What is Physics?

Physics is the study of the underlying laws and mechanisms explaining how the universe works. Most of what we do in daily life is based on a principle or law of physics—dealing with forces, motion, and energy—whether we are driving a car, playing a sport, or listening to a favorite podcast on our phone.

Physics can be found at the bases of many sciences, from astronomy to chemistry to seismology, as well as applied sciences, like different engineering disciplines and medicine. Physics principles are also applied in many areas of biology and biomedical science. Advanced education in any of these areas of study can begin with a bachelor’s degree in physics.

A degree in physics makes it possible to study these forces and phenomena and apply them in different fields. People who earn a physics degree tend to be logical thinkers and problem-solvers who enjoy dealing with challenging concepts and complex topics, and probably have experience doing so.

Physicists are at the forefront of some of humankind’s most distinctive discoveries. In the Middle Ages, al-Biruni found that the speed of light was much greater than the speed of sound. In 1514, Nicolaus Copernicus came up with the theory of Heliocentrism, which placed the sun at the center of our solar system—previously, it was assumed the Earth was at the center. Sir Isaac Newton is credited with discovering and describing gravity in the 17th century. Ernest Walton split atomic nuclei to find protons and neutrons, and physicists Murray Gell-Mann and George Zweig eventually identified smaller fundamental particles, called quarks. And of course, most people have heard of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.

What Do Physicists Do?

Physicists solve problems. They often conduct research in academia and the private sector. Their work can involve basic research, product and software development, or any profession where data analysis and analytic problem-solving skills are required. Some common activities include: 

Research and Experimentation

Physicists conduct basic/foundational and applied research to explore the principles governing the behavior of matter and energy. This includes research design and experiments that use sophisticated equipment and technology.

Data Analysis

Physicists analyze experimental data using statistical methods and computational tools. They interpret the results to draw conclusions and add to scientific knowledge.

Theoretical Modeling

Physicists build mathematical models and theoretical frameworks to explain physical phenomena. They formulate hypotheses and predictions to guide experimental research.

Technology Development

Physicists put their knowledge of physical principles to work to help develop new technologies and innovations, often solving real-world problems. The development of semiconductors is one example.

Publications and Communications

Physicists prepare research findings and share them in peer-reviewed scientific journals, adding to the scientific body of knowledge. Their exchange of discoveries and information nurtures connected and informed communities who pool their vast expertise and also provide valuable information to the public about the world around them, as well as paving the way for new innovations.

Grant Writing

Physicists write research proposals and seek funding from government agencies, industry sponsors, and private foundations.

Research Budget Administration

Physicists manage research budgets and resources to help projects, collaboratives, and private and public entities meet goals and objectives.

Consultation and Problem-Solving

Physicists provide expertise to businesses, government agencies, and research institutions on physics-related projects.

Instrumentation and Equipment Maintenance

Physicists use specialized equipment and instruments that needs to be calibrated and maintained, from spectroscopes and electromagnets to beakers, heat lamps, and scales.

What Careers Are There In Physics?

A physics major in the private sector will rarely see the word "physicist" in a job description or position posting. However, there are many careers where physics training is essential, especially when physicists are hired to solve problems that have never been encountered before.

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomers and astrophysicists wrestle with the biggest mysteries of the universe, such as "How did the universe begin?", "Is there life out there?", and "Are we alone?" They look at the physics of stars and other interstellar objects, like galaxies, stars, black holes, and more. They explore the human relationship with space. They often work in areas like satellite communication and space flight navigation. They focus on the human relationship with space and could choose to work on space travel, planetary exploration, or habitation technologies that support human life.

Climate Science and Meteorology

Physicists study cloud formation, precipitation, and other weather phenomena. They may analyze the Earth's climate and build models to predict the impact of pollution and human activity on climate change. 

Education

Physicists can work in public or private schools as teachers, often at the middle or high school level, or in academia as professors or researchers, increasing physics knowledge and educating the next generation of physicists.

Engineering

Physicists use their knowledge to help design and build things to solve problems across manufacturing and technology-based industries. They improve, innovate, and develop new products and manufacturing processes.

Finance and Law

Physicists use their knowledge of coding, complicated systems, math, modeling, and statistics to work with big data sets to predict risk and assess marketplaces, making them ideal for work in investment banking, commodities, and securities, where understanding the interconnectedness of various financial markets and industries is essential for making informed decisions. A physicist's skills in logical reasoning and understanding complex systems can also be beneficial in law careers.

