Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 5/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Postsecondary Physics Prof:
39.7%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Low
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forPhysics Teachers, Postsecondary
$97,360 median salary•1,300 annual openings•SOC Code: 25-1054.00
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Physics teaching at the college level lands in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a real chunk of the routine work — things like building syllabi, grading, and designing homework problems — while the heart of the job still needs a human. The parts AI can't touch are exactly what make a great physics professor: mentoring students through tough moments, sparking curiosity in the lab, building research relationships, and coming up with truly original ideas.
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Physics teaching at the college level lands in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a real chunk of the routine work — things like building syllabi, grading, and designing homework problems — while the heart of the job still needs a human. The parts AI can't touch are exactly what make a great physics professor: mentoring students through tough moments, sparking curiosity in the lab, building research relationships, and coming up with truly original ideas.
Read full analysisAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Postsecondary Physics Prof
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Postsecondary Physics Prof jobs?
Right now, AI is mostly augmenting physics professors rather than replacing them — and a lot of the action is happening on the routine tasks listed in your job profile. The American Association of Physics Teachers actually runs a regular column called AI Physics Tools (AI@TPT) in The Physics Teacher, edited by Jochen Kuhn and Stefan Küchemann, and recent 2026 entries show instructors using DeepSeek and dynamic visualization in physics education, generative AI to support inquiry in a free-fall experiment, and ChatGPT and Phyphox in an AI-assisted classroom approach to design demos and homework. The bigger research tasks are getting AI help too: a Nature news story from February 2026 [1] reports that scientists are increasingly turning to artificial-intelligence systems for help drafting the grant proposals that fund their careers, though chatbot-drafted proposals tend to look more like safe, previously funded ideas.
At the same time, MIT physicists are pushing AI into the research itself — researchers are developing real-time AI algorithms to handle the data deluge from collider experiments, according to a March 2026 MIT News interview [2].
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Postsecondary Physics Prof?
Adoption is moving fast, but with real friction. The OECD's Digital Education Outlook 2026 [3] notes that generative AI is already used by teachers alone to support their work in the classroom — exactly the syllabus, gradebook, and reading-list tasks marked 70–82% automatable. Cheap tools like ChatGPT cost far less than a teaching assistant, which speeds adoption.
But faculty are pushing back: an Inside Higher Ed survey [4] found that nine in 10 faculty members say generative AI will diminish students' critical thinking skills, and 95 percent say its impact will increase students' overreliance on AI tools, while about 68 percent of faculty said their institutions have not prepared faculty to use AI in teaching, student mentorship and scholarship. The tasks AI struggles with — mentoring, recruiting students, hands-on lab work, conference networking, and writing truly original grants — are exactly where humans still shine. So if you love physics, the path forward is to become what MIT calls a "centaur scientist" — researchers with genuine interdisciplinary expertise: someone who uses AI as a powerful sidekick while bringing the curiosity, mentorship, and creativity that machines can't.
Sources
Will AI replace Postsecondary Physics Prof?
Not entirely. We think AI will take over some tasks, but not the whole job.
Physics professors are already feeling the shift. Tools like ChatGPT and dynamic visualization software are being used in classrooms to design demos, assist with inquiry experiments, and support homework design [4]. Grant writing is getting AI help too, though chatbot-drafted proposals tend to cluster around safe, previously funded ideas [1]. The routine work, things like building syllabi, managing gradebooks, and curating reading lists, is clearly in AI's crosshairs.
Still, a lot of what makes a great physics professor is hard to hand off to a machine. Mentoring students through tough concepts, running hands-on labs, building research networks, and sparking genuine curiosity are exactly where humans still shine. MIT researchers describe the ideal as a "centaur scientist," someone who uses AI as a powerful tool while bringing the creativity and expertise machines cannot replicate [2]. That framing captures where this role is heading.
Our 39.7% AI Resilience Score reflects real pressure, not panic. The job market outlook through 2034 is soft, so new openings will be competitive. But the economic picture is more stable, and the professors who adapt, leaning into mentorship, original research, and interdisciplinary thinking, will stay relevant. Nine in ten faculty already worry AI will erode students' critical thinking [4], which means the human teacher matters more, not less.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Postsecondary Physics Prof
These articles highlight the evolving role of AI in physics education, offering valuable insights for future postsecondary physics teachers. The first article underscores the challenges of academic integrity in the age of AI, prompting educators to rethink assessment methods. Meanwhile, research on AI's potential in lesson planning can enhance teaching strategies, allowing for tailored instruction that meets diverse student needs. Additionally, the emergence of AI tutoring systems indicates a growing trend where technology can support individualized learning, suggesting that embracing these tools can lead to more effective teaching and deeper student engagement.
AI Trainer ($65-$120 per hour) – Mercor – Job Lawrence
www.talent.com • 5/20/2026
Mercor is recruiting. Physics Teachers, Postsecondary; to work on a research project; for one of the world's top AI companies. This project involves using ... Read more
Using AI for teaching physics in middle/high school — free ...
www.reddit.com • 5/20/2026
Combining Al-generated explanations with interactive simulations tends to work especially well while keeping lessons both authentic and student. Read more
AI Tutor Improves Physics 2 Learning Outcomes
www.natsci.colostate.edu • 5/20/2026
Oct 21, 2024 — The AI tutor can provide individually tailored, self-paced instruction and feedback accommodating students that are be exposed to the concepts ... Read more
The impact of AI in physics education: a comprehensive ...
www.researchgate.net • 5/20/2026
The aim of this research is to evaluate the potential of AI in assisting physics teachers in lesson planning. The objective is to identify which cognitive ... Read more
Students are cheating. Professors are panicking. The system is unravelling. Scenes from the AI revolution on campus
torontolife.com • 8/16/2023
AI has made it easy for post-secondary students to fake their way to a degree. They argue that ChatGPT is just another study tool.
More Career Info
Career: Physics Teachers, Postsecondary
They teach college students about physics, conduct experiments, and guide research to help students understand how the world works through science.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$97,360
Jobs (2024)
17,100
Growth (2024-34)
+2.5%
Annual Openings
1,300
Education
Doctoral or professional degree
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024-2034
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
2
Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.
3
Perform administrative duties such as serving as department head.
4
Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.
5
Participate in campus and community events.
6
Supervise students' laboratory work.
7
Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
