Expert: Steve Nelson - 7/25/2010

Question
Steve,
  Hello, i have a few questions regarding Physics. I am looking for something to begin studying when i enter college and i have ran into 3 things id like to be. Two of these things is Astrophysics and cosmology. I want to study the universe and how it works but i do not know what it would be like besides tons of math. I would very much like to know how much yearly they make and what would i need to study, and what it would be like. Really interested in the universe and the past.
Thanks,
     Nik

Answer
Pay for physicists varies radically.  I know one who left physics to make money on Wall Street and makes like $14M/year, some make a lot because of patents, some are pretty much pure teaching and make a good bit less, like in the $60k range or less.  Some make a good bit more, depending on where they work.

Astrophysics and cosmology are incredibly difficult fields to land a job in.  You'll fight for a long time just to get the degrees.  Finding a research group to do study in them is really difficult.  Nuclear astrophysics (my particular sub-field) is a lot easier, because of the nuclear part of the title.  Any nuclear experience is valuable, and useful for radiation detector development work, which may find its way onto satellites and such later.  Theoretical cosmology is probably the hardest.  Atomic physics and spectroscopy might find you some of the most direct work in astronomy itself.

The thing you have to ask yourself, for any career, is the following question:  "How do you want to spend your days?"  You'll be spending most of your life at work, how do you want to spend them?  In front of a computer?  Tinkering in a lab?  Playing with radiation and high voltage?  Lasers?  Whatever your fancy, that's the job you want to pick, the one that has you doing what you want to actually spend your time doing on a day-to-day basis.