Physicsat North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Graduates earn $43,740/yr in their first year — about 6.0% below the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $498K; scenarios range from $472K to $499K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at NC State
First-year earnings of $43,740 track close to the $46,482 national median for Physics programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
Every dollar of in-state tuition returns an estimated 14.0x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Physics programs nationally.
Some AI exposure exists in Physics's typical career paths, with 50% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 5% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $22,710 represents roughly 6 months of the $43,740 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #47 of 75 Physics programs, North Carolina State University at Raleigh falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
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.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to NC State's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
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.
Peer schools offering Physics
How NC State stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at NC State
Other highest-scoring programs offered at NC State, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at NC State
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Physics at North Carolina State University at Raleigh?
A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Physics. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Physics careers?
With 50% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $472,468 in decade earnings vs $498,857 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.