[PDF] Physics Doctorates: - American Physical Society PDF

Physics Doctorates - American Physical Society

physics PhDs with potentially permanent employment outside of the field of physics were engineering, computer software, and business or finance (Figure 3) The vast majority of physics PhDs who accepted postdoctoral fellowships were working in the field of physics, with most continuing in the field of their dissertations

Careers in STEM - Arkansas State University

bodies, and the physics concerning them Have an average salary of around $85,689, but have an opportunity to make as much as $125,488 in places such as San Francisco Has an 8 growth expectancy from 2020 to 2030, and an average of 1,500 openings in the field each year Bachelor’s Degree 3 - 4 years in physics Master’s Degree

Physics Masters: One Year After Degree - ed

others continue their graduate education in physics or other subjects Some new exiting masters, mostly non -US citizens, leave the US after receiving their degrees Physics departments in the US averaged 942 exiting physics master’s degrees a year in the classes of 2016, 2017, and 2018 These new exiting physics masters were asked about their

Searches related to careers concerning physics filetype:pdf

A Careers in and out of science In 2007, the National Academies conducted a review of the literature concerning issues for women in science and engineering This report concluded that while women have the ability and motivation to succeed, they are lost to science and engineering careers at every educational transition

[PDF] Physics Doctorates: - American Physical Society

The skills and knowledge used by new physics PhDs fall into two main subjective information concerning advisors were helpful in their career planning

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in Physics Other Careers with Physics as a background Other Careers reading in the libraries during my secondary school concerning the above mentioned

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Chemistry and physics graduates in particular have higher the Institute for Physics all include careers sections that concerning graduate employment and

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careers Each article also describes how we use English, math, and science in everyday Physicists and astronomers jobs involving applied research require

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[PDF] Physics Doctorates: - American Physical Society

42474_7phdskillsused_0816.pdf

AIP Member Societies: Acoustical Society of America • American Association of Physicists in Medicine • American Association of Physics Teachers • American Astronomical Society • American Crystallographic

Association • American Meteorological Society

• American Physical Society • AVS Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing • The Optical Society • The Society of Rheology

Physics Doctorates:

Skills Used

& Satisfaction with Employment

Data from the

degree recipient follow-up survey for the classes of 2013 and 2014

Jack Pold and Patrick Mulvey

REPORTS ON

PHYSICS

DOCTORATES

Physics Doctorate

s, One

Year Later (January

201
6)

Physics Doctorates,

Initial Employment

(

March 2016)

Physics Doctorates,

Skills Used &

Satisfaction with

Employment (July

201
6) The skills and knowledge used by new physics PhDs fall into two main categories: "interpersonal and management" and "scientific and technical". Both PhDs who accepted a postdoc and who held potentially

permanent employment in the private sector were very similar in how often they used interpersonal and management skills (Figure 1). An

exception to this similarity was that PhDs working in potentially permanent positions in the private sector were considerably more likely to indicate that they "work with clients" than their postdoctoral counterparts.

THE 2013 AND 2014

FOLLOW-UP SURVEYS OF

PHYSICS DOCTORATES

We contact physics doctorate

recipients in the winter following the academic year in which they receive their degrees. They are asked to share both objective and subjective information concerning their employment. www.aip.org/statistics

One Physics Ellipse • College Park, MD 20740 • 301.209.3070 • stats@aip.org August 2016

Working on a Team"

and "Technical

Writing" are skills that

are regularly used by physics PhDs . Interpersonal and Management Skills Regularly Used by New Physics PhDs, Classes of 2013 & 2014 Combined.

