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Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeLower pressure

What they do

Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Kinds of work

  • Social: Helping, teaching, caring for and supporting other people.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.
  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.

Lower pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $100,310 Median per year Most earn $60,200–$177,850

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.
  • Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.
  • Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
  • Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
  • Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.

Job outlook

United States
2% more jobs by 2035, slower than average · about 1,100 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Colleges, universities, and professional schools86.9%
  • Junior colleges12.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: Doctoral or professional degreeExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This is not an entry-level job. Most people need a doctoral degree and often 1 to 2 years of research work, such as a postdoctoral position, before they teach physics at a college or university. Expect roughly 10 or more years of school and training after high school.

  1. Bachelor's degree in physics

    4 years

    You learn the core ideas of matter and energy, plus the math behind them, and you get lab experience. This builds the base you need for graduate study.

  2. Doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in physics

    4-6 years

    You specialize in one area of physics, do original research, and write a dissertation. Teaching assistant work during this time gives you early classroom experience.

  3. Postdoctoral Research Associate

    1-2 years

    You work as a researcher at a university or lab under an experienced scientist. You publish papers and often teach or mentor students, which prepares you for a faculty job.

  4. Postsecondary Physics Teacher

    Ongoing

    You teach physics courses at a college or university, often as an assistant professor, and may also do research. Some roles are mostly teaching, while others mix teaching with research.

Where it can lead

  1. Associate Professor of Physics

    Several years as an assistant professor of experience first

    You usually earn tenure by showing strong teaching, research, and service to the department. You also take on more responsibility for courses and student research.

  2. Professor of Physics

    Several years as an associate professor of experience first

    You are a senior faculty member who leads major research projects, advises graduate students, and often helps shape the department's direction.

  3. Department Chair

    Many years as a professor of experience first

    You manage the physics department's budget, staff, and course schedule, and represent the department to the university. This role requires strong leadership and organization skills.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take the most advanced physics and math your school offersCourses like physics, calculus, and any advanced math build the foundation you'll need for a physics degree later.
  • Join a science or math clubClubs give you a place to explore physics problems with others and often lead to competitions and science fairs.
  • Enter science or math competitionsCompeting sharpens problem-solving skills and shows colleges that you enjoy the subject.
  • Tutor younger students in math or scienceExplaining concepts to others is a direct practice of the teaching side of this career.
  • Look for a summer science program or jobMany colleges and science centers offer summer experiences for high school students, which can show you what research life is like.

In college

  • Major in physicsA physics major gives you the coursework and lab skills that graduate programs require for this career.
  • Join an undergraduate research projectWorking with a professor on real research is the best way to see if you enjoy the work and to build a strong recommendation letter.
  • Work as a physics lab assistant or graderHelping other students with labs or homework gives you paid teaching experience and reinforces what you've learned.
  • Join the physics club or attend department talksYou'll meet professors and graduate students, learn about research areas, and hear what careers in physics look like.
  • Take math courses beyond the requirementsCourses such as linear algebra, differential equations, and computational methods are used heavily in graduate-level physics.

Tips for getting started

  • Get into a research group early, as an undergraduate if you can. Research experience is one of the things graduate programs and faculty hiring committees look for most.
  • Practice explaining hard ideas simply. Tutoring, helping in a lab, or presenting at a science fair all build the teaching skills this career depends on.
  • Keep your grades solid in math and physics, because graduate programs in physics look closely at your coursework and recommendation letters.

Related jobs that often lead here

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

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