What, would you say, is the job outlook for am Astrophysicist?
While there about about as many people looking for postdocs as there are postdocs (2-5 year research positions you take after finishing your doctorate) there are about 4 times as many people trying to get faculty positions as there are positions available. But that's right now in our economy - it will improve, but probably not by a lot. And yes, you will need a PhD. Your best bet is to keep your options open by getting a PhD in physics and doing your research in astronomy - physicists can do astronomy, but they always assume astronomers can't do physics. That leaves you with other job options if you can't get a faculty / NASA / national lab job (that's about all there are for pure astronomers). That's what I'm doing. In astronomy, everyone wants a faculty position - that's the best job (summers off). The teaching jobs are highly sought-after, and you do need to be well-published and getting grant money to get one of those positions.
What kind of job can I get after a BSc in physics? What will the salary approximately be?
You can do anything after BSc ,but don't expect good salary as you are a fresher .(you may get salary in between 10000-15000Rs not more than that if working in core branch i.e. Physics not software & coding)I will suggest you 1)Go for higher education.(helpful for better salary but industrial experiance + MSc will be Better. In my case I'm doing MSc Instrumentation science from Univ. Pune , there is internship of 9 months out of 24 month included in syllabus so find out courses like this one for industrial exposure) 2)Go for research center jobs based on BSc qualification(BARC,IIA,IPR,IUCCA).3)Find out industries working on physics related fields & try to get job over there. eg. industries working on solar systems,Thin film coatings,vacuum systems,flow meters,sensors,thermodynamics/radiator making industry etc 4)If interested in maths then learn more about stock markets & investments in derivatives,forex etc.(IF interested in better salary go for this field but prefer knowledge over salary for atleast 3yrs)5)Go for packaging technology short term courses & then job.6)Footware & leather accessories designing courses & then job. If your family don't need your support right now then go for MSc in IIT's,TIFR,IIA,IISER etc. (learn more earn more).7)Learn MATLAB,COMSOL software for better salary & physics related work.(don't go for IT related languages )8)Some IT industries are working on MATLAB coding so try to get job in such industries ONLY IF THEY ARE ALLOWING YOU TO DO THE WORK ON MATLAB.(they will not allow a fresher to work on MATLAB so learn it first & then apply.)*Terms & conditions are subjected to market risks so don't follow me blindly do your homework & find out your own interest first.
What majors/ job options are available that require no physics/ very less Physics at all?
I'm awful at Physics. Math is slightly tough. I'm pretty good in Chemistry and Biology. Love English. I don't want to be an engineer or take up a science major (That is, a major in only Biology or Chemistry). What options do I have? I haven't taken up economics. What career options are available in Mass Media? And what are the basic advantages and disadvantages of those jobs? Thankyou so much for helping! I'm really in a fix.
Physics and Astronomy?
Let's see... You could definitely become a research scientist, but I hear they don't pay too well. So you're looking into physics and astronomy? Sure. Be an astrophysicist like Stephen Hawking! He makes a good salary, being the world's smartest man and all. Seriously, though, start looking into different careers at NASA. They'll probably have something you want. Consider rocket science. This would be applicable in several places. You could also consider Imaging Science. It's the analysis of light and optics and such. I considered majoring in this, but I might go to grad school for it instead. You could apply this science to telescopes and reading the different forms of light in space. This is how they determine the movement of intergallactic bodies, like stars. Maybe you'd be interested in helping map the universe? Scientists are just starting on this, but are limited with the technology they have. By the time you get out there, you'll have better technology to work with, so there will be plenty to explore. If you take some engineering, you could build the technology that will be used in space. My theory is that this field is going to populate as fast as computers did. We're already beginning to master space travel, and in a decade or two, I'm sure we'll be doing quite a bit in space. You could do aeronautics. That would be interesting. If you want to actualyl experience space, be an astronaut! :) But, of course, you could also consider teaching. If you want to apply your education, then I wouldn't recommend it. I do recommend, that if you're going for Physics and Astronomy, to get your PhD. This will be a huge asset in your search for a job. Hope I helped.
What kind of job can a Physics major get besides going into academic research?
Inna covered a range of common areas you could pursue (in an earlier answer), but there are really a wide range of things you can do, because you are trained to look for and work with general rules or theories and apply them to specific situations. The question you should ask is: what is it about Physics that I like? That may offer some guidance - but if you are in High School now, give it time, you have lots to learn and discover, about the field and about yourself.Really, the key thing (for me at least) was that Physics trained me to look for commonalities in differing situations (e.g. how orbit of the moon relates to my car rounding a curve at a good clip...) and draw broader conclusions from those situations. On the flip side, Physics also taught me to take fundamental ideas or principles (F=ma, or equal and opposite forces) and apply them to a wide range of different situations.This sort of training is very powerful in many areas: medicine, finance, engineering, management, etc. This is why I would recommend you spend time learning more about Physics and keep an eye on your own "excitement topics" - i.e. see what (high level) areas of the field or the work excite you. And then follow those... You will be much happier and successful.This is why Physics is a "discipline", and not a trade or profession - it trains you to think and understand in certain ways, to analyze, and to question. It should leave you able to do most anything - but what you want to do is up to you.
What kind of first jobs do physics majors tend to get?
As physics is a pure science, jobs that can be obtained are somewhat similar to other pure sciences. Other pure sciences include, but are not limited to, chemistry, biology, math (not a science, but similar), psychology, ecology, astronomy, etc.What's important to realize with these subjects is that there are two ways to use the information learned in these subjects. Either…ResearchA lot of pure sciences have the opportunity to advance the subjects forward in the most pure form of experimentation. This path is dedicated to creating new discoveries and supporting the higher academic community.In this type of field, you won't work quite as much with people as you will information and possibly any partners that are working with you on it. I personally would not enjoy it, but I know several introverts that love it!Pay is ok in most cases, but this path is usually reserved for more academically inclined individuals.ApplicationIn this field, you don't make major strives in pushing the subject itself forward, but rather, you will be making efforts to use the information you've learned to solve the world's problems. This can be seen in an array of options.Most businesses that are science based do not research the science itself, but research ways that they may use it to improve their customer's lives!Careers in this path often involve being called something other than a scientist. For example, if you want to research physics, you would be considered a physicist, but if you wanted to use physics to impact people directly, you may be called something like an engineer!In conclusion, must people who study physics either use it to further the knowledge of the subject itself or they apply it to solve people's problems!
What jobs can you get with a physics degree?
I've always been interested in the math and science fields. My dad convinced me to become an engineer, specifically, to major in electrical engineering not only because he himself was one, but because he believed it was the most promising engineering field out there. Here I am, at a prestigious university taking my first upper division EE courses. Unfortunately, I hate all of them! I'm truly disgusted by digital systems and the endless analysis and design of circuits. They all seem dry, without any of the theory that I saw in previous math and physics courses. (The only EE course I found fun was electromagnetics, since most of it was simply advanced physics.) I was previously a chemical engineering student, but I have a bad respiratory system... Thus, I want to change my major to physics, but my dad is worried that I won't get a job as a person with a physics degree. 3 notes: 1) I do not hope to do research for the rest of my life as a physicist. 2) I do not wish to become a professor. 3) I plan to pursue further education after finishing my undergraduate coursework, hopefully up to post-doctoral work. Any answers appreciated! Thanks! =)