diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variants.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variants.java
index 9c7a89c572f5..e8ea3d93ab77 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variants.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/iceberg/variants/Variants.java
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@ public enum PhysicalType {
     NULL(LogicalType.NULL, Void.class),
     BOOLEAN_TRUE(LogicalType.BOOLEAN, Boolean.class),
     BOOLEAN_FALSE(LogicalType.BOOLEAN, Boolean.class),
-    INT8(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Integer.class),
-    INT16(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Integer.class),
+    INT8(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Byte.class),
+    INT16(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Short.class),
     INT32(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Integer.class),
     INT64(LogicalType.EXACT_NUMERIC, Long.class),
     DOUBLE(LogicalType.DOUBLE, Double.class),