ANZSCO 234914

Physicists (including Astronomers)

Overview

EMPLOYED

1,500

PART-TIME SHARE

13%

FEMALE SHARE

26%

MEDIAN WEEKLY EARNINGS

N/A

MEDIAN AGE

41

ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT GROWTH

N/A

About this data

Summary

Physicists (including Astronomers) study matter, space, time, energy, forces and fields and the interrelationship between these physical phenomena to further understand the laws governing the behaviour of the universe, and seek to apply these laws to solve practical problems and discover new information about the earth and the universe.

Tasks

  • Develops analytical methodologies and techniques to investigate the structure and properties of matter, the relationships between matter and energy, and other physical phenomena
  • Tests the reliability of these methodologies and techniques by performing tests and experiments under various conditions
  • Prepares scientific papers and reports, or supervises their preparation
  • Supervises and co-ordinates the work of technicians and technologists
  • May specialise in one or more branches of physics such as electrical, luminescent, mechanical, magnetic, radioactive, molecular, nuclear, ionospheric, atmospheric physics and signal analysis

ANZSCO Classification

Details

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    Hours worked

    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence.
    Note: those who were classified as "Employed, away from work" at the time of the 2021 Census (accounting for approx. 8% of total employment), have been excluded from the "Average full-time hours worked per week" denominator.
    Hours worked Physicists (including Astronomers) All Occupations
    Share of workers who work full-time hours 87% 64%
    Average full-time hours worked per week 41 hours 44 hours

    Industries

    Physicists (including Astronomers) work in industries like:

    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence.
    Note: industries that comprise less than 5% of an occupation have been suppressed.

    States and territories

    New South Wales

    30.7%

    Victoria

    26.0%

    Queensland

    13.4%

    South Australia

    12.7%

    Tasmania

    1.3%

    Northern Territory

    0.0%

    Australian Capital Territory

    5.6%

    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence.

    Age and gender

    Age and Gender Profile
    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence.
    Age and Gender Physicists (including Astronomers) All Occupations
    Median age 41 years 40 years
    Female share of employment 26% 49%
    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence.
    Age Profile (% Share) All Occupations Physicists (including Astronomers)
    15–19 5.2 0.0
    20–24 9.1 2.3
    25–34 22.7 26.7
    35–44 22.3 30.1
    45–54 20.4 21.2
    55–59 8.8 10.0
    60–64 6.5 5.6
    65 and Over 4.9 3.6

    Education

    Visit

    • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
    • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
    Source: ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on place of usual residence. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study).
    Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
    Note: the sum of the educational attainment categories may not add up to 100% due to the exclusion of non-descriptive categories such as not stated responses.
    Highest Level of Educational Attainment (% Share) All Occupations Physicists (including Astronomers)
    Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 12.2 82.3
    Bachelor degree 23.2 13.1
    Advanced Diploma/Diploma 11.1 0.8
    Certificate III/IV 19.5 0.7
    Year 12 15.9 1.5
    Year 11 4.0 0.0
    Year 10 and below 9.7 0.3
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      Occupation profiles data

      This file contains data displayed on the Occupation Profile pages.

      Use of data in this file must include the relevant attribution text provided.

      Occupation profiles data - November 2024.xlsx

      occupation_profiles_data_-_november_2024.xlsx946664

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      Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations

      Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) is the skill-based classification system used to categorise occupations in the Australian and New Zealand labour markets. ANZSCO provides a basis for the standardised collection, analysis and dissemination of occupation data. Visit the ABS website to learn how ANZSCO works. Jobs and Skills Australia displays data for occupations that are defined by ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.3.