What kind of job can i get with a BS in physics

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around potential job opportunities for individuals graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Physics, particularly those who may not pursue further education immediately. Participants explore various career paths, express concerns about job prospects, and share personal experiences related to their own career trajectories.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire to attend graduate school but is uncertain about job prospects with a BS in physics.
  • Another participant suggests considering temporary work through an agency to explore different fields.
  • Some participants mention specific fields of interest, such as particle physics, cosmology, and rheology, while expressing concerns about the necessity of a PhD for these areas.
  • Teaching high school is proposed as a viable job option, with one participant highlighting the benefits and ease of obtaining such a position.
  • Concerns are raised about the relevance of a physics degree to non-physics careers, with suggestions for fields like risk management, scientific journalism, and health physics.
  • One participant shares a negative experience with programming, indicating a lack of interest in related fields despite achieving a good grade.
  • Aerospace is mentioned as a field that hires many BS physics graduates, particularly in roles related to aircraft and missile design.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the types of jobs available to physics graduates, with no consensus on a single career path. Some agree on the potential of teaching, while others reject it in favor of different fields. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best options for those with a BS in physics.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of individual interests and experiences in determining suitable career paths, highlighting that the degree alone does not dictate job opportunities. There is also mention of varying requirements for different fields, particularly the necessity of advanced degrees for certain roles.

Altruist
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I will be graduating soon with a BS in physics, not applied physics. Ideally I would like to go to grad school and will apply, but my grades are not immaculate, and I'm tired of being poor lol. If I needed to get a job right out of school, what kind of job could I hope to find? (preferrably one that isn't purely data entry)
 
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Do you know Angela Merkel ?
 
should i?
 
I have just a BS and I've worked in various labs my whole career (paper R&D, resin R&D, wood products testing). If you aren't sure in which direction you want to go, consider signing up with a temp agency. You could get assignments in several different places, which would help you figure out what kind of work you like.
 
Altruist said:
should i?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angela_Merkel"
 
Last edited by a moderator:
lisab said:
I have just a BS and I've worked in various labs my whole career (paper R&D, resin R&D, wood products testing). If you aren't sure in which direction you want to go, consider signing up with a temp agency. You could get assignments in several different places, which would help you figure out what kind of work you like.

Oh i definitely know what i want to do but it requires more education than a BS, I just worry I won't be able to get into a grad school or find a job
 
Altruist said:
Oh i definitely know what i want to do but it requires more education than a BS, I just worry I won't be able to get into a grad school or find a job

OK, so what field are you interested in?
 
lisab said:
OK, so what field are you interested in?
particle physics or cosmology
 
so i wikipedia'ed angela merkel...and i don't really see what the chancellor of germany has to do with me question
 
  • #10
Altruist said:
so i wikipedia'ed angela merkel...and i don't really see what the chancellor of germany has to do with me question

Ah...she has a BS in Physics. And a doctorate in quantum chemistry, according to the Wiki article.
 
  • #11
yeah i kept reading and saw that...but I'm still not totally sure why humanino posted that...note the "doctorate in quantum chemistry" part, not really relevant to my situation
 
  • #12
Altruist said:
yeah i kept reading and saw that...but I'm still not totally sure why humanino posted that...note the "doctorate in quantum chemistry" part, not really relevant to my situation
You were asking what you can do with a physics BS. Answer : you can do anything, it solely depends on you. If you want to work in particle physics or cosmology you probably need a PhD. And a good one.
 
  • #13
lol yes, that was my point...what kind of job can i get in physics without a PhD...she had more a little more than just a BS in physics...at this point i would be happy to get into an REU about particle physics much less getting into a grad school for it. I'm also interested in rheology lately too, but i don't know about it for a career option
 
  • #14
TEACH HIGH SCHOOL!

It is a blast and you can get a job easy, even in today's economy. 45-50k starting and you get 3 months off in the summer!

I love teaching and the kids need good science teachers!
 
  • #15
Altruist said:
yeah i kept reading and saw that...but I'm still not totally sure why humanino posted that...note the "doctorate in quantum chemistry" part, not really relevant to my situation

I don't think that the doctorate made her any more qualified to be a politican...
 
  • #16
It's difficult for us to suggest career options for you when all we know is what you majored in. A degree in physics can give you a lot of skills and can put you in demand in the workplace, but you need to identify what it is that you bring to the table.

You have to start looking at the specific classes that you've taken and which ones you enjoyed. Which ones that you excel at? Lots of physics graduates get into computer programming for example, but if you hated every minute of your computational physics course and barely scraped through with a passing grade, then it probably isn't for you.

Have you considered fields like risk management or corporate/industrial efficiency? What about scientific journalism? Health physics?

You can also look at extra-cirricular activities. The example given above of Angela Merkel is one of a person who pursued the physical sciences academically, but obviously discovered an interest in politics which emerged out of extra-cirricular involvement.
 
  • #17
well honestly, we haven't been required to take more than the most basic c++ programming class, I FREAKING HATED IT, but i made an A...honestly, its hard because I don't have even a remote interest in any of those things...aren't there any fields where they just need a tolken physicist standing by to check their work? lol
 
  • #18
Tourniquet said:
TEACH HIGH SCHOOL!

It is a blast and you can get a job easy, even in today's economy. 45-50k starting and you get 3 months off in the summer!

I love teaching and the kids need good science teachers!

no offense, but I would rather do anything else on the planet before teaching high school. I'm not even super fond of the idea of teaching college someday beyond the perk of engraining whatever you teach about into yourself, since you really have to understand something completely to teach it. plus that sucks, its all the garbagetiness of teaching high school without all the scholarships that come from going to school to be a teacher
 
  • #19
qntty said:
I don't think that the doctorate made her any more qualified to be a politican...

I don't think a BS in physics did either
 
  • #20
At some point, we may have to put in a Sticky thread this link.

Again, as has been mentioned several times already in many other threads, if you want to know what type of jobs are available to you at any degree level in physics, the first place you should check is the AIP website that has the latest and most comprehensive statistical analysis on this and other topics.

http://www.aip.org/statistics/

Zz.
 
  • #21
Aerospace hires many many BS grads in physics. Aircraft and missile design requires A LOT of physics. Mostly it is in software, but it is not dumb user interface type stuff. It involves a lot of math and is really quite interesting. If you are a US citizen and can get a clearance, it is actually quite an fine job.
 

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