Engineering Physics & Applied Physics

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Total Degrees
Awarded in 2024

1,049

growing 0.191%

Median In-State
Public Tuition

$10,941

growing 3.57%

Median Out-of-State
Private Tuition

$50,070

growing 5.86%

Average Wage

$138,226

growing 1.88%

People in Workforce

5.17M

growing 3.88%

Average Employee Age

42.8

declining 0.272%

Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics and the types of students that study this field. Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management awards the most degrees in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics in the US, having also the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics, followed by California Institute of Technology.

Tuition costs for Engineering Physics & Applied Physics majors are, on average, $10,941 for in-state public colleges, and $50,070 for out of state private colleges.

The most common sector, by number of institutions, that offers Engineering Physics & Applied Physics programs are Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above institutions (90 total). The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded, is Public, 4-year or above (565 completions).

Institutions

Institution with the Most Degrees Awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics (2024)

Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management
94 degrees awarded
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
87 degrees awarded
Colorado School of Mines
83 degrees awarded

The most common sector, by number of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics, is Public, 4-year or above (565 completions in 2024).

The following chart shows the share of universities that offer Engineering Physics & Applied Physics programs, by the total number of completions, colored and grouped by their sector.

Tuition Costs for Common Institutions

$10,941

Median In-State Public

$50,070

Median Out of State Private

Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management has the most Engineering Physics & Applied Physics degree recipients, with 94 degrees awarded in 2024.

The following bar chart shows the state tuition for the top 5 institutions with the most degrees awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics.

Specialized Colleges

Highest Concentration Institution

Out of all institutions that offer Engineering Physics & Applied Physics programs and have at least 5 graduates in those programs, Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management has the highest percentage of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics, with 17.9%.

Employment

Information on the businesses and industries that employ Engineering graduates and on wages and locations for those in the field.

The average salary for Engineering majors is $138,226 and the most common occupations are Software developers, Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers, and Civil engineers.

The industry that employs the most Engineering majors is Architectural, engineering & related services, though the highest paying industry, by average wage, is Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals.

Yearly Income for Common Jobs

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

$138,226

Average Wage in Workforce

± $1,284

1.88%

1 Year Growth

± 1.3%

The average salary for Engineering majors is $138,226 and the most common occupations are Software developers, Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers, and Civil engineers.

This chart shows the average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Engineering majors.

Highest Paying Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

Highest Paying Pumas

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States colored by the average salary of Engineering majors.

Note that the census collects information tied to where people live, not where they work. It is possible that Engineering majors live and work in the same place, but it is also possible that they live and work in two different places.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

The most common occupations for Engineering majors, by number of employees, are Software developers, Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers, and Civil engineers.

Most Specialized

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

Compared to other majors, there are an unusually high number of Engineering majors working as Chemical engineers, Civil engineers, and Petroleum, mining & geological engineers, including mining safety engineers.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

The highest paid occupations by median income for Engineering majors are Surgeons, Podiatrists, and Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents.

Occupations by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

5.17M

2024 Workforce

± 54,897

3.88%

1 Year Growth

± 1.46%

The number of Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.88%, from 4.98M in 2023 to 5.17M in 2024.

The largest single share of Engineering graduates go on to work as Software developers (9.37%). This chart shows the various jobs filled by those with a major in Engineering by share of the total number of graduates.

Most Common

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

The most common industries that employ Engineering majors, by number of employees, are Architectural, engineering & related services, Computer Systems Design, and Construction.

Highest Paid

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

The highest paying industries of Engineering majors, by average wage, are Internet publishing, broadcasting & web search portals, Offices of physicians, and Broadcasting & content providers.

Industries by Share

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

5.17M

2024 Workforce

± 54,897

3.88%

1 Year Growth

± 1.46%

The number of Engineering graduates in the workforce has been growing at a rate of 3.88%, from 4.98M in 2023 to 5.17M in 2024.

The industry which employs the most Engineering graduates by share is Architectural, engineering & related services, followed by Computer Systems Design. This visualization shows the industries that hire those who major in Engineering.

Specialty Locations

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

PUMAS with a relatively high number of Engineering majors

This map shows the public use micro areas (PUMAs) in the United States where there are a relatively high population of Engineering majors.

Diversity

Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Engineering in the United States.

The average age of a person in the workforce with a degree in Engineering is 42.8.

N/A Male employees are more likely to hold Engineering degrees, and White students are the most common race/ethnicty group awarded degrees in Engineering (522 students).

Workforce Age

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

42.8

Average Age in 2024

± 0.143 Years

0.272%

1 Year Change

± 0.476%

This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Engineering. The most common ages of employees with this major are 30 and 29 years old, which represent 2.92% and 2.88% of the population, respectively.

Workforce Degrees

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

The most common degree types held by the working population in Engineering are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Doctorate degree.

Sex Imbalance for Common Institutions

Male (75.8%)

Most Common Sex with a Degree in this Field

This chart shows the granted degrees by sex at the 5 institutions that graduate the most students in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics.

Race & Ethnicity by Degrees Awarded

Degrees

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
522 degrees awarded in 2024
Non-resident Alien
161 degrees awarded in 2024
Hispanic or Latino
111 degrees awarded in 2024

This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics for each race & ethnicity.

In 2024, White students earned the largest share of the degrees with this major.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Degrees

Most Common Race/Ethnicity and Sex Combination

White Male
274 degrees awarded
White Female
86 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino Male
65 degrees awarded

This chart illustrates the differences by sex for each race & ethnicity of Bachelors Degree recipients in Engineering Physics & Applied Physics.

White Male students, who earn most of the degrees in this field, are the most common combination of race/ethnicity and sex.

Global Diversity

The closest comparable data for the 6 Digit Course Engineering Physics & Applied Physics is from the 2 Digit Course Engineering.

Most Common Countries of Origin

India
525,874 degree recipients
China
160,401 degree recipients
Mexico
110,690 degree recipients

High Relative Number of Students

India
4.03 times more than expected
Iran
3.2 times more than expected
Other Asia, not specified
3.06 times more than expected

There are a relatively high number of people that were born in India that hold Engineering degrees (4.03 times more than expected), and the most common country of origin by total numbers for non-US students earning a degree in this field is India (525,874 degree recipients).

Skills

Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Engineering Physics & Applied Physics field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Engineering Physics & Applied Physics majors need many skills, but most especially Reading Comprehension. The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) shows that Engineering Physics & Applied Physics majors need more than the average amount of Equipment Selection, Technology Design, and Repairing.

These two visualizations, one a radial chart and one a bar chart, show the same information, a rating of how necessary the following skills are for Engineering Physics & Applied Physics majors. Toggle between "value" and "RCA" to see the absolute rating of that skill (value) and the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), or how much greater or lesser that skill's rating is than the average. The longer the bar or the closer the line comes to the circumference of the circle, the more important that skill is. The importance of Equipment Selection is very distinctive for majors, but the Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Writing are the three most important skills for people in the field.

Radar Distribution

Bar Chart

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