Physicists

SOC Code: 19-2012
Also known as:
Aerodynamicist, Aerophysicist, Astrophysicist, Atmospheric Physicist, Atomic Spectroscopist
Median Annual Salary
$166,290
+4.0% growth (2024-2034)
2K
Openings/Year
25K
Current Jobs

What Physicists Do

Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.

💰 Salary

$166,290
Median annual wage (2024)

📈 Job Growth

+4.0%
Faster than average

🎓 Education

Doctoral or professional degree
Typical entry-level requirement

🚀 Annual Openings

2K
Projected average per year

Employment Projections (2024-2034)

Current Employment (2024)

24,600

Projected Employment (2034)

25,600

Related Careers

Mathematicians

$121,680 • -0.7% growth
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Data scientists

$112,590 • +33.5% growth
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Biochemists and biophysicists

$103,650 • +5.8% growth
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Astronomers

$132,170 • +2.2% growth
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Physics teachers, postsecondary

$97,360 • +2.5% growth
View →

Top Skills Required

Science
Reading Comprehension
Mathematics
Speaking
Critical Thinking

Daily Tasks & Responsibilities

  • Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
  • Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
  • Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
  • Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
  • Write research proposals to receive funding.
  • Teach physics to students.
  • Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.

Technology & Tools

Adobe Photoshop Amazon Web Services AWS software Ansible software Autodesk AutoCAD C C++ Eclipse IDE Extensible markup language XML Git JavaScript

📚 Entry-Level Education

Doctoral or professional degree
Most common requirement

🎯 Recommended Education

Doctoral Degree
O*NET recommended level

Degree Programs for Physicists

These degree programs can prepare you for a career as a physicists:

Physics, General

11,944 degrees awarded • 796 colleges offer this program
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Engineering Physics/Applied Physics

1,049 degrees awarded • 108 colleges offer this program
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Astrophysics

485 degrees awarded • 49 colleges offer this program
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Physics, Other

482 degrees awarded • 54 colleges offer this program
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Health/Medical Physics

288 degrees awarded • 36 colleges offer this program
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Optics/Optical Sciences

249 degrees awarded • 16 colleges offer this program
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Acoustics

175 degrees awarded • 6 colleges offer this program
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Physics and Astronomy

39 degrees awarded • 4 colleges offer this program
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Theoretical and Mathematical Physics

37 degrees awarded • 7 colleges offer this program
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Best Colleges for Becoming a Physicists

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees in related programs. These are the top-rated colleges that prepare students to become physicists.

# College Location Related Degrees Repit Grade
1 University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA 178 A+
2 University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI 126 A+
3 University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 242 A
4 University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 213 A
5 New York University New York, NY 160 A
6 Harvard University Cambridge, MA 147 A
7 Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY 142 A
8 Cornell University Ithaca, NY 136 A
9 The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX 133 A
10 University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA 127 A
11 Yale University New Haven, CT 125 A
12 University of Chicago Chicago, IL 125 A
13 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD 124 A
14 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA 114 A
15 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA 109 A
16 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 104 A
17 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA 102 A
18 University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA 101 A
19 Princeton University Princeton, NJ 98 A
20 Brown University Providence, RI 98 A

Want this ranking as a spreadsheet? Investor Pro+ members can export any Repit table to CSV. See plans →

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do physicists make?
The median annual salary for physicists is $166,290.
What education do physicists need?
Most physicists positions require a doctoral or professional degree. Common degree programs include Physics, General, Engineering Physics/Applied Physics, Astrophysics.
Is becoming physicists a good career choice?
Physicists is projected to see +4.0% job growth from 2024 to 2034, which is about average for all occupations. With approximately 1,700 job openings expected annually, there are good opportunities for those entering the field.
What are the best colleges for physicists?
Top colleges for aspiring physicists include University of California-Los Angeles, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of California-Berkeley, University of California-Santa Barbara, New York University. These schools are ranked based on their Repit grade and the number of graduates in related programs.
What other job titles are similar to physicists?
Physicists may also be known as: Aerodynamicist, Aerophysicist, Astrophysicist, Atmospheric Physicist, Atomic Spectroscopist, Biophysics Scientist, Cloud Physicist, Computational Physicist, Condensed Matter Physicist, Diagnostic Medical Physicist, Electrodynamicist, Experimental Physicist, Fluid Dynamicist, Health Physicist, Mass Spectroscopist, Mathematical Physicist, Medical Physicist, Molecular Physicist, Molecular Spectroscopist, Nuclear Physicist. These titles often refer to similar roles with varying responsibilities or specializations.