Physics Jobs You Can Get With A Master's in Physics

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The discussion centers on the challenges faced by a physics graduate with a Master's degree seeking employment beyond tutoring. The individual expresses concerns about the limited job market for Master's holders, noting that many positions require a Ph.D. or extensive experience. While teaching at high schools or community colleges and military roles are acknowledged as options, the conversation explores alternative career paths. Suggestions include pursuing roles in medical technology companies, risk management, product quality assurance, or technical sales. The idea of gaining practical skills through short-term training, such as becoming a pilot or radiation therapist, is also proposed. The individual reflects on their research background in nuclear physics and astrochemistry, expressing a desire for more applicable work, potentially in medical physics. The possibility of pursuing a Ph.D. while working as a research assistant is highlighted as a viable option that could provide financial benefits compared to tutoring.
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I hold a MS in physics. I have been out of school for three years and half years now. I want to move on from my current job as a full-time tutor. Most jobs I have seen required either a Ph.D, postdoctoral experience or work experience in fields I have no experience in. I am interested in getting a Ph.D. but I also interested in making a living. Getting a Ph.D. means several more years of having little money and even though there jobs listed requiring a Ph.D., these jobs are few in number. My question is, where are the jobs for physicists who have a Master's? Now, I know teaching at a high school or community college is an option and so is the military. I want to know are there other options besides those two.
 
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I should also add that I have little industrial experience.
 
Okay, but what experience DO you have?

Jobs available to someone with a graduate physics degree aren't always advertised as such. You could consider for example looking for work with medical technology companies like Varian, Siemens, or Phillips doing technical sales, product testing or development. What about work in the risk management field, or product quality assurance and/or testing? What about rather than going back to school for several more years to get a Ph.D., doing a year or two of technical training to become say, a pilot or a radiation therapist?
 
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There are obviously many jobs available to physicists. I'm not sure where you're from but a good UK site:

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/Options_with_your_subject/Your_degree_in_physics/Job_options/p!eklipag

just describes the sorts of skills you can market yourself as having. Being a graduate I'm sure you're already aware of all of this, but there we go, maybe someone viewing the thread will also find this useful. Otherwise, what kind of work do you want to do? Maybe you could approach it from that angle.
 
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Thanks for the replies. I really appreciated your suggestions. As far as my experience, my work experience thus far have been research internships, mostly nuclear physics research and teaching. I am not interested in nuclear physics research anymore. For my thesis, my research was in astrochemistry. It is a good field but I am interested in something can be readily applied to everyday issues and concerns. I thought about medical physics as a possible option. Perhaps I can pursue another Master's, in medical physics. Or maybe concentrate on teaching.
 
I would say to look at going to graduate school to earn a PhD as itself being a job. Go somewhere where you can work as an research assistant, getting paid a decent bachelor's salary to do research for ~5 years is pretty sweet. It pays better than being a tutor!
 
I don't know if anyone on here works for any of the well known defense companies of your country, whichever country you are from?? Also, if you choose to work in one, do you think the engineering education provide from your school would adequately prepare you for the job. What do I mean by that? Well if you work at say Lockheed Martin and you work in the latest iteration of a missile or if you work at Pratt & Whitney, they assign you to work in the team helping out with building the jet...
Hello, I graduated from undergrad a few years ago with a Major in Physics and minor in Electrical Engineering. I tried to get experience working on and testing circuits through my professor who studied Neutrinos, however covid caused the opportunity to go away and I graduated with no experience or internships. I have attempted to break into the engineering industry with no success. Right now I am considering going for a Masters in Electrical Engineering and I need advice on if this would be...
So lately, my interest in the realm of optics/optoelectronics/photonics engineering has grown and I have started to seriously consider pursuing a career in the field. I have done a bit of career research and also have done some learning on the side to gather more knowledge on these topics. However, I have some questions on what a career in these fields would look like, and I wanted to find out more about this area to know what I would be getting myself into if I did make the choice to pursue...

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