Lasers, Optics, and Photonics

Working with the behavior of light and optics, photonics is the science of making, controlling, and using light. It’s the basis of everyday technologies such as barcode readers and high-speed broadband communication. However, it is also at the heart of cutting-edge research like laser-driven nuclear fusion. Optical physicists study the visual properties of materials and can help design lasers and imaging systems.

Medical Physics

Physicists diagnose disease using nuclear medical imaging and fight cancer with radiotherapy. They test and approve medical equipment in radiology, radiation oncology, and nuclear medicine.

Quantum Physics

A quantum physicist studies matter and energy at its most fundamental (below atom) level. These physicists, who study the behavior of particles on the quantum scale, can identify how the essential impacts and breakthrough implications of quantum particles can affect computing and other technologies.

Nuclear Physics

Nuclear physicists study nuclear reactions, nuclear decay, and the structure and properties of atomic nuclei. They research nuclear energy and its different applications across industries, including nuclear power generation.

Renewable Energy

Physicists are instrumental in efforts to reduce pollution and humankind's contribution to climate change. Physicists work to make renewable energy—solar, wind, and wave power—more efficient and affordable. Renewable energy physicists also work to make fossil fuels more efficient in both performance and extraction from the Earth.

Robotics and AI

Physicists use math, statistics, modeling, and programming knowledge to develop robots that manufacture products efficiently and effectively. They work to develop algorithms powering product recommendations on e-commerce sites and streaming services, programming chatbots, and optimizing your smartphone's camera performance. Physicists who work on these cutting-edge technologies help to make our lives easier, safer, and more enjoyable. 

Theoretical Physicists

Theoretical physicists work on inventing and studying theories. They utilize knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and sciences like astronomy, biology, chemistry, and geology. They use theories like dark matter, electrodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, string theory, and thermodynamics to study and understand the complex functioning of the universe and explain and predict natural phenomena.

Visual Effects and Gaming

Physicists combine their technical skills of coding and math with art and creativity to create stunning visual effects in movies, television, theatre, video, and video games.

What Are Some Jobs For Physics Majors?

From academia to industry, law, and medicine, there are many ways to put your degree in physics to use in a fulfilling career. Here's a breakdown on where people with both undergraduate and graduate physics degrees are putting their major to work:

Graduate School

About half of the people who earn a bachelor's degree in physics enter graduate school. Most are pursuing an advanced degree in physics or astronomy. Others choose engineering, mathematics, education, and other science fields. Many who earn their graduate degree in physics will continue in academia.

Education

About 16 percent of people with an undergraduate degree in physics choose a career in the education sector as teachers or outreach educators at museums, heritage sites, and other facilities and attractions. Physics graduates who become high school teachers often teach several science subjects, in addition to their area of concentration. If you want to become a science teacher, it's important to make this choice early in your college coursework to build in time for education courses to become qualified and certified for teaching. 

• High School Physics Teacher
• High School Science Teacher
• Middle School Science Teacher
• Professor

Industry

Just over half of undergraduate physics majors enter the job market immediately following graduation. Almost two-thirds of these bachelor's degree holders work in the private sector. While many do not have "physicist" in their job title or "physics" in their job description, their physics degree provides a solid foundation for whatever comes their way. Physics majors get hired in sectors including computer science, hardware, and software; engineering; research and technical work; scientific and technical writing; government; law; and medicine.

Computer Science, Hardware, and Software

Most physics majors entering this industry sector work in computer hardware and software, including programming, modeling, and simulation.

• Software Engineer
• Programmer
• Web Developer
• IT Consultant
• Systems Analyst
• Technical Support Staff

Engineering

The largest percentage of graduates with a bachelor’s degree in physics who are hired into a STEM profession will find their job in an engineering field. The opportunities for people with a physics degree to pursue an engineering career are plentiful. Potential jobs include:

• Application Engineer
• Design Engineer
• Development Engineer
• Engineering Technician
• Field Engineer
• Laser Engineer
• Manufacturing Engineer
• Manufacturing Technician
• Optical Engineer
• Project Engineer
• Process Engineer
• Process Technician
• Product Engineer
• Product Manager
• Research Engineer
• Technical Services Engineer
• Test Engineer

Research and Technical

Another common career field for physics majors is performing scientific research and other work in a laboratory environment, whether in academia or private industry. Potential jobs include:

• Research Assistant
• Research Associate
• Research Technician
• Lab Technician
• Lab Assistant
• Accelerator Operator

Scientific and Technical Writing

Physics majors are familiar with complex problems and scientific terminology. They learn to ask questions. They are well-suited to investigate and write about a variety of scientific phenomena. Potential jobs include:

• Journalist
• Policy Writer
• Proposal Writer
• Public Information Officer
• Technical Communicator
• Technical Editor

Government

Some people who earn a bachelor's degree in physics find careers in government. They become scientists working in national labs like Brookhaven National Laboratory or Sandia National Laboratories. Others become policy analysts.

