Physics and Astronomy Career Guide
With a degree in Physics, students can pursue careers in research and development, science, engineering, education, medicine, law, business, and the military. Graduate School Studies in various fields provide broader opportunities. Exploring the resources below provides you with insights into the world of work and resources to prepare for applications and interviews, whether pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, or exploring fields and programs for graduate school.
Key Career Center Resources
Handshake Job and Internship Search Tool & Explore and Register for Pitt Career Fairs, Workshops and Events
Career Development Resources
- Navigating the Job Search
- Grad School Toolkit
- Experiential Learning Guide
- Cover Letter Writing Toolkit
Research
Career Exploration and Job Search Resources
Societies and Organizations
Societies and Organizations are not only valuable for memberships and conferences, but their websites offer career support and opportunities!
- Society of Physics Students: resources regarding career opportunities including common paths taken by physics majors, tips for finding an internship, job search strategies, and profiles of physicists in various careers
- National Science Foundation: Research Experiences for Undergraduates
- The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Career Resources:
- AIP : Who’s Hiring Physics Bachelors? Employers by State
- American Physical Society
- Acoustical Society of America
- American Association of Physics in Medicine
- American Astronomical Society
- American Meteorological Society
- The Structural Science Society (ACA)
- The Society of Rheology – Science of deformation and flow of matter
Physical Science Focused Job Search
- Comprehensive Job Search Resources – General
- Science Careers
- Jobs & Internships for College Students and Recent Grads | WayUp
- Pathways to Science
- WayUp Jobs and Internships
- Pittsburgh Lifesciences Aliance
- Ohio Life Sciences
- MD DC & VA Life Science Industries
- O*Net Online – Physics
- Buzzfile Employers by Major
- AVS- Science & Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing
- OPTICA (formerly OSA)
- Resources for Future K7-12 Teachers – American Association on Physics Teachers
- Otta Job Search
- Engineering Job Search Platforms
- Temp and Staffing Agencies
Career and Job Exploration:
- Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics –Home OOH
- Career Exploration: What Can I Do With This Major?
Sample Job Titles
| Accelerator Operator |
| Applications Engineer |
| Data Analyst |
| Design Engineer |
| High School Physics Teacher |
| IT Consultant |
| Lab Technician |
| Laser Engineer |
| Optical Engineer |
| Research Associate/Assistant |
| Software Developer |
| Systems Analyst |
| Technical Specialist/Technical Writer |
| Web Developer |
| Quality Assurance Tester |
| Geophysicist |
| Medical Physicist/Health Physicist |
| Astrophysicist |
| Professor |
| Computational Physicist |
What You Can Do with a Physics Degree
1. Direct Career Paths (BS/MS level):
- Data Science / Software Development: Many physicists end up here because of their problem-solving and programming skills.
- Finance / Quant Roles: Especially in quantitative finance and risk analysis.
- Research and Development: Labs, tech companies, or national research facilities.
- Data Analyst / Data Technician
- Software Developer / QA Tester
- High School Physics/Math Teacher
- Technical Sales / Consulting
- Science Communication / Technical Writing
- Engineering Technician (with on-the-job training)
- R&D Engineer / Applied Physicist
- Medical Physicist (clinical or radiology route)
- Data Scientist / Machine Learning Engineer
- Optical Engineer / Imaging Specialist
- Acoustics / Signal Processing Expert
- Science Policy / Government Researcher
Tips
- Internships/Research – Experiential Learning
- Contribute toe GitHub or open-source projects if interested in coding
- Build portfolio
- Learn basic electronics or simulations
- Learn to write grant proposals
- Network!
- Industrial internships or national labs
- Consider specialization in parallel area such as:
- Engineering (like EE): You’d apply your analytical background to real-world systems and devices.
- Applied Physics / Materials Science
- Computer Science / Machine Learning
- Medical Physics / Biophysics
- Patent Law (with additional qualifications)
- Nuclear
- Aerospace
2. PhD or Further Study Specializations:
- Postdoctoral Researcher
- University Professor / Lecturer
- Principal Investigator (PI) in Labs
- Research Scientist in Industry (e.g., semiconductors, aerospace, AI)
- Technical Lead / Deep Tech Startups
- Quantum Computing / Theoretical Researcher
- Patent Agent or IP Consultant (with exam)
Tips
- Choose advisors carefully: research interests + professional network
- Collaborate with industry partners when possible
- Present at conferences (APS, SPIE, IEEE)
- Build a clear research brand (LinkedIn + Google Scholar + personal site)
Fields Where Physics Graduates Work
| Field | Roles | Keywords for Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Data Science / Tech | Data Scientist, ML Engineer, Data Analyst | Python, SQL, ML, TensorFlow, SciKit-learn, statistics |
| Engineering / Applied Physics | Systems Engineer, EE R&D, Laser Engineer | CAD, MATLAB, circuit design, signal processing |
| Medical Physics | Radiation Physicist, Dosimetrist, Imaging Analyst | DICOM, radiotherapy, CT/MRI, IAEA standards |
| Finance / Quant | Quant Analyst, Risk Analyst, Algo Trading | Python, R, derivatives, time-series, Monte Carlo |
| Aerospace / Defense | Systems Physicist, Space Scientist | thermal modeling, orbital dynamics, radar, optics |
| Academic / Research | Postdoc, Lecturer, Research Associate | spectroscopy, simulations, publishing, grant writing |
| Quantum / Photonics | Quantum Engineer, Optical Physicist | qubits, entanglement, photonics, Qiskit, optics |
Examples of Companies Hiring Interns
Accenture, Air Force Research Laboratory, Ajax Tocco Magnethermic, Battelle, Boeing, CAR Technologies LLC, Center for Automotive Research, Cisco Systems, Cook Nuclear Plant, Electroscience Laboratory, Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station, General Electric Aviation, Great American Financial Resources, Honda Research and Development, Americas, Inc., IBM, Idaho National Laboratory, ITT Industries, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, JP Morgan Chase, Meyer Sound, Inc., Microsoft, NASA, Nationwide Financial, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
FINAL TIPS
- Talk to people in the field — short interviews, online forums, university alumni
- Try out what interests you through side projects or short courses (edX, Coursera, MIT OCW)
- Be flexible early on — your first job doesn’t define your whole career
- You are not behind — physics teaches you how to learn hard things. That’s gold in every industry.
*Schedule an Appointment: Ingrid Beute, your Career Consultant: HANDSHAKE Appointments
