Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Physics Teachers, Postsecondary: $124K vs $100K Median Pay

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Physics Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

Consider Economics Teachers, Postsecondary if you want to teach courses in economics. Consider Physics Teachers, Postsecondary if you would rather teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Both list doctoral or professional degree; compare training and prior experience separately.

Try this next: Compare three local entry-level postings for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary and Physics Teachers, Postsecondary. List the duties, credentials, prior experience, and paid training each employer actually asks for. Try a supervised class or sample project from each field before choosing a program.

BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. National medians are not starting offers. Occupation size is not a count of vacancies. View the BLS data.

Compare the practical differences

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $123,920
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as econometrics, price theory, and macroeconomics.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,000

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (14,600 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Economics Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

National median pay (2025): $100,310
Route into the job: Doctoral or professional degree
Prior related experience: No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
Training and licensing: BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.
Work to investigate: Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory work, assignments, and papers.
Annual openings (2025–2035): 1,100

Know before you choose

This is a small national occupation (16,400 jobs in 2025), so location and employer concentration can matter more than the national median suggests.

See the full Physics Teachers, Postsecondary brief

How the national numbers differ

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary is at $123,920, compared with $100,310 for Physics Teachers, Postsecondary.

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary is at 1,100 annual openings, compared with 1,000 annual openings for Economics Teachers, Postsecondary.

45.1/ 100

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

43.5/ 100

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Each available metric is ranked from 0 to 100 against the careers on ChooseField. The weighted average uses this profile: pay 30%, growth 25%, openings 30%, preparation level 15%. Missing values are not scored as zero; their weights are redistributed across available metrics. Occupation size has zero weight: employment is not accessible vacancies. Preparation categories do not measure admission difficulty or years without earnings. The score summarizes national measures; local opportunities and personal fit still need separate consideration.

Detailed evidence

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Dimension	Economics Teachers, Postsecondary	Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
Median pay (2025)	$123,920	$100,310
Pay percentile	90.2 percentile	82.8 percentile
Projected growth (2025–2035)	2.4%	2.4%
Annual openings (2025–2035)	1,000	1,100
2025 employment	14,600	16,400
How you qualify	Doctoral or professional degree	Doctoral or professional degree
O*NET preparation group	Job Zone 5	Job Zone 5
Related work experience	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.	No prior related occupation is typically required; employer requirements vary.
On-the-job training	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.	BLS does not list a separate on-the-job training requirement. Employers may still provide orientation and role-specific training.

The table reports national benchmarks and reviewed work descriptions. It does not rate personal suitability, job security, or physical safety.

Read Economics Teachers, Postsecondary brief Read Physics Teachers, Postsecondary brief

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Physics Teachers, Postsecondary: what changes?

The facts most likely to affect your decision

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

How the national numbers differ

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on median pay

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary has the edge on annual openings

Economics Teachers, Postsecondary vs Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

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