0255075

Work on a Team

Technical Writing

Manage Projects

Speak Publicly

Manage People

Manage Budgets

Work With Clients0255075100

Postdocs: All SectorsPotentially Permanent: Private Sector

Percent Who Use Regularly

Percentages represent the proportion

of physics PhDs who chose "daily", "weekly", or "monthly" on a four-point scale that also included "never or rarely." Data only include

US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Data are based on the responses of 405 postdocs and 202 physics PhDs working in potentially permanent positions in the private sector. www.aip.org/statistics

Figure 1

@AIPStatistics

August 2016 AIP Statistical Research Center

Page 2 focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment

Figure 2

Over three-quarters of PhDs holding postdocs or potentially permanent private sector positions indicated that they regularly used technical problem solving, programming, and advanced math in their positions (Figure 2). However, skills used by physics PhDs varied somewhat depending on the positions they held and the sectors in which they were employed. PhD recipients employed in potentially permanent positions in the private sector performed quality control and engaged in design and development more often than their postdoctoral counterparts. In contrast, postdoctoral fellows were more likely to use both basic and advanced physics principles, and engage in basic research. Both groups were equally likely to perform applied research.

New physics PhDs in

postdocs and potentially permanent positions in the private sector heavily rely on programming, technical problem solving skills, and advanced math.

Scientific and Technical

Knowledge Regularly Used by

New Physics PhDs, Classes of 2013 & 2014 Combined.

0255075

Basic Research

Basic Physics Principles

Technical Problem Solving

Programming

Advanced Physics Principles

Advanced Math

Simulation and Modeling

Specialized Equipment

Applied Research

Design and Development

Perform Technical Support

Perform Quality Control

0255075100

Postdocs: All SectorsPotentially Permanent: Private Sector

Percent Who Use Regularly

Percentages represent the proportion of physics PhDs who chose "daily", "weekly", or "monthly" on a four-point scale that also included "never or rarely." Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Data are based on the responses of 405 postdocs and 202 physics PhDs working in potentially permanent positions in the private sector. www.aip.org/statistics

AIP Statistical Research Center August 2016

focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment Page 3

Table 1

Qualitative Aspects of Initial Employment for Physics PhDs in the Classes of 2013 & 2014 Combined.

Percent who felt:

Postdoc

Potentially

Permanent

A physics PhD is an appropriate

background for this position. 95
77

I am satisfied with this position. 82 87

This position is professionally

challenging. 87 75

I consider myself underemployed in

this position. 22
22
The percentages represent the two positive responses on a 4-point scale such as: Very appropriate, Appropriate, Not very appropriate, and Not at all appropriate. Data are based on the responses of 415 postdocs and 293 PhDs in potentially permanent positions. Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. www.aip.org/statistics Physics PhD recipients who accepted a postdoctoral fellowship were more likely to indicate that a physics PhD was an appropriate background for the position s they held than PhDs in potentially permanent positions. They were also more likely to report that their position s were professionally challenging. A similar proportion of both postdocs and PhDs in potentially permanent positions indicated that they considered themselves underemployed in their positions (Table 1).

About a fifth of physics

PhDs reported feeling

underemployed.

Both postdocs and

potentially permanently employed PhDs indicated high levels of satisfaction with their positions .

August 2016 AIP Statistical Research Center

Page 4 focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment

Table 2

Overall, most new

physics PhDs with potentially permanent employment reported they we re satisfied with their initial employment. Qualitative Aspects of Initial Employment for Physics PhDs Working in Potentially Permanent Positions, Classes of 20

13 & 2014 Combined.

Potentially Permanent

Employment

Percent who felt:

Academic*

Private

Sector

A physics PhD is an appropriate

background for this position. 88
75

I am satisfied with this position. 90 87

This position is professionally

challenging. 78
73

I consider myself underemployed in

this position. 25
20 The percentages represent the two positive responses on a 4-point scale such as: Very appropriate, Appropriate, Not very appropriate and Not at all appropriate. Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Data are based on responses of 60 PhDs in the academic sector and 202 in the private sector. *The academic sector includes universities, two- and four-year colleges, and university affiliated research institutes (UARIs). The most common job titles in this group were "assistant professor," "professor" and "research associate," who were mostly employed in two- and four-year colleges. www.aip.org/statistics Physics PhDs in potentially permanent positions were employed in a variety of sectors of the economy. PhDs with potentially permanent employment in the academic sector were more likely to report that a physics PhD was an appropriate background for their position than PhDs with potentially permanent employment in the private sector. A similar proportion of the potentially employed PhDs in the academic and private sectors considered themselves underemployed (Table 2).

