Career Options
Careers for Physics Majors
- Engineer
- Nuclear Physicist
- Geophysicist
- Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physicist
- Astrophysicist
- Space Physicist
- Oceanographer
- Laser Engineer
- Kinesiologist
- Nuclear Imaging Technologist
Starting Salary*
A physics major’s typical starting salary is $48,993. The typical salary after 10–19 years is $101,846.
*Note: Salary information is provided for general reference only. APU does not guarantee the accuracy of the figures listed, and cannot predict or promise a specific salary for any graduate. For the most current salary estimates, please visit www.payscale.com.
Job Titles of People with Physics Degrees
- Intel Fellow, Director of the Photonics Technology Lab, Intel
- Spokesman, Muon Anomalous Magnetic Moment Experiment, Brookhaven National Laboratory
- Marketing Group Director, Food Service and Hospitality Division, Coca Cola
- Engineer, Space Station Freedom
- CEO, Orchid BioSciences
- Airborne Sensors Product Branch Chief
U.S. Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency Test Resources Directorate - Director, Business Development, Lockheed Martin IS&S
- Senior Engineer, Cryomagnetics, Inc.
- New Product Introduction Engineer, Volex, Inc.
- Programmer/Analyst, Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
- Senior Engineering Manager, Nokia Mobile Phones
- Chief of Clinical Physics, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
- Scientific Advisor, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, TDAT
- Research Engineer, Center for Applied Optics
- Statistical Engineer (Vehicle Assembly), General Motors
- Staff Scientist, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Product Manager, Carl Zeiss Nano Technology Systems
Note: This information is current for the 2012–13 academic year; however, all stated academic information is subject to change. Please refer to the current Academic Catalog for more information. For additional information, please contact the appropriate office.
