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Singulariki

Physics

Skill in demand · Lightcast

Physics is a specialized skill in the Lightcast Open Skills taxonomy — the vocabulary employers use to describe what work requires. It maps to 180 occupations that together employ about 17,209,470 workers, with a median wage of $72,120. Its reach across the occupation map is high. The occupations that use it sit, on average, at the 40th percentile of AI task-exposure ( moderate) — a measure of how much the work overlaps with what AI can do, not of the skill's value. See where every skill sits.

This page is built from a crosswalk that maps each occupation's O*NET knowledge, skill, and ability requirements to the named Lightcast skill — it reflects which jobs require the skill, not a direct count of job postings. Employment and pay are BLS OEWS national figures for the occupations, not for the skill itself.

Occupations that need this skill

Occupations whose O*NET requirements map to Physics, ranked by employment. Wage and employment are BLS OEWS (national, cross-industry, May 2024).

Occupation Workers Median pay
Recycling and Reclamation Workers 2,982,530 $38,940
Carpenters 697,740 $59,310
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters 455,940 $62,970
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers 424,040 $51,000
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers 396,870 $59,810
Civil Engineers 355,410 $99,590
Transportation Engineers 355,410 $99,590
Water/Wastewater Engineers 355,410 $99,590
Industrial Engineers 350,230 $101,140
Manufacturing Engineers 350,230 $101,140
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Physicians 315,360 —
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists 287,230 $60,640
Automotive Engineers 286,760 $102,320
Fuel Cell Engineers 286,760 $102,320
Mechanical Engineers 286,760 $102,320
Physical Therapists 248,630 $101,020
Biofuels Production Managers 234,380 $121,440
Biomass Power Plant Managers 234,380 $121,440
Geothermal Production Managers 234,380 $121,440
Hydroelectric Production Managers 234,380 $121,440
Bakers 231,890 $36,650
Radiologic Technologists and Technicians 223,460 $77,660
Architectural and Engineering Managers 210,340 $167,740
Electrical Engineers 188,790 $111,910
Geothermal Technicians 183,690 $48,640
Food Batchmakers 171,660 $40,790
Automotive Body and Related Repairers 155,220 $51,680
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic 154,820 $41,230
Energy Engineers, Except Wind and Solar 150,750 $117,750
Mechatronics Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Microsystems Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Nanosystems Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Photonics Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Robotics Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Solar Energy Systems Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Wind Energy Engineers 150,750 $117,750
Cooks, Short Order 150,420 $35,620
Energy Auditors 137,210 $72,120
Roofers 136,740 $50,970
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians 136,390 $78,680
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists 128,430 $83,910
Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators 126,750 $58,260
Sheet Metal Workers 117,470 $60,850
Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary 111,150 $61,490
Architects, Except Landscape and Naval 111,140 $96,690
Water Resource Specialists 100,870 $161,180
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers 99,300 $226,600
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers 97,540 $38,860
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer 93,940 $127,590
Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians 92,710 $77,180
Diagnostic Medical Sonographers 86,460 $89,340
Industrial Ecologists 84,930 $80,060
Chemists 83,250 $84,150
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers 82,900 $58,140
Opticians, Dispensing 79,690 $46,560
Computer Hardware Engineers 75,710 $155,020
Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians 73,410 $64,790
Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians 73,410 $64,790
Aerospace Engineers 68,440 $134,830
Structural Iron and Steel Workers 64,720 $62,700
Exposure quadrant: AI task-overlap percentile vs Median pay AI task-overlap (horizontal) versus median pay (vertical), each as a percentile across all scored occupations, for 40 occupations in occupations that need Physics. Overlap measures shared tasks with AI, not automation. Lower overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · higher pay Higher overlap · lower pay Lower overlap · lower pay Roofers Structural Iron and Steel Workers Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers Recycling and Reclamation Workers Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians Cooks, Short Order Diagnostic Medical Sonographers Geothermal Technicians Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers Physical Therapists Opticians, Dispensing Biofuels Production Managers Energy Auditors Nanotechnology Engineering Technologists and Technicians Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians Electrical Engineers Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary Chemists AI task-overlap percentile → ↑ Median pay
Occupations that need Physics, by AI task-overlap and median pay

How this skill maps to occupations

The O*NET attribute types that bridge to this Lightcast skill, and how many of the mapped occupations each accounts for.

  • O*NET knowledge area 180

Datasets behind 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. "Physics." Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Built from O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026. https://singulariki.com/demand-skills/physics

APA

Singulariki. (2026). Physics. Singulariki: a source-backed encyclopedia of work. Retrieved June 7, 2026, from https://singulariki.com/demand-skills/physics

BibTeX 
@misc{singulariki-physics,
  title  = {Physics},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/demand-skills/physics}
}

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