BlissPoint Analytics

Occupation AtlasPhysics Teachers, Postsecondary

O*NET · 25-1054.00

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.

Also called Acoustics Teacher · Adjunct Instructor · Adjunct Physics Instructor · Adjunct Physics Professor · Adjunct Professor · Aerodynamics Professor · Aerodynamics Teacher · Assistant Professor
39 more

Associate Professor · Astrophysics Professor · Astrophysics Teacher · Atomic Physics Professor · Atomic Physics Teacher · Ballistics Professor · Ballistics Teacher · College Faculty Member · College Professor · Geospatial Analysis Instructor · Hydrodynamics Professor · Hydrodynamics Teacher · Instructor · Lecturer · MCAT Physics Instructor · MCAT Physics Instructor (Medical College Admission Test Physics Instructor) · Medical Physics Professor · Medical Physics Teacher · Nuclear Instructor · Nuclear Physics Professor · Nuclear Physics Teacher · Physical Optics Teacher · Physical Science Professor · Physics Adjunct Instructor · Physics Adjunct Professor · Physics Faculty Member · Physics Instructor · Physics Lecturer · Physics Professor · Postdoc Scholar · Postdoctoral Scholar (Postdoc Scholar) · Professor · Science Instructor · Science Professor · Teacher · Theoretical Physics Teacher · Thermodynamics Professor · Thermodynamics Teacher · University Faculty Member

Job Zone 5 — Extensive Preparation NeededHolland code SIR35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 5: Extensive Preparation Needed

Extensive preparation. Usually a graduate degree, with extensive skill, knowledge and experience — many of these occupations expect more than five years of experience.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

SIRSocial · Investigative · Realistic — the three strongest interests, in order

  • S Social6.06
  • I Investigative5.98
  • R Realistic3.77
  • C Conventional3.64
  • A Artistic3.28
  • E Enterprising2.35

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • Master's Degree25%
  • Doctoral Degree54%
  • Post-Doctoral Training21%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (52%)
On-site or in-plant training
None (49%)
On-the-job training
None or short demonstration (45%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Instructing4.34.4Level 4 looks like: Instruct a coworker in how to operate a software program
  • Reading Comprehensionbasic4.15.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Speakingbasic4.15.0Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Sciencebasic4.14.6Level 4 looks like: Conduct product tests to ensure safety standards are met
  • Writingbasic4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Critical Thinkingbasic4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Active Listeningbasic4.04.6Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Active Learningbasic4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Learning Strategiesbasic4.04.4Level 4 looks like: Identify an alternative approach to help trainees who are having difficulties
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.83.9Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Complex Problem Solving3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Mathematicsbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
Show the other 23
  • Monitoringbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Time Management3.33.1Level 4 looks like: Allocate the time of subordinates to projects for the coming week
  • Coordination3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Work with others to put a new roof on a house
  • Social Perceptiveness3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Be aware of how a coworker's promotion will affect a work group
  • Management of Personnel Resources3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Direct the activities of a road repair crew with minimal disruption of traffic flow
  • Persuasion3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Service Orientation3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Systems Analysis2.93.1Level 4 looks like: Determine how a new piece of equipment will affect production rates
  • Systems Evaluation2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Operations Analysis2.62.8Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Negotiation2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Repairing2.31.4Level 2 looks like: Tighten a screw to get a door to close properly
  • Quality Control Analysis2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Inspect a draft email for errors (e.g., grammar, punctuation)
  • Troubleshooting2.11.5Level 2 looks like: Identify the source of a leak by looking under a machine
  • Equipment Maintenance2.11.3Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Management of Material Resources2.02.0Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Operations Monitoring2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Management of Financial Resources2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase
  • Equipment Selection2.01.0Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Programming1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Technology Design1.61.0Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Operation and Control1.60.6
  • Installation1.0—

Tasks

19 core · 5 supplemental

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.4.6
  2. Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.4.5
  3. Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as quantum mechanics, particle physics, and optics.4.4
  4. Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.4.4
  5. Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.4.2
  6. Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.4.2
  7. Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.4.1
  8. Supervise students' laboratory work.4.1
  9. Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.4.1
  10. Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.4.1
  11. Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.4.0
  12. Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.4.0
Show the other 12
  1. Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.3.7
  2. Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.3.7
  3. Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.3.5
  4. Maintain and repair laboratory equipment.3.4
  5. Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.3.2
  6. Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.3.2
  7. Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.3.1
  8. Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.3.7
  9. Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.2.8
  10. Act as advisers to student organizations.2.7
  11. Participate in campus and community events.2.7
  12. Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.2.3

