My daughter loves Physics but feels there would be more job opportunities in Comp Sci. Does anyone have thoughts on opportunities for a Physics major?
Physics specific jobs would be research (often after a PhD) or teaching (after PhD for college level, after teaching credential for high school level).
Physics graduates often do not get into physics jobs, so it is relatively common for them to go into finance, data analysis, or computing since their quantitative skills help them transition into such areas. Some go into engineering jobs that do not require PE licensing, though they would have to learn the engineering design process on the job. Some also go into less-related-to-major jobs as well.
A physics major may want to use some of her out-of-major electives on courses that could be relevant to her backup job and career plans (e.g. CS courses if computing jobs are the backup). Some such courses could be helpful in physics as well (e.g. CS knowledge can help where computer programs must be written to help solve physics problems).
Physics PhDs also end up working in industry, at Department of Energy national labs such as Livermore and Los Alamos, and at other agency’s research centers. If she is not planning on getting a graduate degree, computer science would be the more marketable degree, I believe.
The unemployment rate of physics majors is about the same as that of computer science majors. Computer science is the “hot” new degree in the news all the time, but given that physics is quantitative, it can be quite a marketable degree even without a graduate degree. For one, I know many physics majors who learned how to program in college and are now working in software development roles anyway. For two, lots of physics majors without graduate degrees go onto finance or banking in quantitative roles.
Thanks for all of your input! Very helpful!
OP I’m glad you asked this question!