- #1
chickenwing71
- 42
- 0
I'm double majoring in Physics and Mathematics at a small liberal arts college, with a minor in Philosophy. I'm on track to graduate with honors next Spring. (Currently a junior)
I'm starting to seriously consider what I should do when I graduate in a little over a year. I was initially planning on going for a Physics PhD in Optics or something heavily computational. But the financial risk of a Physics PhD is seriously scaring me, as are the job prospects of just a BS in Physics and Math. If all goes according to plan, I will likely be married soon after graduation, and take on my girlfriend's heavy student loans and her a low paying job.
Googling jobs, reading posts here on PF, etc has gotten me very pessimistic about my earning potential. My resume will be fine, but it seems that jobs with a BS in Physics are either insanely difficult to get, or are menial coding jobs with a very low ceiling with limited career potential. Graduate school would put me further in debt, without necessarily opening up too many more options.
Do I look for a job immediately when I graduate? Do potentially high-paying jobs even exist for Physics/Mathematics majors at the BS level?
Should I go on for a Masters or PhD in physics? Will the six or seven years of working for little pay result in a higher paying job later on? I would absolutely love teaching physics, and I really enjoy the academic environment, but I'm a bit put off by the politics, grant-writing, and huge saturation in the market.
What about a masters in EE? Is an MSEE employable if I don't have a BSEE? Could I even get into the program?
Experience:
Two REU positions at Top 5 Physics schools, and hopefully another this year.
Two years of TA experience (teaching labs, grading, etc)
Brief design work with a professor for a defense contractor
Lots of programming experience
~3.8/3.9 gpa
I'm just lost and I want as financially secure a future as possible... any advice?
I'm starting to seriously consider what I should do when I graduate in a little over a year. I was initially planning on going for a Physics PhD in Optics or something heavily computational. But the financial risk of a Physics PhD is seriously scaring me, as are the job prospects of just a BS in Physics and Math. If all goes according to plan, I will likely be married soon after graduation, and take on my girlfriend's heavy student loans and her a low paying job.
Googling jobs, reading posts here on PF, etc has gotten me very pessimistic about my earning potential. My resume will be fine, but it seems that jobs with a BS in Physics are either insanely difficult to get, or are menial coding jobs with a very low ceiling with limited career potential. Graduate school would put me further in debt, without necessarily opening up too many more options.
Do I look for a job immediately when I graduate? Do potentially high-paying jobs even exist for Physics/Mathematics majors at the BS level?
Should I go on for a Masters or PhD in physics? Will the six or seven years of working for little pay result in a higher paying job later on? I would absolutely love teaching physics, and I really enjoy the academic environment, but I'm a bit put off by the politics, grant-writing, and huge saturation in the market.
What about a masters in EE? Is an MSEE employable if I don't have a BSEE? Could I even get into the program?
Experience:
Two REU positions at Top 5 Physics schools, and hopefully another this year.
Two years of TA experience (teaching labs, grading, etc)
Brief design work with a professor for a defense contractor
Lots of programming experience
~3.8/3.9 gpa
I'm just lost and I want as financially secure a future as possible... any advice?