Research physicist demographics and statistics in the US
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Research physicist demographics by:
Research physicist gender statistics
14.6% of research physicists are women and 85.4% of research physicists are men.
- Male, 85.4%
- Female, 14.6%
Research physicist gender ratio
| Gender | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Male | 85.4% |
| Female | 14.6% |
Research physicist gender pay gap
Women earn 96¢ for every $1 earned by men
Male income
$69,904
Female income
$67,382
Research physicist gender ratio over time
This data breaks down the percentage of men and women in research physicist positions over time. Currently, 14.6% of research physicists are female.
Research physicist gender ratio by year
| Year | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 86.08% | 13.92% |
| 2011 | 88.62% | 11.38% |
| 2012 | 84.02% | 15.98% |
| 2013 | 80.54% | 19.46% |
| 2014 | 86.46% | 13.54% |
| 2015 | 91.85% | 8.15% |
| 2016 | 85.12% | 14.88% |
| 2017 | 85.63% | 14.37% |
| 2018 | 80.54% | 19.46% |
| 2019 | 90.04% | 9.96% |
| 2020 | 83.06% | 16.94% |
| 2021 | 85.43% | 14.57% |
Research physicist related jobs gender ratio
We compared research 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% |
| Research Physicist | 85% | 15% |
| Remote Sensing Engineer | 91% | 9% |
| Optical Scientist | 91% | 9% |
| Seismologist | 94% | 6% |
Male
Female
100%
75%
50%
25%
0%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Research physicist demographics by race
The most common ethnicity among research physicists is White, which makes up 74.7% of all research physicists. Comparatively, 10.8% of research physicists are Asian and 7.9% of research physicists are Hispanic or Latino.
- White, 74.7%
- Asian, 10.8%
- Hispanic or Latino, 7.9%
- Unknown, 3.4%
- Black or African American, 2.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
Research physicist race
| Research physicist race | Percentages |
|---|---|
| White | 74.7% |
| Asian | 10.8% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 7.9% |
| Unknown | 3.4% |
| Black or African American | 2.6% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.6% |
Research physicist race and ethnicity over time
See how research physicist racial and ethnic diversity trended since 2010 according to the United States Census Bureau data.
Research physicist race and ethnicity by year
| Year | White | Black or African American | Asian | Hispanic or Latino |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 77.83% | 3.62% | 12.25% | 4.33% |
| 2011 | 66.20% | 6.51% | 18.52% | 5.29% |
| 2012 | 76.39% | 3.16% | 12.80% | 4.76% |
| 2013 | 70.94% | 4.64% | 18.10% | 4.11% |
| 2014 | 74.68% | 6.22% | 12.57% | 4.94% |
| 2015 | 73.59% | 3.38% | 12.71% | 6.13% |
| 2016 | 73.42% | 2.39% | 18.35% | 3.79% |
| 2017 | 75.76% | 5.42% | 11.70% | 5.62% |
| 2018 | 76.98% | 5.32% | 10.73% | 4.78% |
| 2019 | 79.22% | 3.09% | 11.43% | 4.81% |
| 2020 | 71.56% | 2.69% | 12.85% | 6.44% |
| 2021 | 74.72% | 2.57% | 10.77% | 7.86% |
Research physicist wage gap by race
According to our data, white research physicists have the highest average salary compared to other ethnicities. Black or african american research physicists have the lowest average salary at $67,141.
| Ethnicity | Salary |
|---|---|
| Unknown | $70,753 |
| White | $71,172 |
| Black or African American | $67,141 |
| Asian | $71,143 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $69,395 |
Research physicist age breakdown
The average age of research physicists is 40+ years years old, representing 68% of the research physicist population.
Research physicist age breakdown
| Research Physicist Years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| 40+ years | 68% |
| 30-40 years | 28% |
| 20-30 years | 4% |
Research physicist educational attainment
The most common degree for research physicists is bachelor's degree, with 52% of research physicists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are doctoral degree degree at 30% and doctoral degree degree at 17%.
