Theoretical research only based jobs

[MathematicalPhysicist]

As the title suggest I wish after I finish my higher degree to be involved in a research based career, as far as I can tell
postdoc is for continuing in academia and also teaching, which I am not fond of.

So which options are available without wanting to teach?

 

[Pythagorean]

You want theoretical research jobs only but not in academia? I would think academia would be your largest theoretical research pool.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

You want theoretical research jobs only but not in academia? I would think academia would be your largest theoretical research pool.

I don't mind teaching graduate students (although it depends what type of students are enrolled), but teaching first year undergraduate students is not my cup of tea.

I don't mind staying in academia, but my thought was that research only jobs in academia is mainly for postdocs, which is a temporary job anyway.

What other options are there in academia for research only jobs?

 

[Vanadium 50]

There are very few. There are US national lab positions plus places like IAS and Perimeter. These probably total ~100 positions, so ~3 per year open up. Note that these are in all areas of physics; if you do HEP Theory and a position in condensed matter theory opens up, it doesn't help you.

There are a small number of industrial theory positions with companies like IBM. These are essentially all in condensed matter, and often very specialized areas within condensed matter.

If you have a Nobel Prize or similar, you can get a faculty position where teaching is not required.

 

[ZapperZ]

In case people missed it, I did a quick, non-scientific survey of the type of jobs being advertised in Physics Today over a period of 4 months. One can read it here:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3998201&postcount=144

In those 4 issues, the ratio of experimentalist job to theorist job was 4:1.

Zz.

 

[Pythagorean]

In case people missed it, I did a quick, non-scientific survey of the type of jobs being advertised in Physics Today over a period of 4 months. One can read it here:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3998201&postcount=144

In those 4 issues, the ratio of experimentalist job to theorist job was 4:1.

Zz.

Interesting; that's actually a better ratio than I'd assumed.

 

[ZapperZ]

Interesting; that's actually a better ratio than I'd assumed.

A few years ago, RIM's stocks actually went up even after posting a loss, all because the loss was less than what many analysts had predicted.

I can't help feeling that this is similar to what you had just said. And in both cases, they made me scratch my head.

Zz.

 

[Pythagorean]

What are you confused about?