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Physicist

Physicist Image

Physicists do experimental and developmental work in areas such as electronics, medicine, engineering, the environment, energy, nuclear physics, manufacturing and information technology.

The Work

You could be:

Pay

The figures below are only a guide. Actual pay rates may vary, depending on:

Physicists in the private sector can earn from around £25,000 a year to start, rising up to around £50,000 a year with a number of years' experience.

The starting salaries for physicists in postdoctoral research posts are normally in the range £30,000 to £45,000 a year. University lecturers including senior lecturers can earn up to £52,000 a year. More senior research and teaching staff can earn over £70,000 a year.

Trainee medical physics technician working in the NHS start on Band 6, £39,912 to £48,635 a year. As an HCPC registered medical physicist you would be on Band 7, £48,788 to £56,747 a year. With experience, in senior positions, this can rise to Band 9, £117,732 to £122,831 a year. The current pay scales are from April 2024.

Conditions

Workforce Employment Status

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Useful Subjects

Getting In

For most jobs you would require a degree.

You could work in a wide range of careers – in various branches of engineering, defence, ICT, medical industry, manufacturing, optics, power generation, satellite design, transport, construction, meteorology, patent agency work, business teaching and finance. There is also a considerable demand for teachers in this area.

Workforce Education Levels (UK)

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Job Outlook Scotland

Employment

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Job Outlook Scotland and UK

  Scotland
2024
4699
2.7 %
RISE
2029
4826
  United Kingdom
2024
32043
3.9 %
RISE
2029
33291

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What Does it Take?

You should be:

You should have:

Training

Getting On

More Information

The Institute of Physics website has a careers section at www.iop.org/careers which shows you the wide range of career opportunities open to physics graduates. 

Video

Courtesy of WOUB Public Media

Contacts

The following organisations may be able to provide further information.

Institute of Physics (IOP)
Tel: 020 7470 4800
Website: https://www.iop.org/#gref
Twitter: @PhysicsNews
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/instituteofphysics

Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
Tel: 01904 610821
E-mail: office@ipem.org.uk
Website: http://www.ipem.ac.uk/
Twitter: @ipemnews

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