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What Can You Do With a Physics Degree? Jobs (2026)
Key takeaway: A physics degree leads to two different job markets. The research market carries the highest pay and the steepest entry requirement: physicists earned a median annual wage of $172,250 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS), and those positions generally require a doctorate, with about 1,700 openings a year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). The bachelor's market is engineering, software, data, instrumentation, and teaching, where the degree is read as evidence of quantitative ability rather than as a named requirement. Software developers, at a median annual wage of $135,980 with 115,200 annual openings, is the largest single destination.
Physics is calculus-based training in matter, energy, and fields, plus laboratory measurement and computation. Very few job postings say “physics degree required.” Many say “strong quantitative background,” “modeling and simulation,” or “signal processing,” which is the same request written in employer language. Reading the market accurately means separating the occupations that require a doctorate from the ones a bachelor’s actually opens.
Jobs you can get with a physics degree
| Occupation | Median annual wage | Typical entry credential |
|---|---|---|
| Physicists | $172,250 | Doctorate |
| Software developers | $135,980 | Bachelor’s |
| Biochemists and biophysicists | $127,410 | Doctorate for independent research |
| Mathematicians | $126,710 | Master’s or doctorate |
| Engineers, all other | $122,930 | Bachelor’s |
| Physics teachers, postsecondary | $100,310 | Doctorate for most four-year positions |
| Atmospheric and space scientists | $99,070 | Bachelor’s |
| Secondary school teachers | $72,040 | Bachelor’s plus a state license |
View the data behind this chart
| Occupation | Avg. annual openings |
|---|---|
| Software Developers | 115,200/yr |
| Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | 66,200/yr |
| Engineers, All Other | 9,300/yr |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | 2,900/yr |
| Physicists | 1,700/yr |
| Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,300/yr |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists | 700/yr |
| Mathematicians | 100/yr |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS national medians. Median means half of workers in the occupation earned more and half earned less. Entry credentials describe common practice, not a legal requirement, except where licensure applies.
Physicists. Research on matter and energy in national laboratories, universities, federal agencies, and corporate research groups: condensed matter, optics, particle physics, accelerator work, and applied research in semiconductors and defense. The national median annual wage was $172,250. The 10th percentile was $82,110 and the 90th was $274,110 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 24,600 in 2024, with 4.0 percent projected growth and about 1,700 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). This is a doctorate occupation in practice, frequently with a postdoctoral appointment between the degree and a permanent position. The pay is real and so is the queue.
Software developers. The largest destination for physics graduates who can program, covering scientific computing, simulation, modeling, embedded systems, and ordinary application work. The national median annual wage was $135,980. The 10th percentile was $82,460 and the 90th was $214,670 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment is projected to grow 15.8 percent from 2024 to 2034, with 115,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Employers hire on demonstrated code, not on the major, so a physics graduate needs projects and a language they know well. Compare the computer science program guide if this is the destination.
Engineers, all other. This BLS category collects engineering roles that do not fit the named specialties, and it is where a good share of applied physics work sits: instrumentation, optics and photonics, materials, accelerator and vacuum systems, and test engineering. The national median annual wage was $122,930. The 10th percentile was $66,810 and the 90th was $189,950. There are 9,300 openings per year with 2.1 percent projected growth (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Some employers prefer an ABET-accredited engineering degree, which is worth knowing before you choose between physics and engineering.
Biochemists and biophysicists. Research on the physical principles of living systems: molecular structure, imaging, biomechanics, and instrumentation for biology. The national median annual wage was $127,410. The 10th percentile was $74,290 and the 90th was $201,110. Projected growth is 5.8 percent with 2,900 annual openings (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Independent research positions require a doctorate; technician and research associate roles are open at the bachelor’s level. A chemistry or biology minor helps here.
Mathematicians. Small, credential-heavy, and largely federal or research-based. The national median annual wage was $126,710. The 10th percentile was $69,240 and the 90th was $195,190. Employment is projected to change -0.7 percent from 2024 to 2034, with only about 100 openings per year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Most quantitative work that people picture under this heading is classified as data science, statistics, or software. See the mathematics program guide.
Physics teachers, postsecondary. College and university teaching. The national median annual wage was $100,310. The 10th percentile was $60,200 and the 90th was $177,850. Projected growth is 2.5 percent with 1,300 annual openings (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Four-year institutions generally require a doctorate. Community colleges hire at the master’s level, and those positions draw many applicants.
Atmospheric and space scientists. Weather forecasting, climate research, and space weather, in federal agencies, the military, private forecasting firms, and utilities. The national median annual wage was $99,070. The 10th percentile was $53,060 and the 90th was $161,890. Projected growth is 0.7 percent with 700 annual openings (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS; BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Entry is at the bachelor’s level with specific meteorology coursework, which a physics degree does not automatically include.
Secondary school teachers. Teaching physics in a high school. The national median annual wage was $72,040. The 10th percentile was $48,780 and the 90th was $107,600 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Projected employment change is -1.6 percent from 2024 to 2034, but the occupation still turns over 66,200 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034), and physics is one of the subjects districts most often struggle to staff. Public school teaching requires a state license: an approved preparation program, supervised student teaching, and state exams. The education program guide covers the routes, including post-baccalaureate certification.
What the degree level changes
Physics is one of the fields where the credential ladder genuinely changes the job, so it pays to be precise.
The online bachelor’s in physics is quantitative training plus laboratory and computational skill. It opens engineering-adjacent roles, software and data work, technician positions, and high school teaching with a license. It does not open research physics.
The online master’s in physics mostly serves applied practice, teaching, and doctoral preparation. It raises pay on a teaching salary schedule and can move you into a specialization, but it is not the research credential either.
The doctorate is the research credential. It is normally funded through assistantships, takes years, and is followed for many graduates by a postdoctoral appointment. Enter it because you want to do research, not because you want the title.
Common questions
What jobs can you get with a physics degree?
At the bachelor’s level: engineer, software developer, data analyst, instrumentation or laboratory technician, systems analyst, and high school physics teacher with a license. At the doctoral level: physicist, biophysicist, and postsecondary physics faculty. Titles rarely say physics, so read the duties.
How much do physics majors make?
It depends on which occupation you enter, not on the major itself. BLS May 2025 national medians are $172,250 for physicists, $135,980 for software developers, $122,930 for engineers in the all-other category, $100,310 for postsecondary physics teachers, $99,070 for atmospheric and space scientists, and $72,040 for secondary school teachers.
Do you need a PhD to work in physics?
For the physicist job title and for most four-year college teaching, yes in practice. For engineering, software, data, technician, and secondary teaching work that uses physics training, no. That split is the single most important thing to understand before choosing the major.
Which physics-related career has the most openings?
Software development, by a wide margin: 115,200 openings per year against 15.8 percent projected growth (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Secondary school teaching follows with 66,200 annual openings even though projected employment change is -1.6 percent, because the occupation is large and turns over. Physicists have about 1,700 openings a year.
Is a physics degree worth it?
It is worth it if you want the quantitative training and you are willing to add the practical layer that converts it, which usually means programming, an internship, or an engineering minor. It is a poor choice if you want a direct, named career path with a short runway. The is an online physics degree worth it page works through the trade-offs.
Keep exploring
- Start at the physics program hub, then compare levels: online bachelor’s and online master’s.
- Walk through how to become a physicist, or weigh the trade-offs on is it worth it.
- Check how labs and coursework are delivered in how online physics degrees work.
- Find programs near you at the state index.
- Compare related fields: mathematics, engineering, computer science, chemistry, and education.
Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.