Occupation Profile

Physicists

(SOC Code : 19-2012)

in California

Conduct research into the phases of physical phenomena, develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply laws and theories to industry and other fields.

Employers are usually looking for candidates with a Doctor's degree .

Occupational Wages

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Area	Year	Period	Hourly Mean	Hourly by Percentile
				25th	Median	75th
California	2012	1st Qtr	$50.91	$36.53	$50.13	$63.43

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Occupational Projections of Employment (also called "Outlook" or "Demand")

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Area	Estimated Year-Projected Year	Employment		Employment Change		Annual Avg Openings
		Estimated	Projected	Number	Percent
California	2010 - 2020	3,300	3,800	500	15.2	150

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Job Openings from JobCentral National Labor Exchange

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Enter a Zip Code Find a Zip code in California

Within miles of Zip Code.

Industries Employing This Occupation (click on Industry Title to View Employers List)

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Industry Title

Number of Employers in State of California

Percent of Total
Employment for Occupation in State of California

Scientific Research and Development Svc

5,742

46.5%

Colleges and Universities

1,979

13.8%

Architectural and Engineering Services

23,211

6.5%

About Staffing Patterns

Training Programs (click on title for more information)

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Program Title

Acoustics

Astrophysics

Atomic/Molecular Physics.

Engineering Physics/Applied Physics

Health/Medical Physics

About Training & Apprenticeships

About This Occupation (from O*NET - The Occupation Information Network)

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Top Tasks (Specific duties and responsibilities of this job.)

Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.

Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.

Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.

Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.

Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.

Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.

Direct testing and monitoring of contamination of radioactive equipment, and recording of personnel and plant area radiation exposure data.

Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes, in order to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena.

Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology.

Teach physics to students.

More Tasks for Physicists

Top Skills used in this Job

Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

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Top Abilities (Attributes of the person that influence performance in this job.)

Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

Number Facility - The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.

Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

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Top Work Values (Aspects of this job that create satisfaction.)

Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious.

Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions.

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Top Interests (The types of activities someone in this job would like.)

Investigative - Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Realistic - Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

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