Educational Instruction and Library Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Wide pay band SOC 25-1054

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

The published band from $60,200 to $177,850 is the distinctive signal for this role, not a twin of Law Teachers, Postsecondary.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Physics Teachers, Postsecondary: Law Teachers, Postsecondary ($129K) , Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary ($93K) , Economics Teachers, Postsecondary ($124K) , Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary ($97K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Physics Teachers, Postsecondary publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 25-1054 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers
  2. 2. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts
  3. 3. Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others
  4. 4. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as quantum mechanics, particle physics, and optics
  5. 5. Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students
  6. 6. Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work
  7. 7. Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions
  8. 8. Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records
  9. 9. Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction
  10. 10. Supervise students' laboratory work
  11. 11. Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional confe…
  12. 12. Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues

O*NET skills and knowledge for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 25-1054 - entity-keyed; sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Instructing 4.3
  2. 2. Reading Comprehension 4.1
  3. 3. Speaking 4.1
  4. 4. Science 4.1
  5. 5. Active Listening 4.0
  6. 6. Writing 4.0
  7. 7. Critical Thinking 4.0
  8. 8. Active Learning 4.0

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mathematics 4.8
  2. 2. Physics 4.5
  3. 3. Education and Training 4.4
  4. 4. English Language 4.2
  5. 5. Computers and Electronics 3.9
  6. 6. Chemistry 3.4
Published pay band (10th to 90th)
$60,200 to $177,850
median $100,310 · ~3.0× spread
$100K
National median
↑ +3%
Growth 2024-2034
1,300
Annual openings
13,090
Estimated US jobs
Law Teachers, Postsecondary
Highest-pay peer · $129K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Doctoral or professional degree

Top Paying States for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

1. Minnesota $107,240
2. California $139,420
3. Massachusetts $111,280
4. Idaho $106,040
5. Delaware $108,810
6. New Mexico $108,850
7. Maryland $110,980
8. Virginia $104,490
9. Connecticut $112,410
10. Michigan $109,090

Other Educational Instruction and Library Occupations titles

  1. 1. Economics Teachers, Postsecondary $123,920
  2. 2. Law Teachers, Postsecondary $128,500
  3. 3. Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary $96,870
  4. 4. Agricultural Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary $98,700
  5. 5. Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $97,590
  6. 6. Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary $93,250

The OEWS band for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary runs from $60,200 (10th) to $177,850 (90th), about 3.0× wide, with median $100,310. That spread, not the midpoint alone, is the distinctive published fact.

Employment Projections expect +3% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,300 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Doctoral or professional degree as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $107,240. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Law Teachers, Postsecondary at $128,500. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

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Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024–2034.

Dive into Physics Teachers, Postsecondary in more depth or explore nearby career data.

Full Salary Details

State, metro, and percentile breakdown

Jobs in Minnesota

Top-paying state for this role

Jobs in California

Second-highest state pay

Law Teachers, Postsecondary

Highest-pay peer · $129K

Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary

Lower-pay peer · $93K

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Highest-Paying Rankings

Top careers nationwide

Compare Side-by-Side

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Pay-band next reads

Entry-Level vs Experienced Pay

What percentile bands reveal

Using Salary Data for Negotiation

Leverage BLS percentiles

Frequently Asked Questions

What do physics teachers, postsecondary do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary. Leading ones include: Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers; Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts; Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others; Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as quantum mechanics, particle physics, and optics. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for physics teachers, postsecondary? ▼
For SOC 25-1054, O*NET importance scores lead with Instructing (4.3), Reading Comprehension (4.1), Speaking (4.1), Science (4.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mathematics, Physics, Education and Training. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
How does Physics Teachers, Postsecondary sit next to other Educational Instruction and Library Occupations titles? ▼
On this card, neighboring same-major-group titles include Law Teachers, Postsecondary, Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary, Economics Teachers, Postsecondary, Architecture Teachers, Postsecondary. Among those peers, Law Teachers, Postsecondary holds the highest published national median ($128,500). Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary sits lower at $93,250. Peer titles are hash-ordered per card so adjacent SOC pages do not share an identical ladder.
What is the median salary for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary? ▼
The median salary for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary is $100,310 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025 OEWS data). This means half of workers in this occupation earn more and half earn less. The full range is $60,200 (10th percentile) to $177,850 (90th percentile). For context beside Law Teachers, Postsecondary ($128,500), this role's median is the OEWS national figure above.
Is Physics Teachers, Postsecondary a growing occupation? ▼
The BLS projects +3% employment change for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary from 2024 to 2034. There are approximately 1,300 projected annual openings. This is about as fast as average relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%.
What education do you need to become a physics teachers, postsecondary? ▼
BLS assigns Physics Teachers, Postsecondary to Doctoral or professional degree for typical education needed for entry. These occupation-level categories are not requirements for every employer or worker.
Which states pay physics teachers, postsecondary the most? ▼
The highest published state medians in this ranking for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary are Minnesota ($107,240), California ($139,420), Massachusetts ($111,280). The table does not identify why state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024–2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

All federal data sources used on this page
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - wage estimates by area + occupation. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - occupation task statements (importance-ranked). onetcenter.org
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) - quarterly employment and wage totals by industry. bls.gov/cew
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for metro/state aggregates. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) - monthly nonfarm payroll baselines. bls.gov/ces
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context. irs.gov/statistics
  • BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) - unemployment context for labor-market comparisons. bls.gov/lau