Careers in Physics and Astronomy
Bachelors degree career prospects:
If you invest four years of your life at our department at UToledo, you expect a good return. According to AIP (American Institute of Physics) statistics students with a bachelors degree in physics or astronomy across the nation see less than 7% unemployment. Half of them found industry positions and about 40-50% of them went on to graduate school to pursue a higher degree.
Industry position jobs can involve software (image processing, data management, signal processing, simulation) or hardware (fiber optics, sensors of all types, lasers, semi-conductor materials). They could be in education, regulation and law, or marketing and sales. What is true is that you rarely see the world "physicist" or "astronomer" in the job title; instead, you might see "software developer" or "research analyst". Here are some common job titles for new physics bachelors.
The kinds of skills people use in these jobs might also surprise you: they lean equally on their content knowledge and teamwork skills. They also frequently use technical writing and design skills. Starting salaries vary a great deal depending on what career you choose, that is seen in both physics and astronomy degree earners.
UToledo's Rocket Career Center provides you with additional tools to get that job, including interview practice, attire advice and lenders, and CV and resume overhaul. Below are a selection of career sites that have more information and guidance:
- Physics
- American Physical Society undergraduate careers website - Useful information on Physics careers and research experience opportunities for undergraduates
- Society of Physics Students - Excellent website with lots of good information on careers, internships, and networking
- American Physical Society - Spotlight on "hidden physicists"
- American Physical Society - Physics Career Webinars
- Sloan Career Cornerstone Center - Information on careers in Physics, interviews with Physicists and links to other Physics websites
- Astronomy
- American Astronomical Society- Careers in Astronomy
- Solar/Photovoltaics
- Solar Energy Industries Association - Careers in Solar Energy
Ph.D. degree career prospects:
More than half of new physics and astronomy Ph.D.'s accepted postdocs after receiving their degree to gain research experience
and improve their chances at getting a permanent position. About 40% of doctorates
accepted potentially permanent positions, many of which were in the private sector
(data science, software engineer). Aside from technical expertise and subject knowledge,
people working in private sector jobs also indicated they regularly worked in teams
and relied on communication and management skills.
Starting salaries for new astronomers working in the private sector were considerably higher than those
for their peers, and government postdocs were better compensated than postdocs in
academia, and the same trends hold for physics doctorates.