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Physicists vs Computer and Information Research Scientists

Side-by-side · O*NET · BLS · AI-exposure research · Anthropic Economic Index

A factual, source-backed comparison of Physicists and Computer and Information Research Scientists on the dimensions both occupations carry. Every figure is a position within an independent published dataset — not a verdict on which job is better, safer, or more “future-proof.”

Physicists Computer and Information Research Scientists
Median pay · BLS OEWS
$166,290
$140,910
Employment · BLS OEWS
21,340
38,480
AI exposure (percentile) · task overlap, not automation
76th pct
58th pct

At a glance

Dimension Physicists Computer and Information Research Scientists
Median pay $166,290 $140,910
Employment 21,340 38,480
Employment outlook (2024–34) · BLS projection About average (+4.0%) Growing fast (+19.7%)
Annual openings · BLS projection 1,700 3,200
Typical education · O*NET Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree). Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
AI exposure · published exposure studies High · 76th pct Moderate · 58th pct
Global GenAI gradient · ILO ISCO-08 · via crosswalk 73rd pct · 38% of tasks —
Observed AI use · Anthropic Economic Index Automation-leaning (57.2%) —
Mostly remote-capable · Dingel–Neiman Yes —

Pay and employment are BLS OEWS estimates; outlook and openings are BLS 2024–2034 projections; AI exposure and observed-use figures come from separate research and reflect exposure and usage, not predictions that either job will disappear. Compare like with like.

Skills

Shared: Mathematics, Mathematical Reasoning, Science, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Written Comprehension, Number Facility, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Oral Comprehension, Oral Expression, Fluency of Ideas, Originality, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Active Listening, Writing, Active Learning, Written Expression, Problem Sensitivity, Information Ordering, Complex Problem Solving, Category Flexibility, Near Vision, Speech Recognition, Speech Clarity, Judgment and Decision Making, English Language, Visualization, Programming, Systems Analysis, Systems Evaluation.

Specific to Physicists

  • Physics
  • Learning Strategies
  • Instructing
  • Education and Training
  • Speed of Closure
  • Flexibility of Closure

Specific to Computer and Information Research Scientists

  • Time Management
  • Administration and Management
  • Design
  • Monitoring
  • Operations Analysis
  • Technology Design

Knowledge, skills & abilities O*NET rates as important for each occupation. “Shared” are common to both; the columns list what is distinctive to each (top by the order O*NET surfaces).

Tools & technology

Shared: Development environment software , Object or component oriented development software , Data base user interface and query software , Expert system software , Enterprise application integration software , File versioning software , Web platform development software , Operating system software , Configuration management software , Analytical or scientific software .

Specific to Physicists

Specific to Computer and Information Research Scientists

Full profiles

This page is a summary. See the complete source-backed profile for Physicists or Computer and Information Research Scientists — tasks, the full skill graph, tools, work context, preparation, wages by percentile, industries, AI exposure and the AI work map.

More comparisons

Related occupations you can place side by side on the same sourced scale.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

Cite this page
Plain

Singulariki. "Physicists vs Computer and Information Research Scientists." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-computer-and-information-research-scientists

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Physicists vs Computer and Information Research Scientists. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-computer-and-information-research-scientists

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-physicists-vs-computer-and-information-research-scientists,
  title  = {Physicists vs Computer and Information Research Scientists},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Anthropic Economic Index v4 (2026-01-15) + v2 (2025-03-27); Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/compare/physicists-vs-computer-and-information-research-scientists}
}

Citations name the underlying public dataset releases — they reflect what this page is built from, not just the URL.