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Doctorate, 30%
- Master's, 17%
- License, 1%
- Other Degrees, 0%
Research physicists by degree level
| Research physicist degree | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 52% |
| Doctorate | 30% |
| Master's | 17% |
| License | 1% |
| Other Degrees | 0% |
Research physicist jobs you might like
Research physicist wage gap by degree level
According to the data, research physicists with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $84,003 annually. With a Master's degree, research physicists earn a median annual income of $75,377 compared to $67,302 for research physicists with an Bachelor's degree.
| Education | Salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $75,377 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $67,302 |
| Doctorate Degree | $84,003 |
Research physicist employment statistics
Most research physicists work for a private in the education industry.
Company size where research physicists work
Below, you can see the size of companies where research physicists work.
Research physicist jobs by employer size
| Company size | Percentages |
|---|---|
| < 50 employees | 4% |
| 50 - 100 employees | 10% |
| 100 - 500 employees | 20% |
| 500 - 1,000 employees | 4% |
| 1,000 - 10,000 employees | 34% |
| > 10,000 employees | 27% |
Research physicist jobs by company type
Employees with the research physicist job title have their preferences when it comes to working for a company. For instance, most research physicists prefer to work at private companies over public companies.
Research physicist jobs by sector
| Company type | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 27% |
| Public | 30% |
| Private | 39% |
| Government | 5% |
Research physicist jobs by industry
The most common industries for research physicists are education, manufacturing and technology.
Research physicist industry statistics
| Industry | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Education | 21% |
| Manufacturing | 15% |
| Fortune 500 | 13% |
| Technology | 12% |
| Health Care | 10% |
| Professional | 9% |
| Energy | 5% |
| Finance | 4% |
| Government | 2% |
| Non Profits | 2% |
| Media | 1% |
| Agriculture | 1% |
| Real Estate | 1% |
| Construction | 1% |
| Hospitality | 1% |
| Start-up | 1% |
Research physicist turnover and employment statistics
Research physicist unemployment rate over time
The unemployment rate for research physicists between 2008 and the most recent data has varied, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Research physicist unemployment rate by year
| Year | Research 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 research physicist tenure
The average research physicist stays at their job for 1-2 years, based on the 172 research physicists resumes in Zippia's database.
Research physicist tenure statistics
| Number of years | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Less than 1 year | 6% |
| 1-2 years | 28% |
| 3-4 years | 22% |
| 5-7 years | 19% |
| 8-10 years | 9% |
| 11+ years | 17% |
Research physicist LGBT ratio compared to similar jobs
Review the percent of research 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Geoscience Specialist | 4.45% | 18,803 |
| Quality Assurance Chemist | 5.26% | 66,457 |
| Remote Sensing Specialist | 8.32% | 25,957 |
| Associate Environmental Scientist | 15.61% | 56,225 |
| Research Physicist | 24.12% | - |
Similar research physicist jobs LGBT demographics
| Profession | Percentages of LGBT | Job openings |
|---|---|---|
| Geoscience Specialist | 4.45% | 18,803 |
| Quality Assurance Chemist | 5.26% | 66,457 |
| Remote Sensing Specialist | 8.32% | 25,957 |
| Associate Environmental Scientist | 15.61% | 56,225 |
Foreign languages spoken by research physicists
The most common foreign language among research physicists is German at 26.7%. The second-most popular foreign language spoken is Spanish at 20.0% and Bulgarian is the third-most popular at 13.3%.
- German, 26.7%
- Spanish, 20.0%
- Bulgarian, 13.3%
- Russian, 13.3%
- Portuguese, 6.7%
- Other, 20.0%
Research physicist languages spoken
| Foreign language | Percentages |
|---|---|
| German | 26.7% |
| Spanish | 20.0% |
| Bulgarian | 13.3% |
| Russian | 13.3% |
| Portuguese | 6.7% |
| Other | 20.0% |
