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.
What it pays
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $46.81/hr — about $97,500 a year. (Annual figure is approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary earn a median of $46.81/hr — about $97,500 a year. (Annual figure is approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- 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.
- Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.
- Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
The feel of the work
The work splits time indoors and out; it rewards working independently. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 0% of physics teachers, postsecondary are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are people-focused, analytical and organized and detail-focused.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a physics teachers, postsecondary make?
- The median pay is $46.81 per hour — roughly $97,500 a year. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a physics teachers, postsecondary?
- The typical entry-level education is: Doctoral degree. Overall preparation level: extensive preparation (Job Zone 5 of 5).
- What does a physics teachers, postsecondary actually do all day?
- 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.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.