Physicsat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Graduates earn $58,061/yr in their first year — about 25.0% above the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $703K; scenarios range from $625K to $732K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Physics graduates start at $58,061/yr — above the $46,482 national average, though not by a wide margin.
The 11.3x 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 15% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $26,224 in median debt clears quickly against $58,061 in annual earnings.
Ranked #12 out of 75 programs, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Physics program lands in the top 5% — a strong signal of graduate success.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $58,061 to $78,349 shows 35% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable 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 Virginia Tech'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 Virginia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Virginia Tech
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at Virginia Tech
How does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Physics program score?
This program scores 64/100, 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.
Why does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University rank so high for Physics?
The #12 ranking out of 75 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.