JobAfterNext

Physicists

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

Wages

Median annual wage, U.S.$172,250
Employment, U.S.20,430
Median hourly wage$82.81
Annual wage percentiles, U.S., May 2025
10th25thMedian75th90th
$82,110$111,720$172,250$222,760$274,110
By state (44)
StateEmploymentMedian annualLocation quotient
Alabama280$139,3301.00
Arizona120$130,5000.29
Arkansas60$135,8200.36
California5,930$207,4902.48
Colorado1,050$104,5802.77
Connecticut60$180,3000.28
Delaware50$82,5900.72
District of Columbia480$157,0405.24
Florida340$225,3900.26
Georgia160$144,8700.25
Hawaii40$117,1900.46
Idaho$135,150
Illinois1,590$137,1401.99
Indiana230$105,9400.54
Iowa110$178,1100.55
Kentucky50$180,9100.18
Louisiana40$166,2400.15
Maine60Not available0.70
Maryland1,200$174,3903.30
Massachusetts1,150$106,4102.41
Michigan510$94,5200.89
Minnesota110$171,2200.29
Mississippi80$129,9700.55
Missouri90$140,4600.22
Montana30$103,8000.51
Nevada50$154,0300.27
New Hampshire30$214,0300.38
New Jersey470$163,2700.83
New Mexico580$165,3405.07
New York1,140$181,9700.90
North Carolina150$174,1800.23
Ohio630$162,9000.87
Oklahoma40$200,0500.19
Oregon90$200,3200.33
Pennsylvania230$210,9900.28
Rhode Island$155,150
South Carolina420$138,4001.38
South Dakota30$83,0500.58
Tennessee240$165,0100.55
Texas580$184,0400.31
Utah30$156,7600.14
Virginia940$145,0401.74
Washington450$134,7900.96
Wisconsin180$173,1200.47

Similar occupations

Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.

#OccupationJob ZoneSimilarity
1Astronomers50.980
2Hydrologists40.962
3Materials Engineers40.958
4Mathematicians50.958
5Physics Teachers, Postsecondary50.958
6Nanosystems Engineers50.957
7Photonics Engineers40.955
8Biochemists and Biophysicists50.952
9Materials Scientists40.949
10Industrial Ecologists50.947

One skill away

Among the 50 occupations most similar to Physicists, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.

OccupationSkill to buildLevel gapSimilarity
Nanosystems EngineersQuality Control Analysis0.870.957
Photonics EngineersQuality Control Analysis1.120.955
Microsystems EngineersOperations Monitoring0.760.940
Molecular and Cellular BiologistsTime Management0.760.921
Water Resource SpecialistsTime Management0.760.916

Software to learn next

Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Physicists, excluding software Physicists already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.

SoftwareSimilar jobs using itLift
Structure query language SQL6 of 2013.2x
R10 of 204.5x
Dassault Systemes CATIA8 of 206.2x
SAS10 of 203.9x
Dassault Systemes Abaqus4 of 2026.4x
Finite element analysis FEA software4 of 2026.4x
C#7 of 205.9x
Dassault Systemes SolidWorks7 of 205.6x
PTC Creo Parametric6 of 206.4x
ANSYS simulation software4 of 2015.4x

Skills

From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.

