Physicists
Science, Technology, Engineering and MathematicsO*NET 19-2012.00United States
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
- Median annual earnings
- $172,162
- Projected change
- +6.1%
- Typical education
- Doctoral degree or more
- Employment
- 23.69K jobs
50th percentile, United States
2025 to 2035
88.1% of the workforce
Growing to 25.15K by 2035
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ASU learning related to this career
These courses and certificates are connected through catalog career relationships and Lightcast skill tags.
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The work
What physicists do
Tasks reported for this occupation, ordered by how often they come up in the role.
- 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.
- Teach physics to students.
- Write research proposals to receive funding.
- Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
Pay and outlook
What the job pays and where it is heading
Annual earnings range
Reported earnings by percentile, United States
- 10th percentile
- $82,126
- 25th percentile
- $111,635
- 50th percentile
- $172,162
- 75th percentile
- $223,542
- 90th percentile
- $275,175
The gold marker shows the median. Half earn more than $172,162 and half earn less.
Employment outlook
2025 to 2035 projection
+6.1%faster than average
202523,694 jobs
2035 projected25,147 jobs
1,453 more positions over the decade, before replacement hiring.
Preparation
Education levels
What people currently working in the career hold. These are not entry requirements.
- Doctoral degree or more
- 88.1%
- Master's or Professional degree
- 8.1%
- Bachelor's degree
- 3.8%
Skills
Skills employers ask for
Technical skills appearing most often in job postings for this occupation.
How the work gets done
Core competencies
Broad capabilities associated with strong performance in this occupation.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- 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.
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
In the market
Job titles and employers
Recent job postings in United StatesCommon job titles
- 01Medical Physicists1,028 postings
- 02Radiation Oncology Physicians768 postings
- 03Health Physicists410 postings
- 04Physicists322 postings
- 05Locum Tenens Radiation Oncology Physicians270 postings
- 06Research Scientists224 postings
- 07Radiation Oncologists167 postings
- 08Practice Specialist Physicians164 postings
- 09Logistics Experts119 postings
- 10Radiation Physicists106 postings
- 11Diagnostic Medical Physicists73 postings
- 12Quantum Physicists64 postings
- 13Therapeutic Mentors64 postings
- 14Radiation Oncology Registered Nurses59 postings
- 15Travel Physician Assistants52 postings
- 16Medical Oncologist Physicians49 postings
- 17Computational Physicists45 postings
- 18Quantum Computing Research Scientists40 postings
- 19Chief Medical Physicists33 postings
- 20Radiation Therapists32 postings
Top employers
- 01Turing272 postings
- 02Hayman Daugherty Associates104 postings
- 03AMN Healthcare90 postings
- 04Intermountain Health77 postings
- 05All Star HealthCare71 postings
- 06Siemens Healthineers67 postings
- 07Aya Healthcare62 postings
- 08Quantinuum57 postings
- 09District Of Columbia Courts56 postings
- 10Trinity Health56 postings
- 11United States Department of Veterans Affairs46 postings
- 12Meta44 postings
- 13US Oncology Network44 postings
- 14Herc43 postings
- 15Applied Materials41 postings
- 16Soliant Health38 postings
- 17University of Pittsburgh Medical Center37 postings
- 18Surgical Information Systems35 postings
- 19Los Alamos National Laboratory33 postings
- 20Pacific Companies33 postings
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