What can I do with a physics degree?
Physics graduates are highly marketable.
Physicists have a low unemployment rate and lots of options. As a career, physics covers specialized fields—from acoustics, astronomy, and astrophysics to medical physics, geophysics, and vacuum sciences. A physics degree opens doors to employment opportunities throughout the world in government, industry, schools, and private organizations. See what some of our bachelor’s graduates are doing now.
What some of our grads are doing:
William Greene
Class of 2023
William is a Field Service Engineer with Physical Electronics in Washington, DC.
Jesse Farr
Class of 2022
Jesse is a graduate student in physics at Yale University.
Sidney Gavel
Class of 2021
Sidney is in UT’s master’s program for Collaborative Analysis Liaison Librarians.
Maggie Hinkston
Class of 2021
Maggie is in the Joint Post-Baccalareate Program in the Washington University Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
Victoria Cordina
Class of 2020
Victoria is a control room operator at the Spallation Neutron Source at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Aaron Jones
Class of 2020
Aaron is a control systems technician with Cleveland Utilities.
Ben Smith
Class of 2020
Ben is a thermal engineering associate at Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado.
Annastashia Blesi Blesi
Class of 2019
Annastashia is the access coordinator for the Miller Center for Student Disability Services at Miami University.
Katie Sylvester
Class of 2019
Katie is a geospatial analyst with Atlantic Geospatial, LLC.
Nathan Webb
Class of 2018
Nathan is a business intelligence analyst working for Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health in Pennsylvania.
Brooke Carter
Class of 2017
Brooke is a science teacher at Knoxville’s STEM Academy.
Chima McGruder
Class of 2017
Chima is a graduate student at Harvard University working with the Center for Astrophysics.
Laura Cutler
Class of 2016
Laura is a medical physics assistant with Provision Healthcare.
Aaron Glenn
Class of 2015
Aaron is a data scientist with the Department of Defense Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office.
Hanneke Weitering
Class of 2014
Hanneke earned an MS in science, health and environmental reporting from NYU. She’s a writer/editor for Aviation International News.
Sarah Wood
Class of 2012
Sarah is a staff member at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
Rachael Ainsworth
Class of 2010
Rachael went on to earn a PhD and is a research software manager in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Manchester (UK).
Joe Overman
Class of 2009
Joe earned an MD from the UT Health Science Center and is the owner/founder of Clearview Dermatology in Colorado.
Jeff Badger
Class of 2008
Jeff earned a master’s in architecture and is a designer with Moore Ruble Yudell Architects and Planners in Santa Monica, California.
Trey Forgety
Class of 2004
Trey earned a JD and is now with Apple working as an emergency systems strategist.
Who hires physics graduates?
You might be surprised. The American Institute of Physics lists employers by state.
See who’s been hiring Physics graduates
How much do physics graduates earn?
The American Institute of Physics has info on starting salaries for bachelor’s graduates.
Are physicists and astronomers in demand?
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Overall employment of physicists and astronomers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2022 to 2032, faster than the average for all occupations.”