Physical Sciences, General: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 40.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 249 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 3 | 4 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 128 | 2,241 | $34,698 | $49,076 | $9,500 5 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 94 | 364 | $49,783 | $68,944 | $18,560 4 programs |
| Master's degree | 16 | 36 | $61,706 | $72,703 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 4 | 13 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 4 | 3 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chandler-Gilbert Community College AZ · Public · 16 graduates measured | $62,904 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Middlesex College NJ · Public · 34 graduates measured | $43,689 | $67,944 | $9,866 |
| CUNY Borough of Manhattan Community College NY · Public · 31 graduates measured | $41,494 | $40,438 | Data unavailable |
| Glendale Community College AZ · Public · 18 graduates measured | $38,846 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Medgar Evers College NY · Public · 22 graduates measured | $34,315 | $50,871 | $9,500 |
| CUNY New York City College of Technology NY · Public · 17 graduates measured | $29,623 | $47,221 | Data unavailable |
| Richard Bland College VA · Public · 56 graduates measured | $26,596 | $41,042 | $9,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice NY · Public · 100 graduates measured | $55,305 | $68,781 | $10,500 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 52 graduates measured | $48,598 | $64,456 | $22,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Physical Sciences, General
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education | $72,040 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 40.0101 Physical Sciences, General