Physics

Your physics degree opens doors to the lab, the classroom, and the boardroom. As a research physicist, you might spend your days designing experiments in a government lab, writing code to model cosmic events, and analyzing massive datasets. Or, you could pursue a career in education, either as a postsecondary professor mentoring graduate students and conducting original research, or as a secondary school teacher running hands-on labs to explain Newton’s laws to teenagers. While research and university roles are growing, the high-volume path of high school teaching faces slight headwinds.

With experience, a research-focused career can lead to a leadership position. As a natural sciences manager, you’ll shift from doing the science to directing it—leading teams, securing funding, and setting the strategic vision for an R&D department.

AI will substantially change your day-to-day work. With an average exposure of 50%, routine tasks like data analysis will be increasingly automated. For pure physicists, the exposure is higher; AI will handle complex calculations, shifting your value to designing novel experiments and making judgment calls on AI-generated results. Adaptability will be key.

Closely-related majors include Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physical Sciences, and Physical Sciences, which share overlapping career paths and skill sets.