Students who earn a degree in physics should be able to work in the following areas:
Research
Many industries and corporations hire research physicists to do basic or applied research. Defense industries and government research laboratories such as those at Livermore, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge also hire many physicists. Communication skills and the ability to work in teams are very important in this context.
Teaching
Physics majors who earn a bachelor’s degree and certification in secondary education are usually eligible to be high school physics teachers. With a master’s degree, physics majors are eligible to teach in a two-year college. With a doctorate, Physics majors are eligible to teach in a four-year college or university. College professors may choose an area of specialization, which is usually related to their doctoral studies; they are also expected to do research. Examples of such areas of specialization include solid state physics, atomic and molecular physics, relativity, quantum mechanics, statistical physics and chaos, optics, particle physics, cosmology, astrophysics, physics education, etc.
Where Do Physics Majors Work?
Below are links to companies offering positions to physics majors.
Research, Space, and Defense Industries: