Physicsat Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Graduates earn $60,348/yr in their first year — about 30.0% above the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,010K; scenarios range from $854K to $1,082K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at RPI
First-year earnings of $60,348 put Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Physics program 30% above the national median of $46,482 — one of the higher-earning programs in this field.
An earnings multiple of 4.1x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.
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 21% gap from the optimistic case.
With first-year pay of $60,348 far exceeding the $20,270 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
At #23 of 75 Physics programs, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute scores above the median — competitive but not a standout.
Five-year earnings of $111,815 show a 85% jump from the $60,348 starting point — strong upward trajectory suggesting real career acceleration.
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 RPI'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 RPI stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at RPI
Other highest-scoring programs offered at RPI, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at RPI
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute?
A score of 59/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Physics field.
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 $853,964 in decade earnings vs $1,081,942 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.