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Careers: Physics/Non-academia jobs for physics Ph.D.'s

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Expert: - 7/4/2011


Question
Hi Carlo,

I've been reading on the internet about how most physics Ph.D.'s go in for jobs other than post doc's after their Ph.D.'s.

I saw Quant jobs being mentioned a lot over the internet.

How easy/difficult is it for someone to get these jobs?

Is a job in Quantitative Finance almost garaunteed if one has a Ph.D. in Physics from a top 50 school?

And what would the prospects be 8-10 years from now, according to you, if you could predict?

Also, how much on average can one expect to be paid in such a job?

Are there any jobs that pay over 80k to a fresh out of school Ph.D.?
And how diffcult would it be to get such jobs, if any?

Thanks

Answer
Hello again metalrose:

Many companies are in need of the so-called quant jobs.  These include investment companies (the big ones use quants for trading models and financial planning models), insurance companies and so on.  I think that the understanding of how to model physical systems is valuable to them.

I am afraid that I don't know how easy it is to land these kinds of jobs, however, they are certainly well paid and can be obtained fresh out of a Ph.D.  I don't think that a top 50 school is required, but a good advisor who can recommend you well is.  I believe that these kinds of jobs pay in the salary range you describe but I have no idea what the future holds 8-10 years for such positions.

I do think that the skills a physicist brings to the table will always be valuable to companies though.

You might wish to take a look at the American Institute of Physics web site (http://www.aip.org/statistics/).  They do regular surveys about physicist employment and this might give you a better idea than I can provide "off the cuff".

Cheers,

Carlo

Careers: Physics

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Carlo Segre

Expertise

I can answer most questions about studying physics in college and graduate school; questions about condensed matter physics; x-ray physics; synchrotron radiation; and general and modern physics. I can also answer questions about careers in academia.

Experience

Professor of physics for 27 years at Illinois Institute of Technology. Academic adviser for undergraduates and graduate students. I have served on university promotion and tenure committees, search committees for Deans and Department Chairs. I have also been an Associate Department Chair and an Associate Dean. I have 30 years experience in materials science research and I have been responsible for building and now managing a User facility at the Advanced Photon Source.

Organizations
American Physical Society
Sigma Xi
American Chemical Society
American Associate for the Advancement of Science
International Centre for Diffraction Data (Fellow)
International X-ray Absorption Society


Publications
Nature; Physical Review Letters; Physical Review; Applied Physics Letters; Journal of Physical Chemistry; Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials; Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics; Solid State Communications; Physics Letters; Journal of Low Temperature Physics; Journal of Crystal Growth and Design; Physics Letters; Journal of Applied Physics; Journal of Archaeological Science; Physica C; Corrosion Science; Electrochimica Acta; Journal of Nuclear Materials

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. Physics, 1981 - University of California, San Diego
M.S. Physics, 1977 - University of California, San Diego
B.S. Physics, 1976 - University of illinois, Champaign-Urbana
B.S. Chemistry 1976 - University of illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Awards and Honors
Fellow, International Center for Diffraction Data

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