How Hard Is It For A Physicist To Get A Job?

Question

I'm going into high school this year and I am very interested in physics. However I have read that it is very difficult to get a job, especially in today's economy. Is it hard to find a job? If so, do you think it will still be difficult in 8-12 years? I think it would be very nice to teach and research at a university, although I don't want to major in physics if it will be too difficult for me to find work.

Answer 1

Physics is a very interesting field indeed, but it's true that there are only a handful of jobs around the world in research (particle accelerators are not cheap at all). I'd read up on the department of labor and statistics website to get as much info as you can. They give statistics on job prospects, overview of the field of physics, among other things. Speak to as many people who are in the field, speak with your physics professors, mathematics professors, all will help you in your decision of choosing a major. No rush though, of you just started high school you still have time. :]

Answer 2

If you'd be content to be a high school or community college physics teacher, you should be OK. But be aware - the salaries are the pits!



Professional physicists are in demand in a lot of areas; you should try to decide which you'd prefer. And you can't make that decision until you finish a college physics or engineering curriculum. Then you can decide among things like nanotechnology, solid state physics (semiconductors etc), and of course particle physics. The last probably has the worst chances of getting work. The first two are probably good - if you do well in school.



You can major in engineering (mech. or electrical) and still get a good dose of real physics (which is what I did. But my first & last love was always electronics). Engineering jobs are almost always plentiful & easy to get, even if you didn't ace all your college courses.

Answer 3

There are multitudes of 'potential' (ignore the pun =) Jobs within the physics sector. It is the most varied wide ranging science, from electrical engineering to astro-physics and mechanical engineering for a company like NASA. If you can handle the maths in Physics, probably well within your comprehension, I would definitely do physics and one other science (or two like I decided) which complement each other immensely. I recommend Chemistry, but Biology is also good.



There is no shortage of jobs within the physics sector, it can take you to almost any mainstream company in the world, from Samsung to the Navy... Focus on a few of these specific areas, and try to take a more generic course in university if you are worried about results and lack of jobs. but for now, focus on what you love and are good at.



Goodluck!!

Answer 4

There are plenty of jobs for physics majors, provided that they emphasize the most employable skills.



Demand for astrophysics is limited to academia and government research labs.



Thermodynamics, Newtonian mechanics and fluid dynamics will help you score a job related to mechanical engineering.

Electrodynamics, optics and quantum mechanics will help you get an electrical engineering job (electrodynamics for anything with antennae, optics for high speed telecommunications, quantum mechanics for semiconductor related stuff).

Answer 5

Work? Seriously? You are thinking about that now? This is no time to be practical; you should focus on your current job, which is dreaming and imagining and exploring who you are. Pursue your interests vigorously and worry about the money later. I mean whadya gonna do, major in criminology because the police department is hiring?



Fly free, fly high, see further. You will find the place to land when that time comes.

Answer 6

If you choose too narrow a specialty you will have issues. Specialists compete for maybe a few dozen jobs worldwide. Most professors stay put until retirement. So make sure you have a back up plan.