Physicists
SOC 19-2012 · 2024-2034
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
How the U.S. Department of Labor describes this work. Published in English only.
The job this trains for
- Typical pay in California
- $213,298per year
- Projected openings
- 5,390
- Projected change
- +13.2%
- Usually needs
- Doctoral or professional degree
Skills this work uses most
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, rates how important each of these is to this work, and they are listed in that order, most important first. The ratings themselves are not shown, because the data carries the number without the scale it was measured on. The names are as published, in English.
- Science
- Mathematics
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
Pay by region
| Region | Typical pay in California | Projected openings |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara MSA (San Benito and Santa Clara Counties) | $220,350 | 360 |
| San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City MD (San Francisco and San Mateo Counties) | $185,817 | 560 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $139,572 | 150 |
| Anaheim-Santa Ana-Irvine MD (Orange County) | $136,692 | 140 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad MSA (San Diego County) | $128,099 | 300 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom MSA (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo Counties) | $112,517 | 80 |
| Bakersfield-Delano MSA (Kern County) | Not reported | 70 |
Similar work
O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupation database, names these as occupations involving work similar to this one — its own reading of the job, not a grouping by code. They keep O*NET's order, and only those California publishes a projection for are shown.
| The job this trains for | Typical pay in California | Projected openings | Projected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Scientists | $145,554 | 40,180 | +37.1% |
| Physics Teachers, Postsecondary | $143,323 | 1,070 | +7.7% |
| Biochemists and Biophysicists | $143,487 | 3,050 | +11.8% |
| Chemists | $100,599 | 7,770 | +7.9% |
| Engineers, All Other | $134,513 | 19,090 | +6.4% |
| Materials Scientists | $181,986 | 840 | +9.1% |