Physical Scientists, All Other
All physical scientists not listed separately.
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What the data says: Jobs are projected to grow 2.1% by 2035. Its tasks haven't been rated for what AI could do. How to think about this →
About this projection
BLS builds AI into its projections where the research supports it: “BLS generally applies adjustments based on this research conservatively, where there is convincing evidence for a change.”
It also notes a limit: “BLS projection methods are not designed to capture extremely rapid technological change.”
On its AI exposure groups, BLS says exposure “does not imply job loss.”
BLS figures cover the broader occupation “Physical scientists, all other”, which includes this one and others.
Recent conditions
- In 2024, 2.0% of people in this work were unemployed, against 3.8% across all occupations Census ACS 2024
- From Sep 2025 to Aug 2026, 4.3 hires for every 10 job openings in government, which employs about 52% of people in this work, against 7.3 across all industries BLS JOLTS
One box per opening, filled for each hire; hires beyond the openings are added in a lighter shade. Higher can mean openings get filled, or that people leave often; lower, that jobs go unfilled, or hiring is slow.4.3 this industry7.3 all industries
Median pay by state BLS OEWS May 2025, state estimates
Tap a state for its figures.
Median pay in every state
| State | Median | Middle half earn | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $135,350 | $117,060 to $166,280 | 140 |
| Alaska | $120,240 | $100,320 to $142,980 | 140 |
| Arizona | $125,270 | $107,370 to $156,470 | 170 |
| California | $130,610 | $106,480 to $171,270 | 2,320 |
| Colorado | $134,440 | $108,680 to $169,170 | 710 |
| Connecticut | $99,990 | $80,080 to $158,630 | 370 |
| District of Columbia | $156,730 | $124,590 to $185,220 | 790 |
| Florida | $131,690 | $106,220 to $178,150 | 340 |
| Georgia | $137,680 | $106,460 to $171,180 | 1,020 |
| Hawaii | $112,880 | $78,530 to $132,020 | 100 |
| Illinois | $108,970 | $78,090 to $149,220 | 580 |
| Indiana | $68,670 | $52,890 to $86,620 | 1,240 |
| Iowa | $80,810 | $65,830 to $139,040 | 100 |
| Kentucky | $81,260 | $51,950 to $100,420 | 260 |
| Louisiana | $94,320 | $79,450 to $125,070 | 280 |
| Maryland | $141,290 | $93,620 to $185,220 | 1,810 |
| Massachusetts | $138,380 | $104,600 to $158,630 | 350 |
| Michigan | $118,870 | $97,740 to $140,940 | 130 |
| Minnesota | $147,890 | $81,780 to $176,440 | 540 |
| Mississippi | $108,890 | $87,460 to $126,440 | 380 |
| Montana | $94,520 | $64,630 to $107,870 | 100 |
| Nebraska | $101,440 | $92,480 to $120,620 | 40 |
| New Hampshire | $112,370 | $85,300 to $164,030 | 210 |
| New Jersey | $109,990 | $88,480 to $133,870 | 590 |
| New Mexico | $123,820 | $97,470 to $162,860 | 240 |
| New York | $117,820 | $87,820 to $151,630 | 1,510 |
| North Carolina | $110,030 | $84,450 to $142,580 | 650 |
| North Dakota | $147,650 | $88,990 to $147,920 | 70 |
| Ohio | $108,790 | $78,440 to $147,260 | 430 |
| Oklahoma | $112,260 | $96,350 to $135,220 | 80 |
| Oregon | $109,580 | $85,260 to $125,670 | 290 |
| Pennsylvania | $134,780 | $107,410 to $166,590 | 460 |
| Puerto Rico | $97,150 | $47,120 to $115,210 | 70 |
| Rhode Island | not published | not published | 70 |
| South Carolina | $141,130 | $107,430 to $161,890 | 70 |
| Tennessee | $129,570 | $88,610 to $163,720 | 120 |
| Texas | $100,920 | $75,000 to $134,210 | 2,310 |
| Utah | $115,920 | $97,470 to $133,080 | 250 |
| Virginia | not published | not published | 1,450 |
| Washington | $133,980 | $112,400 to $158,620 | 450 |
| Wisconsin | $97,470 | $84,530 to $126,440 | 70 |
| Wyoming | $69,240 | $65,040 to $86,260 | 60 |
Nationally: $122,570. Shades run from the lowest state median to the highest; a territory below that range takes the lightest. How to read this
How AI touches the work
What AI could speed up, task by task, and where people already use it.
How to read this
Work activities come from O*NET, which links every task to the broader activities it involves. Microsoft's figures are for the activity across everyone who used Copilot, not for physical scientists, all other specifically. Copilot is a general chat assistant; dedicated coding tools are not included, so programming help is under-counted here. Activities are listed by how many of this occupation's tasks fall under them.
The task ratings say whether AI could halve the time a task takes: on its own (“AI alone”), or with software built on it (“AI + software”). They were made by people in 2023 (Eloundou et al.). Claude's share is the task's share of all Claude.ai conversations in May 2026; Anthropic doesn't publish a task with too few conversations. None of these add up to the BLS exposure group, which combines five research measures.
More in the Guide: task ratings · task order · work activities · Copilot figures · Claude
High exposure doesn't mean fewer jobs
BLS projects most occupations in its two most exposed groups to grow: 141 of 206 rated Very high and 165 of 206 rated High. Each dot is one of the 831 occupations BLS rates.
Career moves into and out of this occupation
From moves between occupations found in online resumes, 2002–2016. Career changes only: a first job after school isn't a move.
Where people moved next
of 1,440 moves out
- 1 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 9%
- 2 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 6%
- 3 Chief Executives Very high +3.2% 4%
- 4 Management Analysts Very high +10.1% 4%
- 5 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Where people moved in from
of 1,701 moves in
- 1 Operations Research Analysts Very high +11.9% 8%
- 2 Managers, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 6%
- 3 Purchasing Agents, Except Wholesale, Retail, and Farm Products 5%
- 4 Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers Moderate +2.5% 4%
- 5 Teachers and Instructors, All Other (2010 group) an older group BLS has since split; no exposure group today 4%
Resumes over-represent younger, white-collar job-seekers and moves into management. Schubert, Stansbury and Taska (resume data).
Education and training for the occupation
Census survey (American Community Survey)
- 32% bachelor's
- 22% master's
- 3% professional degree
- 43% doctorate
Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation · 4,386 people surveyed.
Median pay by highest degree full-time, year-round · Census ACS 2024, all workers in this occupation
3 programs: Natural Sciences, Marine Sciences and Physical Sciences, Other.
Jobs that require a credential BLS Occupational Requirements Survey 2023
BLS publishes no credential figures for this occupation.
Look up certifications, training and licenses U.S. Department of Labor
- Certification Finder ↗ certifications CareerOneStop lists for this occupation
- Training Finder ↗ schools and programs, nationwide; narrow the place there
- License Finder ↗ licenses by state
- Apprenticeships: DOL's list of apprenticeable occupations doesn't include this one.
These open in a new tab and send only the occupation's public code. More in the Guide
BLS AI exposure categories (Aug 2026) · BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 · O*NET 31.0 · Task ratings: Eloundou et al., Science (2024) · Microsoft "Working with AI" v1.1 · Anthropic Economic Index (2026-06-26) · Schubert, Stansbury and Taska · NCES CIP–SOC · Census ACS 2024 · BLS JOLTS
See it online, and explore any career: https://www.pathmosaic.com/card/19-2099.00