Physicist demographics and statistics in the US
Physicist demographics research summary. Zippia estimates physicist demographics and statistics in the United States by using a database of 30 million profiles. Our physicist estimates are verified against BLS, Census, and current job openings data for accuracy. Zippia's data science team found the following key facts about physicists after extensive research and analysis:
- There are over 11,726 physicists currently employed in the United States.
- 16.1% of all physicists are women, while 83.9% are men.
- The average physicist age is 47 years old.
- The most common ethnicity of physicists is White (73.4%), followed by Asian (13.2%), Hispanic or Latino (7.4%) and Unknown (3.4%).
- Physicists are most in-demand in Golden Valley, MN.
- Rochester, NY pays an annual average wage of $131,891, the highest in the US.
- In 2022, women physicists earned 95% of what men earned.
- West Virginia is the best state for physicists to live.
- Physicists are 58% more likely to work at private companies in comparison to public companies.
On this page
Physicist demographics by:
Physicist gender statistics
16.1% of physicists are women and 83.9% of physicists are men.
- Male, 83.9%
- Female, 16.1%
Physicist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 83.9% |
| Female | 16.1% |
Physicist gender pay gap
Women earn 95¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$101,586
Female income
$96,749
Physicist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in physicist positions over time. Currently, 16.1% of physicists are female.
Physicist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 84.65% | 15.35% |
| 2011 | 87.40% | 12.60% |
| 2012 | 82.41% | 17.59% |
| 2013 | 78.68% | 21.32% |
| 2014 | 85.05% | 14.95% |
| 2015 | 90.94% | 9.06% |
| 2016 | 83.60% | 16.40% |
| 2017 | 84.15% | 15.85% |
| 2018 | 78.68% | 21.32% |
| 2019 | 88.95% | 11.05% |
| 2020 | 81.38% | 18.62% |
| 2021 | 83.94% | 16.06% |
Physicist related jobs gender ratio
We compared physicists with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, seismologist and optical scientist have the biggest gender ratio gaps.
| Job title | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Aerologist | 11% | 89% |
| Senior Advocate | 33% | 67% |
| Physicist | 84% | 16% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 91% | 9% |
| Optical Scientist | 91% | 9% |
| Seismologist | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Physicist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among physicists is White, which makes up 73.4% of all physicists. Comparatively, 13.2% of physicists are Asian and 7.4% of physicists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 73.4%
- Asian, 13.2%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.4%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- Black or African American, 2.0%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Physicist race
| Physicist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 73.4% |
| Asian | 13.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.4% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| Black or African American | 2.0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Physicist race and ethnicity over time
See how physicist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Physicist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 76.51% | 3.00% | 14.65% | 3.90% |
| 2011 | 64.89% | 5.89% | 20.92% | 4.86% |
| 2012 | 75.07% | 2.54% | 15.21% | 4.33% |
| 2013 | 69.62% | 4.02% | 20.50% | 3.68% |
| 2014 | 73.36% | 5.60% | 14.97% | 4.51% |
| 2015 | 72.27% | 2.76% | 15.11% | 5.70% |
| 2016 | 72.10% | 1.77% | 20.75% | 3.36% |
| 2017 | 74.44% | 4.80% | 14.10% | 5.20% |
| 2018 | 75.66% | 4.70% | 13.13% | 4.35% |
| 2019 | 77.90% | 2.47% | 13.83% | 4.38% |
| 2020 | 70.24% | 2.07% | 15.25% | 6.01% |
| 2021 | 73.40% | 1.95% | 13.17% | 7.43% |
Physicist wage gap by race
According to our data, white physicists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american physicists have the lowest average salary at $96,290.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $103,227 |
| White | $104,040 |
| Black or African American | $96,290 |
| Asian | $103,984 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $100,605 |
Physicist age breakdown
The average age of physicists is 40+ years years old, representing 68% of the physicist population.
Physicist age breakdown
| Physicist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 68% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Physicist educational attainment
The most common degree for physicists is bachelor's degree, with 53% of physicists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 25% and master's degree degree at 18%.
- Bachelor's, 53%
- Master's, 25%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Associate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
Physicists by degree level
| Physicist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 53% |
| Master's | 25% |
| Doctorate | 18% |
| Associate | 2% |
| Other Degrees | 2% |
Physicist jobs you might like
Physicist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, physicists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $129,651 annually. With a Master's degree, physicists earn a median annual income of $112,279 compared to $96,597 for physicists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $112,279 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $96,597 |
| Doctorate Degree | $129,651 |
Physicist employment statistics
Most physicists work for a private in the health care industry.
Company size where physicists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where physicists work.
Physicist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 6% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 13% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 19% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 7% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 31% |
| > 10,000 employees | 24% |
Physicist jobs by company type
Employees with the physicist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most physicists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Physicist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 19% |
| Public | 20% |
| Private | 58% |
| Government | 2% |
Physicist jobs by industry
The most common industries for physicists are health care, education and technology.
Physicist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Health Care | 28% |
| Education | 15% |
| Technology | 13% |
| Manufacturing | 12% |
| Professional | 8% |
| Fortune 500 | 7% |
| Energy | 4% |
| Finance | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Transportation | 1% |
| Government | 1% |
| Internet | 1% |
| Automotive | 1% |
| Utilities | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
| Telecommunication | 1% |
Physicist turnover and employment statistics
Physicist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for physicists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Physicist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Physicist unemployment rate |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 0.75% |
| 2011 | 3.97% |
| 2012 | 4.03% |
| 2013 | 1.65% |
| 2014 | 2.56% |
| 2015 | 2.08% |
| 2016 | 1.54% |
| 2017 | 0.85% |
| 2018 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | 0.57% |
| 2020 | 2.81% |
| 2021 | 0.52% |
Average physicist tenure
The average physicist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 890 physicists resumes in Zippia's database.
Physicist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 12% |
| 1-2 years | 29% |
| 3-4 years | 19% |
| 5-7 years | 16% |
| 8-10 years | 7% |
| 11+ years | 16% |
Physicist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of physicists that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
| Job title | LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Crystallographer | 4.45% | 51 |
| Metal Alloy Scientist | 5.26% | 43,448 |
| Remote Sensing Scientist | 8.32% | 59,563 |
| Environmental Geologist | 15.61% | 16,395 |
| Physicist | 24.12% | - |
Similar physicist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Crystallographer | 4.45% | 51 |
| Metal Alloy Scientist | 5.26% | 43,448 |
| Remote Sensing Scientist | 8.32% | 59,563 |
| Environmental Geologist | 15.61% | 16,395 |
Foreign languages spoken by physicists
The most common foreign language among physicists is French at 14.0%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is German at 9.3% and Spanish is the third-most popular at 9.3%.
- French, 14.0%
- German, 9.3%
- Spanish, 9.3%
- Russian, 9.3%
- Chinese, 7.0%
- Other, 51.1%
Physicist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| French | 14.0% |
| German | 9.3% |
| Spanish | 9.3% |
| Russian | 9.3% |
| Chinese | 7.0% |
| Other | 51.1% |
