Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Most important skills
- Instructing
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Science
- Active Listening
- Writing
- Critical Thinking
- Active Learning
Key knowledge
- Mathematics
- Physics
- Education and Training
- English Language
- Computers and Electronics
- Chemistry
- Engineering and Technology
- Mechanical
What the work involves
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as quantum mechanics, particle physics, and optics.
- Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Supervise students' laboratory work.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Social, Investigative, Realistic.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Doctoral Degree (53.8% of respondents)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (52%)
- On-the-job training
- None or short demonstration (44.6%)
- Preparation level
- O*NET job zone 5: Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Licensing
- Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.
Check before planning
- Licensing for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Limits
- Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
- Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0
Work environment
How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).
Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Moderate | Higher on contact with others than 52% of occupations compared | 58% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others” |
| Dealing with the public | High | Higher on dealing with the public than 62% of occupations compared | 40% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 93% of occupations compared | 41% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Very high | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 94% of occupations compared | 79% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | Low | Lower on time pressure than 64% of occupations compared | 45% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 66% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 72% of occupations compared | 50% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month” |
| Consequence of error | Very low | Lower on consequence of error than 82% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: low
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- Consequence of error: very low
Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.
Full answer distributions
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 2.68%
- Contact with others about half the time: 11.1%
- Contact with others most of the time: 28.34%
- Constant contact with others: 57.88%
n = 42, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 8.41%
- Fairly important: 14.5%
- Important: 13.85%
- Very important: 23.39%
- Extremely important: 39.84%
n = 41, Incumbent 08/2019
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 22.62%
- Fairly important: 6.49%
- Important: 6.16%
- Very important: 41.26%
- Extremely important: 23.48%
n = 40, Incumbent 08/2019
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 0%
- Limited freedom: 2.96%
- Some freedom: 18.19%
- A lot of freedom: 78.85%
n = 42, Incumbent 08/2019
Time pressure
- Never: 0%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 0.46%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 45.43%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 38.58%
- Every day: 15.53%
n = 42, Incumbent 08/2019
Conflict situations
- Never: 11.44%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 35.09%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 38.44%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 13.47%
- Every day: 1.56%
n = 42, Incumbent 08/2019
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 6.32%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 50.37%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 41.29%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 0.46%
- Every day: 1.56%
n = 41, Incumbent 08/2019
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 31.78%
- Fairly serious: 42.43%
- Serious: 5.38%
- Very serious: 6.65%
- Extremely serious: 13.76%
n = 41, Incumbent 08/2019
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O*NET-SOC 25-1054.00 · SOC 25-1054 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8