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Physics professor demographics and statistics in the US

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Physics professor demographics by:

Physics professor gender statistics

18.5% of physics professors are women and 81.5% of physics professors are men.
  • Male, 81.5%
  • Female, 18.5%

Physics professor gender ratio

GenderPercentages
Male81.5%
Female18.5%

Physics professor gender pay gap

Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men

male-income
Male income
$64,935
female-income
Female income
$62,360

Physics professor gender ratio over time

This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in physics professor positions over time. Currently, 18.5% of physics professors are female.
Male
Female
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021

Physics professor gender ratio by year

YearMaleFemale
201081.92%18.08%
201182.23%17.77%
201282.04%17.96%
201381.78%18.22%
201481.10%18.90%
201581.61%18.39%
201681.41%18.59%
201781.76%18.24%
201881.41%18.59%
201981.15%18.85%
202080.75%19.25%
202181.55%18.45%

Physics professor related jobs gender ratio

We compared physics professors with similar job titles to see how gender ratios vary. As you can see, hvac/r instructor and assistant professor of air conditioning and refrigeration have the biggest gender ratio gaps.

Job titleMaleFemale
Aesthetics Instructor8%92%
Cosmetology Instructor9%91%
Adjunct Nursing Faculty9%91%
Physics Professor82%18%
Diesel Technology Instructor97%3%
Assistant Professor Of Air Conditioning And Refrigeration97%3%
Hvac/R Instructor97%3%

Physics professor demographics by race

The most common ethnicity among physics professors is White, which makes up 66.0% of all physics professors. Comparatively, 11.9% of physics professors are Asian and 9.9% of physics professors are Hispanic or Latino.
  • White, 66.0%
  • Asian, 11.9%
  • Hispanic or Latino, 9.9%
  • Black or African American, 7.0%
  • Unknown, 4.9%
  • American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%

Physics professor race

Physics professor racePercentages
White66.0%
Asian11.9%
Hispanic or Latino9.9%
Black or African American7.0%
Unknown4.9%
American Indian and Alaska Native0.3%

Physics professor race and ethnicity over time

See how physics professor racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.

Physics professor race and ethnicity by year

YearWhiteBlack or African AmericanAsianHispanic or Latino
201072.43%7.10%9.85%8.06%
201172.12%6.94%10.57%7.81%
201271.71%7.24%10.45%8.06%
201370.85%7.60%10.73%8.31%
201470.94%7.22%10.40%8.69%
201569.39%7.45%11.35%8.99%
201669.88%7.38%11.07%8.88%
201768.96%7.12%12.24%8.93%
201870.74%6.86%10.56%9.12%
201969.08%7.13%11.50%9.65%
202067.15%6.83%11.14%9.81%
202166.00%6.96%11.94%9.93%

Physics professor wage gap by race

According to our data, asian physics professors have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american physics professors have the lowest average salary at $63,887.
$67,000
$66,000
$65,000
$64,000
$63,000
Unknown
White
Black or African American
Asian
Hispanic or Latino
EthnicitySalary
Unknown$64,607
White$64,689
Black or African American$63,887
Asian$66,552
Hispanic or Latino$64,969

Average physics professor age

See how the average age of physics professors varies based on ethnicity and gender.
Male
Female

Physics professor age by race and gender

RaceMale ageFemale age
Black or African American4945
Unknown44.544
Asian4141
Hispanic or Latino4341
White4846
American Indian and Alaska Native5448

Physics professor age breakdown

The average age of physics professors is 40+ years years old, representing 67% of the physics professor population.

40+ years

30-40 years

20-30 years


Physics professor age breakdown

Physics Professor YearsPercentages
40+ years67%
30-40 years21%
20-30 years11%

Physics professor educational attainment

The most common degree for physics professors is bachelor's degree, with 54% of physics professors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 24% and master's degree degree at 17%.
  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Master's, 24%
  • Doctorate, 17%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

Physics professors by degree level

Physics professor degreePercentages
Bachelor's54%
Master's24%
Doctorate17%
Associate2%
Other Degrees3%

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Physics professor wage gap by degree level

$82,000
$79,000
$76,000
$73,000
$70,000
$67,000
$64,000
Master's Degree
Doctorate Degree
EducationSalary
Master's Degree$66,362
Doctorate Degree$80,554

Physics professor employment statistics

Company size where physics professors work

Below, you can see the size of companies where physics professors work.

< 50 employees

50 - 100 employees

100 - 500 employees

500 - 1,000 employees

1,000 - 10,000 employees

> 10,000

Physics professor jobs by employer size

Company sizePercentages
< 50 employees4%
50 - 100 employees8%
100 - 500 employees17%
500 - 1,000 employees27%
1,000 - 10,000 employees34%
> 10,000 employees9%

Physics professor turnover and employment statistics

Physics professor unemployment rate over time

The unemployment rate for physics professors between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Physics professor unemployment rate by year

YearPhysics professor unemployment rate
20103.13%
20113.11%
20123.14%
20133.31%
20142.86%
20152.61%
20162.42%
20172.51%
20182.40%
20192.23%
20202.58%
20212.98%

Average physics professor tenure

The average physics professor stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 177 physics professors resumes in Zippia's database.

Less than one year

1-2 years

3-4 years

5-7 years

8-10 years

11+ years

Physics professor tenure statistics

Number of yearsPercentages
Less than 1 year17%
1-2 years27%
3-4 years13%
5-7 years12%
8-10 years6%
11+ years25%

Physics professor LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs

Review the percent of physics professors that are members of the LGBT community. You can see how this compares to similar jobs in the chart below.
Job titleLGBTJob openings
Doctoral Student6.04%15,502
Middle School Science Teacher9.52%86,059
Reference Librarian10.75%1,058
Special Education Teacher For Grades11.12%64,392
Library Technician13.69%24,941
Physics Professor15.52%-
Instructional Designer And Trainer16.25%70,222

Similar physics professor jobs LGBT demographics

ProfessionPercentages of LGBT Job openings
Doctoral Student6.04%15,502
Middle School Science Teacher9.52%86,059
Reference Librarian10.75%1,058
Special Education Teacher For Grades11.12%64,392
Library Technician13.69%24,941
Instructional Designer And Trainer16.25%70,222

Foreign languages spoken by physics professors

The most common foreign language among physics professors is Spanish at 45.5%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Russian at 27.3% and Japanese is the third-most popular at 9.1%.
  • Spanish, 45.5%
  • Russian, 27.3%
  • Japanese, 9.1%
  • French, 9.1%
  • Ukrainian, 9.1%

Physics professor languages spoken

Foreign languagePercentages
Spanish45.5%
Russian27.3%
Japanese9.1%
French9.1%
Ukrainian9.1%

Physics professor jobs

Physics professor location demographics

Where do physics professors earn the most?

Physics professors earn the most in Massachusetts, where the average physics professor salary is $105,807. The map here shows where physics professors earn the highest salaries in the U.S. The darker areas across the 50 states highlight the highest salaries.
Average salary

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