Physicsat University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Graduates earn $41,474/yr in their first year — about 11.0% below the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $817K; scenarios range from $710K to $862K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at University of Washington
Graduates earn $41,474/yr, roughly in line with the $46,482 national median for Physics. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The 16.2x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $41,474 far exceeding the $15,415 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #28 out of 75 programs, University of Washington-Seattle Campus's Physics offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $41,474 to $82,775 over five years (100% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.
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 University of Washington'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 University of Washington stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at University of Washington
Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Washington, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at University of Washington
How does University of Washington-Seattle Campus's Physics program score?
This program scores 58/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Physics graduates.
How vulnerable is Physics to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Physics careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.