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<p>Yeah what a weird thing to say; getting a faculty job in Physics has always been really hard. Recall that Einstein originally started working at a patent office because he was unable to land a job as a professor.</p>
<p>What people associate with “Physics” is actually only a small part of it. When people talk colloquially about a “Golden Age” of physics, they’re probably referring to the middle portion of last century when particle physics was being fleshed out. That area is so small compared to the rest of Physics that Georgia Tech doesn’t even have any faculty dedicated full time to it. Condensed matter, nonlinear dynamics, astrophysics and biophysics are all pretty hot right now.</p>
<p>Anyway, a physics PhD hardly means you have to work in Physics. In fact, most don’t. Many go to places like Intel and duPont if they still wish to contribute to science, or if not they may end up at a financial firm. I’m on the Physics mailing list and so I know there is significant interest in working in finance/consulting.</p>