<p>So here is the thing , I am thinking about which college degree should i go for . For one thing i love physics and mathematics . I want to end up working as a research scientist .
I hear that physics PHDs get a lower pay than Engineering PHDs . So which degree should i go for?
If i choose engineering should i do a PHD or is MS enough to get a job as research engineer.</p>
<p>My son had a similar dilemma. He was able to take a Project Lead the Way Engineering class at his high school which included career research and job shadowing. This helped him narrow down his career interests. He found that engineering, while interesting, is not the area he wants to pursue at this time and is now focusing on physics (he does plan to get a Ph.D. and hopes to do research).</p>
<p>If your high school or local community college offers any kind of job shadow opportunities, I highly recommend them. If no specific programs exist, you could ask math and science teachers for ideas on how to arrange a job shadow on your own.</p>
<p>From what I have seen, 4 year engineering degree holders are getting good paying jobs quickly. We have several recent Electrical Eng. grads in the extended family who found decent jobs upon graduation. Some have secured jobs that then paid for them to go on to get MBAs as well. It will probably be harder for a graduate degree holder io physics to find jobs. </p>
<p>Good luck with your decision making.</p>
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<p>I agree. I know of a recent computer engineering grad who had several job offers way before he graduated. His employer paid for him to get his masters degree. However, he was not employed as a research engineer.</p>
<p>narayannewton, please read my comments in this other thread.</p>
<p><a href=“Physics vs. Engineering Major - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums”>Physics vs. Engineering Major - College Search & Selection - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Physics majors and engineering majors both have good employment prospects, so I would urge you to follow your instincts.</p>
<p>DH is a research physicist (PhD) working for one of the National Labs. He has also worked in academia and has many colleagues and friends who work in academia, national labs, private industry and consulting. </p>
<p>PhD engineers and applied physicists in academia and National Labs earn approx. the same salaries. Theoretical physicists tend to earn somewhat less simply because there is a limit to the immediate value of their work. (OTOH, a friend–a theoretical physicist-- developed a computer code to do a certain type of numerical analysis as part of his research which turned out to be a highly saleable product.)</p>
<p>Industry salaries for physicists vs. engineers are all over the place: some higher, some lower. It all depends on what research area you’re working in. Some areas pay better than others. Often in industry the line between what’s engineering and what’s physics research disappears and there’s considerable overlap.</p>
<p>This is also true in academia and the national labs. DH was a physicist; his collaborators included chemists, other physicists (applied and theoretical), electrical engineers and materials scientists.</p>
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<p>D1 was a physics major in college. While the employment outlook for bachelor’s level physics majors is OK, bachelor’s level engineers will have an easier time finding a job straight out of undergrad. Physics majors bear the burden of convincing potential employers that they can learn to do whatever skill the employer wants. Many of her fellow physics grads ended up using their quant skills to do financial analysis for investment companies or banks. Some ended up doing de facto engineering for power, telecomm or computer chip companies. (D1 went to med school.)</p>
<p>Money isn’t everything. I agree - figure out what sort of job you’d enjoy better and work backward from there.</p>
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<p>It never would have occurred to me that a physics grad would end up working on Wall Street or in the financial industry. Very interesting.</p>
<p>Interdisciplinary is big these days. Get as broad a base as you can and you will find an area that interests you.</p>
<p>Many people I know who have doctorate degrees in physics later switched to do financial analysis for Wall Street. Money is what they wanted. Haven’t been in touch with them for a while. I wonder how they feel now after ups and downs of wall street. There was one guy who was a very smart physicist told me he regretted to do physics because money was crappy. Then he said if his daughter chose to do physics, he’d break her leg. That seriously made me want to throw up. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I’ve heard physicists who told me “I get paid everyday for discovering the secret of universe. What could be better than this?!”</p>
<p>I think both physics and engineering are fascinating fields. Choose the one you love. - this is different from telling this to someone who loves medieval history.</p>
<p>I would do engineering if you wish to stop after the original degree. You can work with an engineering degree. And it is not a good thing to get a PhD in engineering unless you just want to work at the university level. Typically, you will get paid more as an engineer in the private sector (or even gov’t section, but private generally pays more than gov’t too). Doesn’t matter, the point is, working in academia probably will not earn as much money as working as an engineer. Many businesses prefer to not hire PhDs. </p>
<p>IF you want to get your PhD and work at the university level, which is what some people want (and what I would have wanted) then you are better off with an undergrad in physics. After the undergrad, go to grad school in whatever you want. Your GPA will matter a lot when you apply to grad school (not so much when just looking for a job). It is harder to maintain a good GPA in engineering. However, you can go to engineering grad school with an undergrad in something else, such as physics. It will be easier to get the good grades you need for grad school, in something like physics. Just make sure you look over the admissions requirements for whatever grad degrees you like, early on, so you know what you will need. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>(P.S. the engineers I know make more money than the professors I know. I would have preferred being a professor because I am just that sort of person. My husband is an engineer for a private company and that is definitely his thing.)</p>
<p>Remember, making 10% more won’t be worth it if you do not like your job. My husband just took a 20% pay cut to go back down from being a manager down to doing the actual engineering again. It has been very worth it for him. So don’t let a small pay differential influence your decision.</p>
<p>Another perspective: [Don’t</a> Become a Scientist!](<a href=“http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html]Don’t”>http://wuphys.wustl.edu/~katz/scientist.html)</p>
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<p>Exactly right. You don’t want to get into a situation where everyday you wake up and think “oh I don’t want to go to work.” </p>
<p>I think Imkh’s suggestion is good - if you don’t plan to do grad school, then engineering major gives you more chance for jobs. otherwise either one is good. Some schools have physics/engineering programs combined. If you’re good at math, you should be in good shape to do either physics or engineering.</p>
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So should people advice the poor kid to be a medieval historian instead?</p>
<p>You won’t be able to predict what your salary will be when you hit your stride in your late twenties and early thirties so pick what you love or work both ends. A family member of mine is a physicist with an EE undergrad degree.</p>
<p>I assume that you are in High School now. There is no need to decide yet. The initial courses in college that engineering and physics majors take are very similar. Wait until you get to college to decide. However, it does mean limiting yourself somewhat to Universities that offer engineering.</p>
<p>I agree with the posters who say that you should choose your major based on your interests and abilities, not on relatively small differences in the average salaries.</p>
<p>That said, you are in a win-win situation here. Both physics majors and engineering majors do well in the job market. Check out the following link to the PayScale survey of salaries by college major.</p>
<p>[PayScale</a> College Salary Report 2012-13](<a href=“http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2013/majors-that-pay-you-back]PayScale”>http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2013/majors-that-pay-you-back)</p>
<p>Physics is number 11 out of 130 majors listed in terms of mid-career salaries. It comes in behind petroleum, aerospace, chemical, nuclear, electrical, and computer engineering. At mid-career it comes in ahead of mechanical, biomedical, and civil engineering. Note that business majors come in much lower in the list.</p>
<p>There has been lots of valid criticism of the PayScale survey. It excludes people with graduate degrees, so you are seeing only the people who do not earn more advanced degrees. A lot of physics majors and engineering majors earn advanced degrees. Nevertheless I think that the survey supports the fact that physics majors and engineering majors tend to do well in the job market.</p>
<p>The majority of physics majors do not become professional physicists. Many go into engineering, computer programming, business, finance, law, medicine, or teaching. The quantitative problem-solving skills one learns in studying physics are good preparation for a wide variety of careers.</p>