What kind of jobs do most physicists have?

[Anonymous]

If you know any physicists, what do most of them do? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

My dad did applied research for a major manufacturing company.

[Anonymous]

I have several friends who have degrees in physics, mostly PhDs. My cousin, an ex-boyfriend, and some friends from high school and college.

Several work in R&D at Intel and similar companies doing semiconductor work.

A couple work in R&D at various biotech and biophysics/bioanalytical companies (for example companies that make DNA sequencers, microscopes, lasers, etc.)

A few work as modelers/quants in finance either in New York, Chicago, or London

Several work as full time staff at research institutes. One does a lot of hardcore astrophysics and geophysical modeling at a research institute in Singapore. Some work at national labs like Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore.

A few become professors.

A couple do data science

A couple work in patent law

One ended up getting a masters degree in petroleum engineering and an MBA and now works in oil and gas mergers.

A few others ended up pivoting to biology, neuroscience, or chemistry in grad school (although focus on more quantitive sides of those fields) and work in biotech, at research institutes, or in academia in adjacent fields.

It's really a versatile degree.

[Anonymous]

Research

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have several friends who have degrees in physics, mostly PhDs. My cousin, an ex-boyfriend, and some friends from high school and college.

Several work in R&D at Intel and similar companies doing semiconductor work.

A couple work in R&D at various biotech and biophysics/bioanalytical companies (for example companies that make DNA sequencers, microscopes, lasers, etc.)

A few work as modelers/quants in finance either in New York, Chicago, or London

Several work as full time staff at research institutes. One does a lot of hardcore astrophysics and geophysical modeling at a research institute in Singapore. Some work at national labs like Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Lawrence Berkeley, Lawrence Livermore.

A few become professors.

A couple do data science

A couple work in patent law

One ended up getting a masters degree in petroleum engineering and an MBA and now works in oil and gas mergers.

A few others ended up pivoting to biology, neuroscience, or chemistry in grad school (although focus on more quantitive sides of those fields) and work in biotech, at research institutes, or in academia in adjacent fields.

It's really a versatile degree.

This is a good answer. Spouse and I have PhDs in physics and pretty much the only job that seemed unattainable for us was physics prof. So few spots and so many years of post docs. We both work for gov now, but I did applied research for years and spouse dabbled in finance.

[Anonymous]

One is a physics professor. Another one has worked mostly in various tech industries. I don’t understand most of the words he uses when he talks about his job but I recall he helped develop Kindle display tech. Now I believe he is building and testing electro-optical systems for a medical device firm.

[Anonymous]

Wall Street

[Anonymous]

My roommate during grad school was a physics PhD student. She and most of her classmates now work on Wall Street.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for this post! My kid is a physics and math major and it’s neat to see some possibilities since I am not in the science field.

[Anonymous]

One is a professor, and one works for NASA.

[Anonymous]

Government scientists or with government contracting companies. Specific topics sounds like it depends on expertise and direction of post-doc.