Physics Overview - Preparation - Specialty Areas - Day In The Life - Earnings - Employment - Career Path Forecast - Professional Organizations

Physicists are projected to have employment growth in scientific research and development services, educational services, and healthcare and social assistance. The fast growth will result in only about 2,600 new jobs over the 10-year period.

Astronomers is a small occupation, and the fast growth will result in only about 200 new jobs over the 10-year period.

Federal spending is the primary source of physics- and astronomy-related research funds, especially for basic research. Growth in the federal government’s spending for research in physics and astronomy is expected to be more or less flat, and this will dampen the need for physicists and astronomers at institutions heavily dependent on such funding.

Competition for permanent research appointments, such as those at colleges and universities, is expected to be strong. Increasingly, those with a Ph.D. may need to work through multiple postdoctoral appointments before finding a permanent position. In addition, the number of research proposals submitted for funding has been growing faster than the amount of funds available, causing more competition for research grants.

Despite competition for traditional research jobs, prospects should be good for physicists in applied research, development, and related technical fields. Graduates with any academic degree in physics or astronomy, from a bachelor’s degree to a doctorate, will find their knowledge of science and math useful for entry into many other occupations. Database management skills also are beneficial, because of the large datasets these professionals work with.

A large part of physics and astronomy research depends on federal funds, so federal budgets have a substantial impact on job prospects from year to year.

Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.