Science
What you can do with Physics
How the universe works, from particles to power grids. Opens doors across engineering, research, and data.
- Careers
- 6
- Early career
- $67,000
- Mid-career
- $105,000
- Growing fast
- 1 of 6
How these numbers work: A major does not have its own salary. Early and mid-career pay is what people who hold this degree earn at the start of their careers and midway through them. Career pay comes from the 6 careers a Physics degree commonly leads to, and counts everyone in those jobs, including people who have been doing them for thirty years. The two answer different questions, which is why they do not match.
67% of people with this degree go on to a graduate degree, so the higher-paying careers below usually mean more school after the bachelor's.
1 of 6 careers this degree leads to is projected to grow faster than average from 2024 to 2034. Of those, Aerospace Engineer has the most openings, about 4,500 a year.
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6 careers this degree leads to
Physicist
$172,250Research how matter and energy behave, powering everything from quantum computing to medical imaging.
- Middle half of workers
- $111,720 to $222,760
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 1,700
Work-life60Remote68- Theoretical Modeling
- Experimental Design
- Mathematics
- Programming
Natural Sciences Manager
$167,220Lead research teams and R&D programs, translating between the lab and the organization.
- Middle half of workers
- $119,430 to $221,540
- Growth
- About average
- Openings a year
- 8,500
Work-life59Remote66- Research Program Management
- Scientific Judgment
- Budgeting
- Team Leadership
Aerospace Engineer
$134,960Design, build, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and the systems that keep them flying.
- Middle half of workers
- $106,110 to $169,690
- Growth
- Faster than average
- Openings a year
- 4,500
Work-life55Remote67- Aerodynamics
- CAD Modeling
- Systems Engineering
- Mathematics
Nuclear Engineer
$133,970Apply nuclear science to power generation, medicine, and safety, managing the release and control of nuclear energy.
- Middle half of workers
- $108,690 to $163,630
- Growth
- Declining
- Openings a year
- 800
Work-life50Remote17- Reactor Physics
- Radiation Safety
- Science
- Mathematics
Astronomer
$128,820Study stars, planets and the universe through observation, theory and computation.
- Middle half of workers
- $99,920 to $166,000
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 100
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Programming
- Research
Meteorologist (Atmospheric Scientist)
$99,070Model and forecast weather and climate, from broadcast meteorology to research and aviation support.
- Middle half of workers
- $73,350 to $129,960
- Growth
- Slower than average
- Openings a year
- 700
Work-life55Remote58- Weather Modeling
- Data Interpretation
- Forecasting
- Science
Related majors
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Where these pay figures come from
Early and mid-career pay is the median annual wage of full-time workers who hold a bachelor's degree in that major, ages 22 to 27 and ages 35 to 45, from 2024 data. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (IPUMS). Published as Outcomes by Major by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Career pay is the annual wage of everyone working in that occupation, not only recent graduates, so it includes people who have done the job for decades. The middle half is the 25th to the 75th percentile. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET OnLine (median and percentile annual wages May 2025; employment projections 2024-2034).
All figures are national. What you earn depends on where you work, who you work for, and how far you take the degree.