Latest Employment Data for Physicists and Related Scientists
These reports highlight the qualitative changes in the initial employment
of recent degree recipients. They document the salaries earned by experienced
physicists across employment sectors and degree levels, the size of the
physics academic workforce as well as the availability of faculty openings
and profiles of new hires.
focus on Astronomy Faculty
This is the second in a series of 5 focus ons which present the findings of the Academic Workforce Survey of 2008. This issue examines astronomy faculty:
faculty members employed in departments that award degrees only in Astronomy (and not physics) and faculty in Physics departments who specialized in
Astronomy or Astrophysics for their dissertation research. Women are better represented among astronomy faculty than physics faculty; however, there are
fewer minority faculty members in astronomy than physics.
focus on Number of Physics Faculty
This is the first in a series of 5 focus ons which present the findings of the Academic Workforce Survey of 2008. The data from the 2008 biennial survey show that
faculty numbers in physics departments continue to increase slowly.
We also examine faculty employed in temporary and non-tenure track positions. Finally, we look at the number of bachelor's degrees awarded by departments
of various sizes.
Who's Hiring Physics Bachelors?
A state by state listing of many of the companies that hired new physics
bachelors from the classes of 2006, 2007, and 2008.
State Listing
Physics Master's One Year Later
The data to follow are findings from AIP's follow-up survey of physics Master's who earned
their degrees in the classes of 2005 and 2006. The surveys were conducted in the winter following
the academic year in which they received their degree and asked about their post degree status.
Master's recipients are a difficult group to track. They are very mobile, and
many departments are unable to provide updated contact information for them.
This analysis is limited to master's degree recipients, from both master's and doctoral-granting
departments, who left their departments and entered the workforce or continued with graduate study
at another department. Master's who left the US after receiving their degree are not included
in the study.
Findings (HTML) |
Findings
Physics PhDs One Year Later
The data to follow are preliminary findings from AIP's follow-up survey of physics PhDs who earned
their degrees in the classes of 2005 and 2006. The surveys were conducted in the winter following
the academic year in which they received their degree and explored the types of initial employment
they accepted. There were 1,244 physics PhDs in the class of 2005 and 1,380 in 2006. We received
data on 57% of them. The combined PhD classes averaged 16% women and 58% foreign citizens.
PhDs reported a median of 6 years of US graduate study to obtain their PhD, with 16% taking 8 or
more years. Nineteen percent of the non-US citizens and eight percent of the US citizens left
the US after receiving their degree and are not included in the following analyses.
Findings (HTML) |
Findings
Physics Bachelor's One Year Later
The data to follow are based on the preliminary findings from physics bachelor's who earned their
degrees in 2005 and 2006. In the winter following the academic year in which they received their
degree, physics bachelor's were surveyed and asked about the educational or career paths they
were pursuing. There were 5,113 physics bachelor's in the class of 2005 and 5,373 in 2006.
We received data on more than 40% of them. Three percent of these physics bachelor's were
pursuing employment or graduate study outside the US and they were not included in the
following analyses.
Findings (HTML) |
Findings
Number of Physics and Astronomy Faculty
The 2006 data from the biennial Physics and Astronomy Academic Workforce Survey show positive
trends for astronomy and physics faculty members and departments. The highlights below show that
in the last ten years,
the number of FTE (full-time equivalent) physics faculty positions has increased by 700 to
a total of 9150. The percentage of FTE physics faculty members who are temporary or non-tenure
track has leveled off and is no longer increasing. These highlights also show the relationship
between number of FTE faculty positions and number of bachelor's degrees awarded for both
undergraduate and PhD physics departments. For the first time, this survey collected data
on the number of astronomers and astrophysicists employed in academe. Most of the 1600
astronomers and astrophysicists who are faculty members work in physics departments rather
than in the stand-alone astronomy departments.
Highlights (HTML) |
Highlights
Trends in the Physics Academic Workforce
Since 1998, the academic job market for physicists has been influenced by the retirements of
faculty members. These highlights show the relationship between the retirement rates
(1998-2006) and number of faculty members recruited by physics departments. The retirement
rate peaked in 2000, leading to an increase in the number of faculty members hired. Although
the retirement rate has been decreasing since 2000, the number of faculty members hired has
remained the same.
Highlights (HTML) |
Highlights
2006 Salary Data
Overall trends and salaries for physicists and related scientists.
Highlights (HTML) |
Summary Report
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Purchase detailed tables
Earth and Space Science PhDs, Class of 2003
Sponsored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) and American Geological
Institute (AGI), this report documents initial employment patterns, starting
salaries, and demographic characteristics for recent PhD graduates in
the geosciences.
Full report
2004 Physics & Astronomy Academic Workforce
This is the latest in a series of biennial reports on the number of faculty, turnover, retirements,
and recruitments at physics degree-granting departments. The number of faculty positions in
physics has increased by about 10% since 1994. However, more positions are being filled with
part-time and temporary faculty than ten years ago. The number of minority faculty members
increased significantly at physics departments, and new female faculty were hired at rates
consistent with degree production in the past. This report also provides data on the relationship
between the number of full-time equivalent faculty and the number of bachelor's degrees awarded.
For the first time, this report contains data on stand-alone astronomy departments.
Highlights
(HTML) | Highlights
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Full report
Career Paths for Physicists with PhD's from the US
Every two years, the National Science Foundation resurveys a panel of Doctorate holders,
selected to represent all working age recipients of science, engineering and health PhD's
from US universities. These data provide a unique snapshot of career developments at all
stages of physicists' working lives. The current brief report is a first look at what this
dataset offers.
Full report
Physics Bachelors with Master's Degrees
This report documents the employment patterns of those who earned physics
bachelor's degrees in the early 1990s, earned master's degrees in a variety
of fields, and were working five to eight years later. Master's degree
fields, reasons for attending graduate school, and preparedness for graduate
school are all discussed. Also documented are employment fields, salaries,
knowledge and skills used on the job, and evaluation of undergraduate
physics education.
Highlights
(HTML) | Highlights
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Full report
The Early Careers of Physics Bachelors
An examination of the employment patterns of people with no degrees other
than physics bachelor's degrees, five to eight years after graduation.
The report includes common job activities and skills used on the job.
It also describes these physics bachelors' evaluations of how well physics
education prepared them for careers.
Highlights
(HTML) | Highlights
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Full report
2004 Industrial Salary Summary
This article appeared in The Industrial Physicist. It summarizes the salary
and employment data on physicists and related scientists working in the
private sector.
Article
2004 Society Profile
A collection of data tables that describes the characteristics of the
membership of the 10 AIP Member Societies
Report
2002 Society Profile
A collection of data tables that describes the characteristics of the
membership of the 10 AIP Member Societies
Report
State-level Salaries
Contact information for the 35 states that publish salary information
on their technical work force.
State Contacts
Enrollments and Faculty in Physics
This talk was given at the Department Chairs conference convened by APS
and AAPT on June 7-9, 2002. It provides a statistical overview of the
current and historic trends in physics enrollments from high school through
to the PhD, and includes data on physics faculty in universities and 4-year
colleges, including their numbers and age, as well as characteristics
of new faculty hired during 2000
Talk
Additional Websites of Interest
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