Headline risk
2%
Very Low RiskPhysicists
United States AI Work Index tracks this occupation on the shared structural baseline and then layers on local demand resilience, wages, and confidence.
Why This Score
Weighted task overlap from O*NET
Median annual from BLS OEWS
BLS employment projections
O*NET job zone level
Occupation profile
Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.
Task evidence
100% weighted task match · 26% effective coverage
Method contract
structural_pressure = exposure × (1 - bottleneck)
headline_risk = structural_pressure × (1 - country_demand_resilience)
United States Now
Median Wage
USD 166,290
Employment 2024
24.6K
Projected Change
4.0%
Openings
1.7K
Wage distribution
Demand outlook
Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Role Profile
Tasks
- 1. Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers. AI 98%
- 2. Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms. AI 0%
- 3. Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena. AI 0%
- 4. Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences. AI 0%
- 5. Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood. AI 93%
- 6. Write research proposals to receive funding. AI 0%
Technologies
Requirements
Work context
Related
Source coverage
10/11 source families · O*NET 30.2 / OEWS 2024 / ORS 2025 / OOH 2025-08-28 / Projections 2024-34 / CPS 2025 / Anthropic task penetration
Mapping quality
major_group_fallback · employment series present
Narrative & sources
Physicists and astronomers study the interactions of matter and energy.
Physicists and astronomers may work in offices, research laboratories, and observatories. Most physicists and astronomers work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week.
Physicists and astronomers typically need a Ph.D. for jobs in research and academia. However, entry-level physicist jobs in the federal government typically require a bachelor’s degree in physics.
The median annual wage for astronomers was $132,170 in May 2024.
Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2024 to 2034, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
Published limitations
This page shows the local country layer, not realised individual job outcomes. The global structural baseline is shared across countries; only the local demand and wage layer changes here.
Built from O*NET occupation descriptions, task statements, technology skills, work context, Job Zones, Anthropic task penetration, BLS OEWS wages, BLS projection tables, BLS ORS requirements, BLS OOH narrative content, BLS skills data, and BLS CPS occupation age tables.