Physics Teachers, Postsecondary Salary: $97,360 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 13,590 physics teachers, postsecondary work nationally, and $97,360 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 28% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 3.4% annual growth.
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary: what the data shows
Common questions about physics teachers, postsecondary careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a physics teachers, postsecondary?
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 25-1054.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 13,590 workers.
What does a physics teachers, postsecondary do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Training and Teaching Others, Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Analyzing Data or Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a physics teachers, postsecondary make?
BLS national median annual wage: $97,360 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $142,469 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.
Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).
| Wage percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $66,859 |
| 25th percentile | $102,923 |
| Median (50th) | $131,674 |
| 75th percentile | $170,337 |
| 90th percentile | $225,578 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Instructing, Speaking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Active Listening, and knowledge areas including Mathematics, Physics, Education and Training, English Language. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is physics teachers, postsecondary in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 3.4% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 18.3%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 39.9%.
Current U.S. headcount: 13,590.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do physics teachers, postsecondarys work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Educational Services | 25,590 | 24.9% |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 22,990 | 22.4% |
| Cross-industry | 13,590 | 13.2% |
| Educational Services | 13,560 | 13.2% |
| Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Government Schools and Hospitals and the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) | 9,460 | 9.2% |
| State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) | 7,930 | 7.7% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical Engineers | 286,760 | $102,320 |
| Electrical Engineers | 188,790 | $111,910 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | 30,780 | $75,190 |
| Aerospace Engineers | 68,440 | $134,830 |
| Nuclear Engineers | 14,740 | $127,520 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Physics Teachers, Postsecondary workforce.
Employment Over Time
13,590 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary grew from 2,220 in 2009 to 3,800 in 2025 (71.2%).
Historical employment for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.
Yearly Wage Ranking
$97,360 Median pay (BLS national)
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary earn $97,360 as the BLS national median annual wage.
Wage ranking compared to other occupations.
Wage Distribution
This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Salary distribution for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Employment Growth Projections
3.4% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
4,495 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 18.3%
5,317 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 39.9%
This occupation is projected to grow at 3.4% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Physics Teachers, Postsecondary and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Physics Teachers, Postsecondary employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Wage Trends by Industry
6.7% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.
Top States by Employment
Top States by Employment:
- TX: 1,340 employees, $103,500 avg wage
- NY: 1,140 employees, $119,610 avg wage
- CA: 1,070 employees, $138,700 avg wage
- PA: 750 employees, $102,120 avg wage
- VA: 610 employees, $101,930 avg wage
- NJ: 580 employees, $98,130 avg wage
- MA: 560 employees, $113,000 avg wage
- IL: 530 employees, $97,910 avg wage
- MI: 440 employees, $111,870 avg wage
- NC: 430 employees, $99,180 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 980 employees, $122,570 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 450 employees, $110,030 avg wage
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 420 employees, $116,960 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 350 employees, $100,200 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 320 employees, $106,620 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 300 employees, $142,790 avg wage
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 270 employees, $94,700 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 230 employees, $101,960 avg wage
- San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 220 employees, $162,540 avg wage
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 220 employees, $112,460 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Diversity
Demographic information on Physics Teachers, Postsecondary in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary is about 13,590 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Races
Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.
Race and ethnicity distribution for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Physics Teachers, Postsecondary in 2023 were Engineering, Education, Subject Area.
Common majors for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Physics Teachers, Postsecondary workers.
Education level distribution for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Skills
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary need many skills, but most especially Instructing, Speaking, Science, Reading Comprehension, Active Learning.
Required skills for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary include Mathematics, Physics, Education and Training, English Language, Computers and Electronics.
Knowledge areas required for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary include Oral Expression, Written Expression, Written Comprehension, Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning.
Required abilities for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
Daily Activities
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary spend their time on activities such as Training and Teaching Others, Working with Computers, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others, Making Decisions and Solving Problems.
Most important work activities for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.
About
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary earn $97,360 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
25-1054 - Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Insights and Analysis
High earnings profile: Physics Teachers, Postsecondary reports an average salary of $142,469, placing it among stronger-paying occupations.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 13,590 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 3.4%, which should inform long-term career planning.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.
All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.