How many physicist in the us

What is the Unemployment rate of Physicists and Astronomers? Given the job environment today, Physicists and Astronomers can consider Once employed, Physicists and Astronomers can expect to earn an average of In addition, over the coming 10 years Physicists and Astronomers will see In respect to starting your own business, Physicists and Astronomers rarely There are approximately 5.

Physicists and Astronomers generally receive a Doctoral degree before they A Day in the Life of an Astronomer. A Day in the Life of an Oxford Astrophysicist. Careers in Physics Research. Employment for Physics Graduates. How do you become an Astronomer. How to become a Quantum Physicist. Introduction to Astronomy. The scientific research and development services industry includes both private and federally funded national laboratories, such as those overseen by the U. Department of Homeland Security.

Department of Defense. Although physics research often requires working in laboratories, physicists also spend time outside of the lab to plan, analyze, fundraise, and report on research. Most astronomers work in offices and occasionally visit observatories, buildings that house ground-based telescopes used to observe natural phenomenon and gather data. Some astronomers work full time in observatories.

Some physicists and astronomers work temporarily at national or international facilities that have unique equipment, such as particle accelerators and gamma ray telescopes. They also travel to meetings to present research results and learn about developments in their field. Astronomers may need to do observation work at night.

However, astronomers typically visit observatories only a few times per year. Graduate students may concentrate in a subfield of physics or astronomy, such as condensed matter physics or cosmology. In addition to coursework in physics or astronomy, Ph. Computer science also may be useful for developing programs to gather, analyze, and model data. Undergraduate physics programs typically include courses such as quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism.

Undergraduate students may choose to complete an internship to gain hands-on experience. The American Astronomical Society has a directory of internships for astronomy students, and the American Physical Society lists internships for physics students.

Students who do not want to continue their studies to the doctoral level may want to take courses in instrument building and computer science. Others may become science teachers in middle schools or high schools.

Physics and astronomy Ph. Senior scientists supervise these researchers as they gain experience and independence doing increasingly complex tasks. Analytical skills. Physicists and astronomers must evaluate their work and the work of others to avoid errors that could invalidate their research.

Communication skills. Physicists and astronomers present their research at conferences, to the public, and to others. They also write technical reports for publication and write proposals for research funding. Critical-thinking skills. Physicists and astronomers need to think logically in carrying out scientific experiments and studies. They must determine whether results and conclusions are accurate. Interpersonal skills. Physicists and astronomers must collaborate with others and therefore need to work well with team members and colleagues.

Math skills. Physicists and astronomers do calculations involving calculus, geometry, algebra, and other areas of math. They must express their research in mathematical terms. Problem-solving skills. Physicists and astronomers use scientific observation and analysis, as well as creative thinking, to solve problems. For example, they may need to redesign their approach and find alternatives when an experiment or theory fails to produce the desired result.

Physicists and astronomers need to be motivated, since their work may require them to focus on large datasets for long periods. Some positions with the federal government, such as those involving nuclear energy, may require applicants to be U.

With experience, physicists and astronomers may gain greater independence in their work and advance to senior positions. Experience also may lead to tenure for those in university positions. Some physicists and astronomers advance to become n atural sciences manager s. Note: All Occupations includes all occupations in the U. Source: U. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. In May , the median annual wages for astronomers in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:.

In May , the median annual wages for physicists in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program. Physicists are projected to have employment growth in scientific research and development services, colleges and universities, and hospitals.

Federal spending is the primary source of physics- and astronomy-related research funds, especially for basic research. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link s below go to OEWS data maps for employment and wages by state and area. All state projections data are available at www. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state.

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area.

There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code. This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of physicists and astronomers. Biochemists and biophysicists study the chemical and physical principles of living things and of biological processes.

Chemists and materials scientists study substances at the atomic and molecular levels and analyze the ways in which the substances interact with one another.

Computer and information research scientists design innovative uses for new and existing computing technology. Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and supervise the manufacture of electrical equipment. Materials engineers develop, process, and test materials used to create a wide range of products.

Mathematicians and statisticians analyze data and apply computational techniques to solve problems. Nuclear engineers research and develop the processes, instruments, and systems used to derive benefits from nuclear energy and radiation. Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level. For more information about astronomy careers and for a listing of colleges and universities offering astronomy programs, visit.

American Astronomical Society. Physics Careers Resource. American Institute of Physics. American Physical Society. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U. Last Modified Date: Wednesday, September 8, The What They Do tab describes the typical duties and responsibilities of workers in the occupation, including what tools and equipment they use and how closely they are supervised.

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Within every occupation, earnings vary by experience, responsibility, performance, tenure, and geographic area. For most profiles, this tab has a table with wages in the major industries employing the occupation. The Job Outlook tab describes the factors that affect employment growth or decline in the occupation, and in some instances, describes the relationship between the number of job seekers and the number of job openings.

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The wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. Additional training needed postemployment to attain competency in the skills needed in this occupation.

Work experience that is commonly considered necessary by employers, or is a commonly accepted substitute for more formal types of training or education. The employment, or size, of this occupation in , which is the base year of the employment projections. The projected percent change in employment from to The average growth rate for all occupations is 8 percent.