Searching

Career Exploration

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Also called: Instructor, Physics Instructor, Physics Professor, Professor

What they do:

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.

On the job, you would:
  • 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.
On the job, you'll need:

Math and Science

  • arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
  • physics

Education and Training

  • teaching and course design

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • talking to others

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

People and Technology Systems

  • thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one

Verbal

  • communicate by speaking
  • communicate by writing

Math

  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem
  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide

Ideas and Logic

  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information
  • notice when problems happen

Social

People interested in this work like activities that include helping people, teaching, and talking.

  • Dependability
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Integrity
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Attention to Detail
  • Persistence

Analytical or scientific software

  • The MathWorks MATLAB
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica

Word processing software

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word

Development environment software

  • C
  • National Instruments LabVIEW

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $86,550

Education

Doctoral degree or master's degree is usually needed.