Workforce success

Some of the transferable skills that students in our program will be able to demonstrate include:

• Solving complex problems
• Organizing scientific data
• Form, test, and revise scientific hypotheses
• Using specialized scientific equipment
• Communicating technical ideas in written and verbal form
• Building conceptual models of physical systems
• Working in teams to execute large projects
• Effectively managing projects
• Capability to work independently
• Trained to use scientific programming

 Career options by sector

The following occupations are some of the career options available to students with a degree in physics

• Educator at colleges, universities, and high schools
• Fundamental research at universities, startup and large corporations, national laboratories, as well as government and military agencies; such positions include (but are not limited to): Nuclear physicist, Geophysicist, Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Cardiac imaging researcher
• Applied research and developments of technologies: Manufacturing manager, Laboratory technician, Chemical physicist, Aeronautical engineer, Laser technician, Satellite data analyst, energy analyst,  Quality control manager, Automotive engineer, Oceanographer, Biophysicist, etc.
• Direct application of physics in the industrial or service sector: Biomedical technician, Optometrist, Environmental health specialist, Quality control manager, Forensic scientist, Automotive engineer, Aeronautical engineer, Air traffic controller, Laser technician, Computer specialist, Satellite data analyst, Seismologist, Meteorologist, Industrial hygienist
• Development and analysis of data models for banks, insurance companies and financial institutions
• (Big) Data analysis and modeling for corporations
• Artificial intelligence research and applications
• Science journalist, Scientific photographer
• Law Maker (national or state governments)
• Non-profit organizations promoting the safeguard of the environment and safe use and development of technologies
• Patent offices

Some of the highest salaries after graduation

Physics graduates receive some of the top starting salaries after graduating from college. A survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers of starting salaries offered by campus recruiters shows that students graduating with a bachelor's in physics can make up to $64,000 per year when starting right out of school. More commonly, the survey found that physics graduates can expect a starting salary between $46,000 and $58,000 per year.

This generally exceeds the starting salaries of graduates in most other scientific fields. The mean starting salary for a physicist is higher than that of graduates who majored in chemistry, psychology, or biology. Graduates with physics degrees also tend to outpace other fields outside of the sciences, including those graduating with degrees in marketing, accounting, and even finance. Source: American Institute of Physics (AIP)

Being admitted to medical and law schools

Physics bachelors typically receive high scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), and stand an above-the-average chance of being admitted into medical and law schools.

The MCAT consists of four sections. Scores on each section range from 118 to 132, and the overall total score ranges from 472 to 528. For the year 2021-22, the average total score for applicants with bachelor’s degrees in physics was higher than the average score across all fields of study (see table below). Source: American Institute of Physics

Field of Undergraduate Degree	Average Total MCAT Score	Number of Applicants
Computer Science	513.8	200
Biophysics	512.9	84
Biomedical Engineering	511.2	1,535
Economics	510.5	510
Physics	510.2	186
Mathematics	509.8	547
Neuroscience	509.4	4,315
Biochemistry	508.1	4,403
Chemistry	507.4	2,126
All	505.9	62,443
Biology	504.2	18,634
Biomedical Science	503.5	2,187
Premedical	502.8	752

The LSAT is a two-part exam consisting of four sections of multiple-choice questions and a writing section. One of the four sections of multiple-choice questions is always an unscored variable section. The writing section, known as LSAT Writing, is also unscored. The LSAT score scale ranges from 120 to 180.6 A total of 71,112 individuals across all undergraduate fields of study applied for admission to law school in 2021. The median high score of all applicants was 156. Approximately 68% of these applicants were offered admission to law school.

Information provided by LSAC stated that 148 undergraduate physics majors applied to start law school in 2021. The median high score of these applicants was 163. Furthermore, 73% of these individuals were accepted into law school. Therefore, much like the MCAT, physics bachelor’s degree recipients tend to score above average on the LSAT.