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Field of degree: Physical science

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Physical science field of degree. Employment: 2,057,580. Median annual wage: $83,000.

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Table 1. Physical science degree, 2024
Data	Physical science	All fields
Employment	2,057,580	65,886,610
Median wage	83,000	73,000
Percent employed part time	13	15
Percent employed in occupations requiring at least a bachelor's degree	67	61
Percent with an advanced degree	55	39
Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 1. Types of physical science majors, 2024.

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Chart 1. Types of physical science, 2024
Physical science majors	Major share
Chemistry	36
Multi-Disciplinary Or General Science	26
Physics	19
Geology And Earth Science	11
Materials Science	2
Other	6
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a physical science degree, by occupational group, 2024.

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Chart 2. Employment distribution of workers with a physical science degree, by occupational group, 2024
Occupational group	Occupational group share
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations	15
Management occupations	14
Life, physical, and social science occupations	13
Educational instruction and library occupations	13
Computer and mathematical occupations	8
Other	37
Note: The sum of percents by major may not total 100 due to rounding. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a physical science degree.

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Table 2. Top-employing occupations for workers with a physical science degree
Occupation	Percent degree holders in this field, this occupation, 2024	Percent of this occupation with an advanced degree, 2024	Percent growth, projected 2025–35	Typical entry-level education
Health specialties teachers, postsecondary	5	75	18	Doctoral or professional degree
Managers, all other	5	22	5	Bachelor's degree
Physicians, all other	5	100	3	Doctoral or professional degree
Physical scientists, all other	4	68	2	Bachelor's degree
Software developers	3	33	10	Bachelor's degree
Chemists	2	42	6	Bachelor's degree
Elementary school teachers, except special education	2	50	0	Bachelor's degree
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers	2	56	5	Bachelor's degree
Registered nurses	2	14	6	Bachelor's degree
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education	2	55	0	Bachelor's degree
Note: Occupational profiles may comprise multiple SOC occupations, which may have differing education categories. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Census Bureau.

Suggested citation:

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Field of degree: Physical science,
at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/field-of-degree/physical-science/physical-science-field-of-degree.htm (visited October 29, 2026).

Last modified date: October 29, 2026