methods.
- Evaluate scholarly materials.
- Conduct research of processes in natural or industrial ecosystems.
- Design materials for industrial or commercial applications.
- Assemble precision electronics or optical equipment.
- Develop specifications for new products or processes.
- Develop technical specifications for systems or equipment.
- Design tools, fixtures, or other devices for production equipment.
- Advise others on logistics topics.
- Advise others on management of emergencies or hazardous situations or materials.
- Advise others on health and safety issues.
- Research environmental impact of industrial or development activities.
- Evaluate environmental impact of operational or development activities.
- Evaluate characteristics of products.
- Develop safety standards, policies, or procedures.
- Establish standards for products, processes, or procedures.
This page includes data from:
Career data:
O*NET 31.0 Database
by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (“USDOL/ETA”). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA
Occupation statistics: USDOL U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Occupational Employment Statistics
Videos:
CareerOneStop
, USDOL/ETA and the Minnesota Department of Employment & Economic Development
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