Physics

This guide contains only a partial list of occupational titles and career fields that may be of interest to students considering a physics education. In addition to the skills and knowledge gained through your college course work in this major, you may also need to acquire career related work experience, additional work related skills and/or additional education. Some of the occupations require an advanced degree to enter the field.

After you have identified possible occupations of interest to you, it is important to investigate the nature of work; education and training requirements; skills and special talents needed; types of employers; future trends and employment outlook related to each of these careers. We have set up links to internet sites that provide detailed descriptions of these occupations. You may also want to research these occupations by reading the books and literature available in the Philadelphia House Career Resource Library, by talking with individuals working in the career field, and by contacting related professional associations.

This guide also provides information about obtaining related work experience including links to possible internships. However for the best information on current, local internships contact Sally Cardenas, Director of Internships and Community-Based Learning at 562-464-4533 or email her at scardenas@whittier.edu.

Career Options

Physics Related Occupations

Aeronautical Engineer

Aerospace Engineer

Airline pilot
Analyst, assay Analyst, computer systems Analyst, equipment installation
Angiogram Applications programmer Artificial intelligence specialist
Astronomer Astrophysicist Biochemical development engineer
Biomedical Engineer Biophysicist Broadcast technician
Cellular engineering Ceramics engineer Chemical engineer
Civil engineer Clinical laboratory technologist College/university professor
Computer operator Computer programmer Computer programmer
Computer systems analyst Cryogenics specialist Editor, science
Electrical engineer Electrocardiographic Technician Engineer
Engineer, robotics Environmental scientist Experimental biophysicist
Geodesist Geologist Geophysicist
Hydrologist Industrial engineer Industrial health engineer
Industrial hygienist Laboratory technician Laser technician
Mathematician Mechanical engineer Metallurgical technician
Meteorologist Nuclear engineer Nuclear medicine
Nuclear theorist Oceanographer, geological Oceanographer, physical
Operations planner Optical technician Patent attorney
Patent examiner Photogrammetrist Physical scientist
Physicist, acoustics Physicist, atomic and nuclear Physicist, computational
Physicist, electricity and magnetism Physicist, electronics Physicist, health
Physicist, heat Physicist, industrial Physicist, light
Physicist, medical Physicist, mechanics Physicist, nuclear
Physicist, optics Physicist, plasma Physicist, solid waste
Physicist, theoretical Project Development Project Engineer
Process/application engineer Quality control supervisor Radiographer
Radiation Protection Technician Researcher Robotics engineer
Scientific writer/editor Seismologist Software engineer
Statistician, physical science and engineering Stratigrapher Structural Engineer
Systems analyst, engineering-scientific Teacher, high school Technical sales representative
Technical writer Translator, scientific documents Careers in Computing
Careers in Physics Careers in Science and Engineering Careers in Statistics

Typical Employers

Aerospace companies, atomic/nuclear labs, colleges and universities, consulting firms, engineering firms, government agencies, manufacturing firms, military, petroleum companies, public and private schools, research firms, technical libraries


Liberal Arts Related Occupations (click here for more options)

Marketable Skills Associated with Physics Major

  • Communication skills; develop and write research proposals, summarizing research findings, preparing technical reports, ability to read and write articulately and analytically
  • Investigative skills; defining a research problem, developing a research model; organizing, analyzing, and interpreting scientific data; evaluating ideas; seeing relationships among factors; making appropriate decisions
  • Mathematical skills: measuring sizes/relationships, performing calculations, mathematical modeling, utilizing mathematical formulas
  • Technical skills: designing equipment, establishing and controlling experimental designs, operating instruments, designing and using computer simulations
  • Using logic, scientific thinking and knowledge of natural laws to solve problems
  • Developing new industrial processes and techniques
  • Ability to work well under pressure
  • Leadership ability, self-confidence and initiative

Getting Career Related Work Experience

To be competitive in today's job market and to improve your qualifications for graduate school, gaining career related work experience while you are a college student is very important.

Career related work experience can include various forms of paid and volunteer experience (i.e. internships, some work study positions, summer or part-time jobs in your career field of interest, possibly fellowships, and some volunteer positions.

Physics Related Internships