SkillTypeImportanceLevel
ScienceEssential skill 4.88 5.88
Critical ThinkingEssential skill 4.62 5.00
MathematicsEssential skill 4.50 5.88
Reading ComprehensionEssential skill 4.50 5.88
Active LearningEssential skill 4.50 5.75
SpeakingEssential skill 4.50 4.88
Complex Problem SolvingTransferable skill 4.38 5.00
WritingEssential skill 4.38 5.00
Active ListeningEssential skill 4.12 4.75
Learning StrategiesEssential skill 4.00 5.12
InstructingTransferable skill 3.88 4.75
Judgment and Decision MakingTransferable skill 3.75 4.75
ProgrammingTransferable skill 3.75 4.38
MonitoringEssential skill 3.75 4.12
Systems EvaluationTransferable skill 3.62 4.00
Systems AnalysisTransferable skill 3.50 4.12
Social PerceptivenessTransferable skill 3.25 3.38
CoordinationTransferable skill 3.12 3.50
Operations AnalysisTransferable skill 3.12 3.50
Management of Personnel ResourcesTransferable skill 3.00 3.00
PersuasionTransferable skill 2.88 3.38
Time ManagementTransferable skill 2.88 3.12
Service OrientationTransferable skill 2.88 2.88
Technology DesignTransferable skill 2.75 3.25
Quality Control AnalysisTransferable skill 2.62 2.88
NegotiationTransferable skill 2.62 2.75
Operations MonitoringTransferable skill 2.62 2.62
Management of Financial ResourcesTransferable skill 2.12 2.25
Management of Material ResourcesTransferable skill 2.12 2.12
Equipment SelectionTransferable skill 2.12 1.62
TroubleshootingTransferable skill 2.00 1.62
Operation and ControlTransferable skill 1.88 1.38
Equipment MaintenanceTransferable skill 1.50 0.75
RepairingTransferable skill 1.50 0.75
InstallationTransferable skill 1.00not rated
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
Knowledge
NameImportanceLevel
Physics 4.93 6.73
Mathematics 4.87 6.63
Computers and Electronics 4.07 5.93
Engineering and Technology 4.03 5.67
English Language 3.86 4.90
Education and Training 3.28 4.41
Chemistry 3.00 4.60
Design 2.93 4.41
Mechanical 2.76 4.10
Communications and Media 2.60 3.23
Administration and Management 2.47 3.57
Telecommunications 2.23 2.57
Personnel and Human Resources 2.00 2.73
Administrative 2.00 2.41
Public Safety and Security 1.87 1.93
Law and Government 1.87 1.83
Production and Processing 1.73 1.90
Foreign Language 1.72 1.83
Economics and Accounting 1.70 1.57
Building and Construction 1.63 1.60
Sales and Marketing 1.62 1.52
Geography 1.60 2.00
Customer and Personal Service 1.60 1.60
Biology 1.57 1.70
Psychology 1.47 1.20
History and Archeology 1.40 1.17
Sociology and Anthropology 1.40 1.13
Transportation 1.37 0.80
Philosophy and Theology 1.33 1.20
Therapy and Counseling 1.31 0.90
Medicine and Dentistry 1.24not rated
Fine Arts 1.17not rated
Food Production 1.03not rated
Abilities
NameImportanceLevel
Mathematical Reasoning 4.75 6.00
Written Comprehension 4.50 5.88
Written Expression 4.38 5.62
Number Facility 4.38 5.38
Oral Comprehension 4.25 5.88
Oral Expression 4.25 5.88
Inductive Reasoning 4.25 5.50
Fluency of Ideas 4.25 5.12
Deductive Reasoning 4.12 5.50
Originality 4.12 5.50
Information Ordering 4.12 4.88
Speech Clarity 4.00 5.12
Category Flexibility 4.00 5.00
Problem Sensitivity 4.00 5.00
Near Vision 3.88 4.00
Speech Recognition 3.88 4.00
Visualization 3.75 4.25
Flexibility of Closure 3.62 4.00
Speed of Closure 3.38 4.00
Selective Attention 3.38 3.62
Perceptual Speed 3.25 3.38
Far Vision 3.00 3.62
Memorization 3.00 3.00
Time Sharing 3.00 2.75
Visual Color Discrimination 2.75 2.88
Auditory Attention 2.12 2.00
Depth Perception 2.12 2.00
Finger Dexterity 2.00 1.75
Hearing Sensitivity 1.88 1.75
Trunk Strength 1.75 1.00
Control Precision 1.50 0.88
Arm-Hand Steadiness 1.38 0.75
Wrist-Finger Speed 1.38 0.50
Manual Dexterity 1.38 0.38
Extent Flexibility 1.25not rated
Rate Control 1.25not rated
Reaction Time 1.25not rated
Spatial Orientation 1.12not rated
Speed of Limb Movement 1.12not rated
Stamina 1.12not rated
Dynamic Flexibility 1.00not rated
Dynamic Strength 1.00not rated
Explosive Strength 1.00not rated
Glare Sensitivity 1.00not rated
Gross Body Coordination 1.00not rated
Gross Body Equilibrium 1.00not rated
Multilimb Coordination 1.00not rated
Night Vision 1.00not rated
Peripheral Vision 1.00not rated
Response Orientation 1.00not rated
Sound Localization 1.00not rated
Static Strength 1.00not rated

Software used

Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.

All 74
  • Aptech Systems GAUSS
  • CERN Physics Analysis Workstation PAW
  • CERN ROOT
  • COMSOL Multiphysics
  • Canu
  • Criss Software XRF11
  • Database application software
  • Dose modeling software
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP system
  • Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System EPICS
  • Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
  • GNU Image Manipulation Program GIMP
  • GNU Octave
  • Gnuplot
  • Lenox Softworks VideoPoint
  • Maplesoft Maple
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • Microsoft Visual J++
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • OpenStack
  • OriginLab Origin
  • Pascal
  • Ploticus
  • REDUCE
  • RSI interactive data language IDL software
  • Radiation dose calculation software
  • RibbonSoft QCad
  • SQLite
  • SciGraphica
  • SciLab
  • Scribus
  • Software development tools
  • Spectral Dynamics STAR
  • Spectroscopy software
  • Statistical software
  • Sun Microsystems Java
  • Synergy Software KaleidaGraph
  • Systat Software SigmaPlot
  • VMware
  • Vector Fields OPERA-3d
  • Video analysis software
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica
  • Xfig
  • xv

Where it concentrates

Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.

Metro areaEmploymentLocation quotientMedian annual
Boulder, CO86033.89$104,580
Lansing-East Lansing, MI2308.11$71,580
Albuquerque, NM3306.17$165,340
Huntsville, AL1805.18$149,990
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV1,5203.69$171,580
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH1,0602.98$106,000
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA4402.98$173,450
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH1302.75$151,050
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN1,5102.54$137,140
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC2402.37$110,930

More metros, other thresholds