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Mathematics4.86.5Level 7 looks like: Derive a complex mathematical equation
  • Physics4.55.7
  • Education and Training4.45.5Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • English Language4.25.2Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Computers and Electronics3.94.5Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Chemistry3.43.9Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Engineering and Technology3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Mechanical2.93.4Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
Show all 33
  • Administrative2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Customer and Personal Service2.83.1Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Design2.73.2Level 4 looks like: Design plans for remodeling a kitchen
  • Administration and Management2.62.7
  • Communications and Media2.52.9
  • Public Safety and Security2.32.2Level 1 looks like: Use a seatbelt
  • Law and Government2.22.0Level 1 looks like: Describe the length of a U.S. presidential term
  • Biology2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Telecommunications2.11.7Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.02.2Level 1 looks like: Fill out a medical claim form
  • Psychology2.02.3Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Building and Construction1.81.8Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • History and Archeology1.82.0Level 1 looks like: Take a class in US history
  • Philosophy and Theology1.82.0Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Production and Processing1.81.7Level 1 looks like: Put a computer back into its packing materials
  • Therapy and Counseling1.81.6Level 1 looks like: Put ice on a sprained ankle
  • Geography1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.71.5Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.61.1Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Sales and Marketing1.61.2Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Transportation1.51.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a train to work
  • Economics and Accounting1.4—
  • Foreign Language1.2—
  • Fine Arts1.1—
  • Food Production1.0—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Oral Expression4.45.6Level 6 looks like: Explain advanced principles of genetics to college freshmen
  • Oral Comprehension4.05.8Level 6 looks like: Understand a lecture on advanced physics
  • Written Comprehension4.04.9Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Written Expression4.05.0Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Deductive Reasoning3.94.4Level 5 looks like: Decide what factors to consider in selecting stocks
  • Inductive Reasoning3.94.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Mathematical Reasoning3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Problem Sensitivity3.93.6Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
Show all 52
  • Speech Clarity3.94.9Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Near Vision3.63.9
  • Speech Recognition3.63.5Level 4 looks like: Identify a former customer's voice over the phone
  • Number Facility3.43.5Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Fluency of Ideas3.33.8Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Category Flexibility3.13.6Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Information Ordering3.13.9Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Originality3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Far Vision2.93.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Memorization2.92.9
  • Selective Attention2.92.8Level 2 looks like: Answer a business call with coworkers talking nearby
  • Time Sharing2.42.1Level 2 looks like: Listen to music while entering numbers into a spreadsheet
  • Visualization2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Imagine how to place paper in a printer so that the letterhead comes out on top
  • Auditory Attention2.31.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Finger Dexterity2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Put coins in a parking meter
  • Perceptual Speed2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Sort mail according to ZIP codes with no time pressure
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness2.11.5Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Flexibility of Closure2.12.1Level 2 looks like: Detect that your phone is ringing while at a concert
  • Manual Dexterity2.11.3Level 1 looks like: Screw a light bulb into a light socket
  • Speed of Closure2.12.1Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.12.3Level 1 looks like: Separate laundry into colors and whites
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.01.4Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Trunk Strength2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Depth Perception1.91.1Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Control Precision1.60.9
  • Rate Control1.50.5Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Reaction Time1.50.5
  • Wrist-Finger Speed1.50.6
  • Extent Flexibility1.3—
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Dynamic Strength1.0—
  • Explosive Strength1.0—
  • Glare Sensitivity1.0—
  • Gross Body Coordination1.0—
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.0—
  • Multilimb Coordination1.0—
  • Night Vision1.0—
  • Peripheral Vision1.0—
  • Response Orientation1.0—
  • Sound Localization1.0—
  • Spatial Orientation1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—
  • Stamina1.0—
  • Static Strength1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Training and Teaching Others4.75.9
  • Working with Computers4.64.7Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others4.55.7
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.55.8
  • Analyzing Data or Information4.45.4Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.44.9Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.35.3Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Processing Information4.35.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
Show all 41
  • Thinking Creatively4.35.9
  • Getting Information4.25.6
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work4.15.0Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.05.1Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.04.1Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.94.9Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Coaching and Developing Others3.84.9Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies3.84.3Level 4 looks like: Develop the plan to complete the merger of two organizations over a 3-year period
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.74.4Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.63.9Level 4 looks like: Estimate the time required to evacuate a city in the event of a major disaster
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.54.4Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others3.54.3Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.34.1Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates3.33.6Level 4 looks like: Manage a small team of employees in a dynamic workplace
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.34.0Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Assisting and Caring for Others3.23.6Level 4 looks like: Help a medical patient find in-home assistance or healthcare
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing and Building Teams3.03.2Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.93.4Level 4 looks like: Sell shoes in a crowded shoe store
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.83.2Level 4 looks like: Complete tax forms for a small business
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.82.9
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials2.73.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment2.63.4Level 4 looks like: Make repairs by removing and replacing circuit boards
  • Controlling Machines and Processes2.53.4Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.52.7
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.42.8
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.32.8
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment2.22.2Level 1 looks like: Specify the lighting for a work area
  • Handling and Moving Objects2.02.7
  • Performing General Physical Activities2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Walk between workstations in a small office
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment1.92.1Level 1 looks like: Make simple, external adjustments to a door hinge with ordinary hand tools
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment1.51.1Level 1 looks like: Drive a car

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals4.8
  • E-Mail4.8
  • Freedom to Make Decisions4.8
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.6
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.5
  • Contact With Others4.4
  • Public Speaking4.3
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General3.7
  • Time Pressure3.7
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate3.6

Technology

45 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

In demand (1)

  • Learning management system LMS

Hot (12)

  • Autodesk AutoCAD
  • C
  • C++
  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • Perl
  • The MathWorks MATLAB
Other tools (32)
  • Blackboard Learn
  • Collaborative editing software
  • Course management system software
  • Desire2Learn LMS software
  • DOC Cop
  • Edmodo
  • Email software
  • FFTPACK
  • FFTW
  • Formula translation/translator FORTRAN
  • Geant4
  • GIPSY-OASIS
  • GNU Octave
  • Gnuplot
  • Gravitation software
  • Image scanning software
  • iParadigms Turnitin
  • LAPACK
  • LaTeX
  • Maplesoft Maple
  • Mathsoft Mathcad
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • OriginLab Origin
  • Pascal
  • plotutils
  • PLplot
  • Sakai CLE
  • Synergy Software KaleidaGraph
  • VASP Data Viewer
  • Visual Molecular Dynamics VMD
  • Web browser software
  • Wolfram Research Mathematica

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Mathematical Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  2. Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
  3. Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary
  4. Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
  5. Biological Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  6. Physicists
  7. Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  8. Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary
  9. Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary
  10. Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.