Career Paths
Students majoring in physics have a wide range of career options available to them. Some students may choose to pursue a PhD and become a professor at a university. Others may choose to work in industry in a research and development role. Still others may choose to work in a variety of other fields, such as engineering, finance, law, medicine, education, etc.
American Physical Society (APS) Career Center:
The American Physical Society (APS) is the professional organization for physicists. It is a great resource for students and professionals in the physics field. The Career Center provides information on a variety of career paths for physics majors, including information on graduate school, job opportunities, and more.
- APS Career Center - The main page for the APS Career Center. The following links are also on the main APS Career Center page, but are worth highlighting here:
- Why Study Physics? - Explores why physics is interesting and useful
- Begin Planning Your Career - Start visualizing your career path. On this page is a link to download the APS Career Navigator Workbook, which is an excellent guide that walks you through lots of questions to consider when thinking about what career path to follow. Highly recommended!
- APS Physicist Career Profiles - highlights dozens of interviews with physicists who discuss their experiences and advice for students
- Career Navigator - Lots of links to career-related resources
- Careers 2025 Guide - APS publication on career pathways with an employer directory
- Resumes, CVs and Cover Letters - Guides and videos on how to write effective resumes, CVs and cover letters
- Take a Skills Inventory - Usefull for knowing what to put on your resume and how to market yourself
- Undergraduate Students - Resources specifically for undergraduate students