Job prospects Definition and 71 Threads

Which experimental physics branch has better job prospects (both inside and outside academia) - particle physics or nuclear physics? Is the difference very big?

I'm currently a fresh grad student in theoretical physics, and I'm still deciding to choose which research group to join. My current understanding (maybe I'm wrong) is the PhD theme pretty much determines the topic for future post-doc research so I kinda need to choose very carefully. I'm...

For a while, I was thinking about pursuing my Master's in physics specializing in accelerator physics for the reasons that, one, it seemed quite fun because it was a mixture of physics and engineering both and I could learn a lot of cool things to do with the particle accelerator(both in...

I'm working on a PhD in condensed matter computational physics, particularly with method development. My plan is to go into industry afterwards, and out of curiosity I've been looking at job listings. It doesn't look good to be honest. Listings for physicists mainly require some type of lab...

Hi PF, I graduated (MSc) six months ago with a 3.7/4.0 GPA and is still unemployed. During my time at university, I focused on my studies and did not give my future work life much thought. Consequently, I do not really know what my options are as a physicist. Sure, after reading countless job...

Hi, I'm starting my undergrad studies in math and physics this fall. I wanted to know what subfield of physics gives the best job opportunity to a Ph.D. graduate? I want to work in a field that I studied in. Not like particle physicists working in financial maths. Which field uses intense...

Hello everybody i need some advices to choos my BS I live in Europe and our Applied Physics BS have these subject (all mandatory) I YEAR Real analysis - Mech Linear algebra - Mech Lab C programming - Chemistry II YEAR Vector analysis - ElMag Termod & Lab - Circuit lab...

I've mentioned my admission to MS Nuclear Engineering in the University of Florida earlier. Thing is I am a foreigner. What with all the security most countries have surrounding nuclear technology, would I be limiting myself in the number of parties I can work with? I am aware I have other...

Which sub field of scientific computing has better employ ability and job prospects? (within computational physics & computational biology). I meant both in industry and research oriented jobs where we would use the skills and knowledge relevant to the degree.

I have been accepted to the UT Austin Cockrell School of Engineering for Mechanical Engineering in Fall 2017. I'll be starting as a sophomore because I have finished all my general education requirements. However, I am not entirely sure I want to stick to MechE. I have been considering Chemical...

After digging around the web to piece together a picture of the chemistry job market, it looks pretty abysmal. There are countless posts on other sites by disgruntled chemists complaining about working hard for advanced degrees only to end up in low-wage jobs with no benefits and minimal upward...

I'm a computer science student in the UK. People are telling me that an industrial year placement is crucial for getting a job when you graduate. For various reasons I can't do an industrial year. What are my prospects like in terms of getting a job? I basically have nothing to add to my CV...

Why do people base a new employees skill set based solely on degree and not the program they attended. For example, engineering is considered to be a marketable field. However, not all engineering programs are created equal. I understand that elite institutions will be preferred over the...

A new study from the journal Inside Higher Ed shows that it's more difficult to get a job with an advanced degree: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/04/new-data-show-tightening-phd-job-market-across-disciplines

hello everyone, I just need some advice from others right now, so I'm going into the field of renewable energy engineering. more importantly I just wanted to know about the job prospects, where it could be in the years to come,job settings ( what would be the environment I would work in ?). and...

I was wondering if anyone (preferably Canada, but US would suffice) knew what job prospects were like for those with a PhD in astrophysics? I did some searching around on google, and some places say it's not bad, some say you may not find something in your field but can still find work due to...

I'm a student in Grade 11 with dreams of becoming a physicist. I've wanted to become an physicist or astronomer for a long time, but after going through other threads which exclaimed that the job prospects were low and not worth 10+ years of education with little pay, I'm becoming hesitant. The...

Hi there, So I have a tricky situation. I've recently graduated with a psychology degree but I've been going back to school to pursue a higher education in physics so far its going well. But my current job situation is absolutely nothing related to the field (just something to pay those schools...

Hey, Which of the following branches of physics has the best chance to gain employment after graduating with Msc: - Meteorology - Materials and nanophysics - Particle and nuclear physics - Electronics and industrial applications physics - Computational physics - Aerosol and environmental...

Hello Everyone, I hope that you all are well, I'm a new user here at Physics Forums and one who plans on studying medical physics in graduate school, and hopes to pursue a residency. My question is regarding the job market for those medical physicists who have been able to complete a medical...

TL;DR Go for Physics (which I'm not sure if I'm really passionate about it but can't think of any alternatives) or go do something that can earn big bucks.First things first, I'm halfway through my A levels (equivalent of IB) and university application is coming up real soon. I'm privileged...

I am a rising sophomore pursuing a physics BS with 3.75 GPA at a top 30 private university. After working in a lab as a undergrad research assistant, I realized that studying physics and doing physics is a completely different experience. While I love the subject matter, I can't imagine myself...

I've just completed the first year of my physics degree. After probing several threads on the subject of job prospects, the outlook from many on here is very bleak. During the summer I've already started learning more mathematics and intend to improve my ( admittedly very basic) programming...

Hello everyone, first please accept my sincere greeting. I finished my 4-year undergraduate study at the top 1 university of China (Tsinghua University) in 2012, majoring in Mechanical engineering (concentration is thermal and heat transfer). After that I came to Purdue University and got a...

Hello Physics Forums. So I haven't been on here for a very long time, so hello again. I am currently a first year at a university in Canada and am to declare my specialization in the coming months. I came into university expecting I'd want to do a degree in physics and astronomy, but over the...