Law

Majoring in physics provides excellent preparation for a legal career. A successful career in law requires the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that physics majors possess. Lawyers often work with large data sets and connect many different stories. Physics majors tend to score well on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), the primary standardized test for students applying to law school, improving their chances of admission. Potential jobs include:

• Intellectual Property Attorney
• Patent Agent
• Patent Attorney
• Patent Examiner

Medicine

A bachelor's degree in physics can prepare people for a career in medicine. Medical physicists working in healthcare apply their knowledge of physics to the development and use of medical radiation treatments, devices, and technologies. Physics majors choose to become physicians in a wide range of medical fields. Physics majors looking to go into medical school tend to excel on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), a standardized test for medical school admissions in the United States. Potential jobs include:

• Medical Physicist
• Physician
• Proton Physicist
• Radiation Oncologist

What Skills Do Physicists Need?

Physicists must be able to investigate, research, and put qualitative, analytical, mathematical, and communication skills to use. 

Investigative Skills

Physicists need to be able to gather data and generate insights to reveal important facts. They need to dig deeply to answer a complex question. Someone possessing investigative skills can identify problems, ask questions to better understand the problem, assess risk, and define potential/expected results.

Research/Quantitative Skills

Physicists use research and quantitative skills to define problems and design experiments to test hypotheses. They utilize tools in the lab to aid in research. They record observations and interpret results. Physicists will utilize statistical tests to predict outcomes.

Analytical Skills

Physicists with analytical skills can examine the components of problems / ideas and reason logically to understand what is happening. They often will categorize data to make sense of it, organizing ideas and information. Physicists need to think logically about complex situations.

Mathematics Skills

Physicists perform mathematical calculations to prove abstract theories and relationships. As a result, physics requires a broad understanding of mathematics, from simple arithmetic, through algebra, to complex integration.

Communication Skills

Strength in written and oral communication is required. Physicists need excellent communication skills to collaborate with colleagues and relay critical information and ideas they have uncovered in research. They need to write research proposals, summarize research findings, and apply for grants. They must be able to explain complex information or ideas to both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Additional Skills

• Attention to Detail
• Confidence
• Creativity
• Critical Thinking
• Diligence
• Organization
• Time Management

What Tasks Do Physicists Do?

Physicists perform a myriad of tasks, from developing concepts for, planning, and writing grant proposals to performing complex calculations and determining the best launch trajectories for rockets and missiles.

• Plan and conduct scientific experiments and studies to test theories and discover properties of matter and energy.
• Explain the properties of the natural world using their training, such as the speed of light, formation of subatomic particles, and the force of gravity.
• Determine the best trajectories to launch rockets and missiles.
• Write grant proposals to apply for research funding.
• Perform mathematical calculations to analyze data.
• Design new scientific equipment and tools.
• Develop software to analyze and model data.
• Explain the basic principles of how energy systems work, including air conditioners, heat pumps, solar panels, and wind turbines.
• Write scientific papers.
• Present research findings at conferences and lectures.
• Explain basic weather and climate phenomena and their impact on people.

How Much Do Physicists Earn?

Physicists are well-paid, with above-average earnings in each stage of their careers, although salaries vary widely depending on industry and position.

What Does The Future Look Like for Physics? 

The future is bright for the field of physics with projected growth of 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than average for all other occupations according to the BLS. Increased investment in space exploration and travel is creating opportunities for physicists who want to be astronomers or work on rocket propulsion and launch systems. Concern for climate change and the increased frequency of extreme weather requires atmospheric scientists, environmental lawyers, and physicists who can develop new agricultural and flood-control technologies.

Photonics is another promising career field. Photonics is the science of making, controlling, and using light. Barcode readers and high speed broadband rely on the technology. Photonics can be applied to clean energy, like laser-driven nuclear fusion. Lasers can be used to analyze patient breath samples to detect medical ailments such as ulcers and cancers. Other growing fields that involve photonics include telecommunications, quantum cryptography, photon entanglement, data processing, and quantum computing.

Other places physics majors may find a future include:

• Renewable Energy: Find solutions to optimize wind, geothermal, and solar.
• Healthcare: Physics plays a crucial role in healthcare. Medical physicists deliver radiation to patients to help diagnose diseases using nuclear medical imaging and fight cancer with radiotherapy. Physicists are also essential to helping to develop new healthcare technologies.
• Education: As aging teachers retire, the demand for science teachers is great.