|
|
 |
 |
Career Path Forecast
 Employment
of physicists and astronomers is expected to grow more slowly than
average for all occupations through 2014. Federal research expenditures
are the major source of physics-related and astronomy-related research
funds, especially for basic research. Although these expenditures are
expected to increase over the 2004–14 projection period, resulting in
some growth in employment and opportunities, the limited science
research funds available still will result in competition for basic
research jobs among Ph.D. holders. The need to replace physicists and
astronomers who retire or otherwise leave the occupation permanently
will account for most expected job openings.
Although research and development expenditures in private industry will
continue to grow, many research laboratories in private industry are
expected to continue to reduce basic research, which includes much
physics research, in favor of applied or manufacturing research and
product and software development. Nevertheless, persons with a physics
background continue to be in demand in the areas of information
technology, semiconductor technology, and other applied sciences. This
trend is expected to continue; however, many of the new workers will
have job titles such as computer software engineer, computer programmer,
or systems analyst or developer, rather than physicist.
Throughout the 1990s, the number of doctorates granted in physics was
much greater than the number of job openings for physicists, resulting
in keen competition, particularly for research positions in colleges and
universities and in research and development centers. Recent increases
in undergraduate physics enrollments, however, may lead to growth in
enrollments in graduate physics programs, so that toward the end of the
projection period, there may be an increase in the number of doctoral
degrees granted that will intensify the competition for job openings.
Opportunities may be more numerous for those with a master's degree,
particularly graduates from programs preparing students for applied
research and development, product design, and manufacturing positions in
private industry. Many of these positions, however, will have titles
other than physicist, such as engineer or computer scientist.
 Persons
with only a bachelor's degree in physics or astronomy are not qualified
to enter most physicist or astronomer research jobs, but may qualify for
a wide range of positions related to engineering, mathematics, computer
science, environmental science, and, for those with the appropriate
background, some nonscience fields, such as finance. Those who meet
State certification requirements can become high school physics
teachers, an occupation in strong demand in many school districts. Most
States require new teachers to obtain a master's degree in education
within a certain time. Despite competition for traditional physics and
astronomy research jobs, graduates with a physics or astronomy degree at
any level will find their knowledge of science and mathematics useful
for entry into many other occupations.
Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the US Department
of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
|
|
