Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 6/19/2026
AI Resilience Score for Postsecondary Physics Prof:
40.3%
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 teachers at the postsecondary level land in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a meaningful chunk of their routine work, like drafting syllabi, building reading lists, and grading, which makes up a big portion of the job. At the same time, the heart of what makes a great physics professor (mentoring students, leading hands-on labs, sparking curiosity, and building real research relationships) is still very much a human job that AI cannot replicate.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysis
Chat with Coach
Latest news
More career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is somewhat resilient
Physics teachers at the postsecondary level land in "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a meaningful chunk of their routine work, like drafting syllabi, building reading lists, and grading, which makes up a big portion of the job. At the same time, the heart of what makes a great physics professor (mentoring students, leading hands-on labs, sparking curiosity, and building real research relationships) is still very much a human job that AI cannot replicate.
Read full analysisLearn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis 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 using AI tools to handle routine work like designing demos, building homework sets, and processing research data [2]. The OECD confirms that generative AI is actively supporting teachers in classroom tasks [3], and that adoption is accelerating. Our AI Resilience Score of 40.3% reflects this reality: the role faces meaningful pressure, especially on the more mechanical parts of teaching and research.
But the core of this job stays human. Mentoring students through difficult material, running hands-on lab work, building research collaborations, and writing truly original grant proposals all require judgment and relationships that AI cannot replicate. Scientists are already leaning on AI for grant drafting, but chatbot-generated proposals tend to cluster around safe, already-funded ideas [1], which is exactly why human creativity still matters.
The honest concern is job market health. Employer demand through 2034 scores low, so competition for positions is likely to stay tight. Nine in ten faculty also worry that AI will erode students' critical thinking skills [4], which adds pressure on professors to teach more deliberately. The professors who will thrive are those who use AI as a tool while doubling down on the curiosity, mentorship, and expertise that no algorithm can replace.
Sources
Help us improve this report.
Tell us if this analysis feels accurate or we missed something.
Share your feedback
Latest AI news for Postsecondary Physics Prof
These AI-related articles highlight the growing importance of integrating AI tools in physics education, essential for aspiring postsecondary physics teachers. For instance, the study on AI-assisted teaching in Grade 11 physics shows promising improvements in student outcomes, suggesting that future educators can enhance learning experiences. Additionally, research on preservice teachers’ perceptions of AI tools indicates that familiarity with these technologies can empower educators to innovate lesson planning and teaching methods. Embracing AI in physics education fosters resilience in adapting to evolving teaching landscapes.
Evaluating middle school physics teachers' use of AI in lesson ...
link.aps.org • 6/20/2026
by F Budimaier · 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 ... Read more
Evaluating AI-Assisted Instructional Systems in Secondary ...
inquisiva.com • 6/20/2026
Nov 13, 2025 — This study investigates the effects of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted teaching on student outcomes in Grade 11 Advanced Physics at ... Read more
How Preservice Teachers Perceive the Role of AI Tools in ...
www.intechopen.com • 6/20/2026
by O Aksit · 2025 — This study aimed to systematically explore how a group of preservice physics teachers perceived the role of AI-based tools and technologies in the teaching and ... Read more
Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning - Job ID 276418
physics.gatech.edu • 6/20/2026
Invites applications for an open-rank tenured/tenure-track faculty position at the interface between machine learning and physics. Read more
Remote AI Physics Tutor & Model Evaluator | Illinois
www.jobleads.com • 6/20/2026
In this role, you will train AI models by evaluating their logical outputs on physics problems. You should have a strong understanding of classical mechanics ... Read more
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.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
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.
