Long-Term Prospects

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Job Satisfaction

General quality of life statement

You've got an important job to do, and you'd better get compensated well for it. As a physicist, you can expect to make around $100k a year, which is a bit less if employed by a college or university, but potentially quite a bit more if working for the government. You know, like in one of those top-secret Bond villain laboratories.

Obviously, the degree attained and career area also affects salary. If you got a Bachelor's in physics, you may be in the $70–75k range. With a Ph.D, you'll be much closer to that $100k mark if you decide to teach. If you hold a critical, supervisory position on a research project of great national importance, $150k or more is totally realistic.

If you find yourself sitting around thinking about singularities all day and are sucked into astronomy, you can make comparable amounts of money in that field, as well. Money aside, though, you are likely going to spend a lot of time dealing with giant, super complicated equations…so your quality of life will likely depend upon whether or not this sort of thing seems fun to you. (And also, apparently, whether or not you can grow a wicked beard.)

25th Percentile Salary

Median Salary

75th Percentile Salary

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