I am at starting to become increasingly worried and I need help/advice/what ever you can give me. My major is mathematics, I will be getting a BS in it next year. I have an interest in Analysis and Probability and will be taking a years sequence in Integration and Measure that year. My...

I am in flux at the moment. On one hand I am concerned about the job prospects of a PhD in physics. On the other hand, one of these articles I've read about non-research jobs that can be done with a PhD in physics is science policy. 1. What skills, other than communication (both oral and...

i have deep interest in electrical and electronics components since i am small. so , i am thinking of studying E&E engineering. but , i have very little exposure to this field. Can someone share what the E&E guys do?

So I'm going to be eligible to teach high school students sooner rather than later, and I have a few questions on how to round out my undergrad to go into the job market with the best chances of getting to teach the classes I want. Bear in mind I'm not limited to one city or state so I already...

Hello, I would like to get your opinion on moving into programming. Basically, I want job security and the ability to work just about anywhere there are jobs. I've considered taking a job as a programmer, but I would like to know what you suspect the job prospects are for such position? From...

Hello all, I am currently a sophomore enrolled at a state university, with generally good STEM education (regularly ranked top 50 in the US in engineering, cs, physics, astronomy, etc). I am a Physics major CS minor at this particular moment, mainly because I seem to particularly enjoy physics...

What would the career prospects be for someone who does a Ph. D. in Mathematics with a research focus in partial differential equations? Assuming you got some computer skills along the way like parallel computing, programming, etc? Sure, you could become a professor but most people don't make...

I am researching different types of physics subfields and the job outlook for each. I know that astrophysics or particle physics don't exactly have the best prospects, for example. What are the sub-fields of physics where PhDs can find excellent jobs in research? I know accelerator physics and...

I don't know what I should major in, to keep it brief I've already took a year of calc, chemistry, a semester of ordinary diff eq, and physics. Right now I am in generic engineering and can branch out to electrical, industrial, bio medical, or mechanical or possibly transfer to another uni...

I've been looking at graduate programs for Health Physics because I realized that I might not want a PhD but also want to be employable with a Physics degree. Usually people want a Certified Health Physicist but to be able to take the exam for certification, you need at least 6 years experience...

Hello all! I'm thinking of getting a B.S. In Astrophysics or Physics and I was wondering what kind of jobs they're applicable to. Are Masters or PhD programs a must? Thanks in advance for any responses, Nassa

From reading this thread, it demonstrates a rather pessimistic view of physics (at least in relation to job employment). Would you say that similar job prospects are true, not only for cosmologists but even condensed matter physicists?

Hi everyone, I've set up my schedule through the next three years so that I will be able to graduate with a double major in mathematics, and economics (both bachelor of science). I was just wondering if anyone knew the job outlook on these two degrees. I have a strong interest in both...

Hi guys, I'm about to finish my Bachelor's in Mathematics and Statistics and am currently applying to PhD programs in Applied Math/Scientific Computing. My research interests are in PDEs, Numerical Analysis, and Fluid Dynamics. However, I am a little hesitant about proceeding because I'm...

Despite I have been told that there are plenty of jobs for statisticians, it seems like there aren't that many jobs on indeed or other websties as I thought, or at least that of software-related jobs. It also seems like there are way more quantitative analyst jobs than statistics jobs. Although...

Hello, all. I'm considering applying to Ph.D. programs in experimental condensed matter physics. My general research interests would be in the electrical and optical properties of materials, particularly semiconductors and nanostructures, and their applications to information and solar energy...

Applied math vs. statistics PhD -- job prospects I'm a math major considering pursuit of a PhD in applied math or stats when I graduate. I'm trying to ascertain the job prospects in these fields. Can anyone provide some information on how readily jobs are available in industry and academia in...

Hi PF, I've recently graduate with an MS Physics with no specific emphasis. I quickly learned that it is very difficult to obtain a career in physics and I am considering continuing my education onto PhD Medical Physics or MS Electrical Engineering. I am very interested in all of both of...

I am a final year student of b.tech (electrical and electronics) at NITK,india. I want to pursue my masters degree in Canada or USA (preferably Canada) with a long term intention of settling down in said countries. I have mainly done projects in the field of robotics,signal processing and AI...

How difficult is it to acquire a job in these professions? Which would you recommend? I have discovered that the career prospects for a physicist (who works in research- astronomy, particle physics etc) are bleak but what about for an aerospace engineer? Also, I live in the UK and yield a...

Hi. I'm planning on doing a double major with psychology and mathematics. My parents are opposed to this, and they think that I should major in psychology and do premed. They are doctors and all their doctor friends are employed and having a good life in general. The only people that they know...

Hi, Prospective physics undergraduate. Interested in topics of applied mechanics - fluids, dynamical systems, biomechanics, etc. "How fish swim?" or "How bubbles go pop?" are questions I find myself interested in. Not saying I don't like fundamental physics, just that I am interested in such...

I'm having a hard time assessing the reality of job prospects in quantum computing research. The research seems mostly limited to schools I wouldn't dream of getting into and the companies pursing the technology seem limited as well. I'm currently undeclared and taking the basic math...

Hello! I am a Canadian high school student. I will be beginning engineering in university next year. I am interested in electrical and computer engineering, but I've heard bad things about the job prospects for electrical engineers in Canada. How is the job market for computer/hardware...

Hey guys, I'm sure this has been covered somewhere on the forum before, but I searched several times and could not find the thread(s), so I'm asking again. How do the job prospects look for physics students, at both the undergraduate, and the graduate level. I'm having a hard time finding...