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Physicist

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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. 

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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Career Sectors

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Physics

Science General