<p>Oooh…a PhD eh? You sure? This isn’t 1970- The golden age of physics is over. It is very hard to get a research position as a physicist these days. You may have to work as a post-doc for 10 or more years AFTER getting a Ph.D (witch already takes a long time) earning only ~25-30K a year before getting a position at a university. I know this might sound odd, me saying that you can make 50K a year with a B.S in physics but only 30K with a Ph.D , but this is because most people with a B.S in physics move into fields other than physics, like CS or economics. Read this paper about it, it should fill you in on the glumness of trying to do physics professionally quite nicely: [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>
<p>I feel kinda bad bearing this news, but I will say this. If you think you’ll enjoy physics so much that you don’t care about how much you’ll make for the next 20 years of your life, or you think that you are so good at physics that you can be the next Feynman, go for it and have a blast. I know all this physics salary stuff because there was I time I too wanted to get a Ph.D in physics, however I have changed my mind because I also want to make good money and there are other fields I am interested in. I’d recommend seriously thinking about getting a Ph.D in engineering or computer science if you’re sure you want to do research, as people with Ph.D’s in those fields can make ~the low six figures right after getting their doctorates (if they did well in grad school and went to a good one) and those fields are similar to physics (especially engineering) . However, If after seriously considering other options you find that you still want a Ph.D in physics, don’t let other people keep you from achieving your dream.</p>
<p>It contains a lot of useful information about what grad schools look for, and what you should do as an undergrad to get into a top grad school. Even though it is written for CS students, the info is still relevent for all engineering/hard science fields</p>
<p>There are tons of jobs for physicists. Our understanding into the physics behind biomolecular interactions is only beginning. The research labs in IBB who are mainly BMed and Biochem focused have many people whose specialties are in physics. And thats just integrated physics. GT just opened a new office in Boggs for Applied Astrophysics, apparently another area we have limited physics knowledge in. If you get a PhD in physics you will be fine…research scientists, especially at GT, make a pretty penny.</p>
<p>Bojangles, did you actually read the document I put up? It goes into way more detail than me. Yes, there are some new physics buildings being made, and yes tenured physics professors, or other physicists who have achived high status in the profession (such as those at GT) can make good money. The problem isn’t making money once you’re at the top of your field; its getting there.</p>
<p>Also, just because somebody 100 years ago said physics was going to suck and then it didn’t doesn’t mean my statment isn’t valid. late 19th century, physicists reached a wall because they didn’t grokk electromanitism witch was breached in about 30 years, just like we are reaching a wall with quantum physics & inconsistinices with other physics theories. Maybe physics will get pasts its current day problems sometime in the future, but right now physics is not the best science field to be in.</p>
<p>First of all, it was a light comment that made me laugh.
Second of all, pure science is probably not the best field for you if you are primarily interested in money.
Third, the scientists who made the breakthroughs in the early 20th century probably heard those comments too, discouraging them from entering a mired field. Thank god they stuck with it. Hopefully those who truly love physics will stick with it and solve the present problems.</p>
<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>
<p>I was mainly getting at the fact that there are still many problems to be solved in physics, and many more fields of interest rather than particle physics, like gthopeful said. A common misconception is that physics research has slowed and that there isn’t much to do in the profession beyond teaching…just trying to dispel rumors.</p>
<p>A pretty large minority of my biochem professors hold advanced degrees in physics, and biochem is a booming field right now. People with PhDs in physics don’t always end up doing physics after grad school. There is a need in almost every science/engineering field for people with integral knowledge of physics. And I can’t speak for the OP but I’m pretty sure that someone from Georgia Tech is going to get one of those limited number of physics PhD positions before someone from, say, UColorado does.</p>
<p>I’m a current physic undergrad at tech, in my third year, so I’ll answer questions if you’d like. I do want to start with one thing, which is this quote:</p>
<p>"There’s a reason that most of the Physics majors at Tech double major in either engineering or management. "</p>
<p>That’s simply untrue in my experience.</p>
<p>And take the employment/salary numbers with a grain of salt. Generally speaking the physics majors here either want to teach highschool or go to gradschool. The teachers don’t make much and the gradschoolers are likely not employed.</p>