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Engineering · Engineering Physics Rank #4 of 8

Engineering Physicsat Murray State University

Graduates earn $58,025/yr in their first year — about 4.0% below the national Engineering Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $605K; scenarios range from $549K to $619K depending on AI disruption.

Murray, KY Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
54 AVERAGE
56
Optimistic
52
Pessimistic
Earnings
$58,025
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.9x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$605K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
57% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Murray State University

Murray State's Engineering Physics program offers a unique pathway, differentiating itself in a niche field at a regional public university. While the initial earnings data might reflect a market less concentrated with top-tier R&D firms compared to major tech hubs, this program likely emphasizes a strong foundational understanding of physics principles applied to engineering challenges. You'll gain versatile analytical skills sought after in diverse sectors, from advanced manufacturing to defense contractors or even medical physics.

The "Very High" AI risk rating isn't a red flag to avoid, but a call to action. It highlights that many routine computational or data analysis tasks within engineering and physics are becoming automated. Your focus should be on developing critical thinking, experimental design, and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills that AI cannot replicate. Seek out internships, participate in research, and consider how you can leverage these foundational skills for advanced degrees or specialized roles in emergent technologies, ensuring you're designing the future, not just executing its current models.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$549K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple14.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$605K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score54/100
Earnings Multiple15.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$619K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score56/100
Earnings Multiple15.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Murray State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Engineering Physics graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Physicists
+4.0% 10-yr growth · 1,700 openings/yr
$166,290/yr
Very High
3
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
4
Engineers, all other
+2.1% 10-yr growth · 9,300 openings/yr
$117,750/yr
Moderate
5
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Engineering Physics

How Murray State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Colorado School of Mines
CO · Public
65
DW Score
$73K
1-yr earn
10.4x
ROI
Top score
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
WI · Public
70
DW Score
$68K
1-yr earn
24.6x
ROI
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
IL · Public
69
DW Score
$64K
1-yr earn
16.1x
ROI
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
FL · Private nonprofit
44
DW Score
$57K
1-yr earn
2.4x
ROI
Delaware State University
DE · Public
52
DW Score
$54K
1-yr earn
12.1x
ROI
Also at Murray State University

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Other highest-scoring programs offered at Murray State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Engineering Physics at Murray State University

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Engineering Physics at Murray State University?

A score of 54/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Engineering Physics field.

Will AI replace Engineering Physics careers?

With 52% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $548,994 in decade earnings vs $618,998 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.