AIP Statistical Research Center August 2016

focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment Page 5

Figure 3

As a group, the PhDs

in other temporary positions had the lowest proportion reporting that their advisor was helpful in planning for their career. "Was Your Advisor Helpful in Your Career Planning?" PhD Classes of 2013 & 2014 Combined.

0102030405060708090100

Postdoc

Potentially Permanent

Other Temporary

37%
20% 24%
38%
38%
26%
22%
31%
44%
3% 11% 6% Very HelpfulHelpfulNot Very or Not at all HelpfulDid Not Seek Help Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Figure is based on the responses of 422 postdocs, 297 PhDs in potentially permanent positions, and 88 PhDs in "other temporary positions." "Other temporary positions" include PhDs who indicated they were in non-permanent positions such as visiting professor, sabbatical replacement, lecturer, and research scientist. www.aip.org/statistics Advisors play a key role in the experience of physics PhDs, and a positive interaction between the two can be helpful as new doctorates transition into the workforce (Figure 3). Three-quarters of postdocs and more than half of potentially permanently employed physics PhDs reported that their advisors were helpful in their career planning. It is not surprising that PhDs in postdoctoral positions reported the highest levels of helpfulness from their advisors. In many cases, faculty have more established contacts with other universities and government labs (who often employ postdocs) than they do with industry.

August 2016 AIP Statistical Research Center

Page 6 focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment

The vast majority of

postdocs fe el that their position s give them valuable knowledge and skills for their future pursuits.

Opinions about the Postdoc Experience,

PhD Classes of 20

13 & 2014 Combined.

Percent agreeing with the statement:

I feel the knowledge and skills I was developing in my postdoc will be valuable in my future career pursuits. 92
% I was pleased with the amount of mentoring I was receiving. 82% The percentages represent the two positive responses on a 4-point scale: Strongly agree, Agree, Disagree and Strongly disagree. Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Data are based on the responses of 415 postdocs.
. www.aip.org/statistics

Table 3

When asked about their postdoctoral experience, the majority of postdocs responded positively in regards to the amount of mentoring they received and the knowledge and skills they were developing through their postdoctoral fellowships. The vast majority (92%) of postdocs said that they felt that the skills they were obtaining through their fellowships would be helpful in their future careers (Table 3). US and non-US citizens reported similar levels of both satisfaction with the skills they were gaining and the amount of mentoring they were receiving.

AIP Statistical Research Center August 2016

focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment Page 7

Attitudes Concerning Getting a Physics PhD,

Classes of 2013 & 2014 Combined.

Would you get your

physics PhD again? US

Citizens

Non-US

Citizens

Overall

Yes, at the same

institution 72
51
64

Yes, at a different

institution 13 24
17

No, I would get a

PhD in a different

subject 7 17 11

No, I would not get

a PhD 8 8 8 100%
100%
100%
Data only include US-educated physics PhDs who remained in the US after earning their degrees. Figure is based on the responses of 488 US citizens and 293 non-US citizens to the question "if you had to do it over again, would you still get a PhD in physics?" www.aip.org/statistics

US citizens were more

likely than non-US citizens to indicate that they would repeat their physics PhD experience s. The majority (64%) of physics PhDs indicated that they would repeat getting their physics PhD at the institution from which they received their doctorates. US citizens were more likely than non-US citizens to indicate that they would repeat the physics PhD process at the same institution. If given the opportunity to do it over again, non-US citizens were more likely to indicate that they would pursue a physics PhD at a different institution (24%) or that they would pursue a PhD in a different subject (17%).

Table 4

August 2016 AIP Statistical Research Center

Page 8 focus on Physics Doctorates: Skills Used & Satisfaction with Employment

Survey Methodology

Each fall the Statistical Research Center conducts its Survey of Enrollments and Degrees, which asks all degree-granting physics and astronomy departments in the US to provide information concerning the number of students they have enrolled and the counts of recent degree recipients. In connection with this survey, we ask for the names and contact information for their recent degree recipients. This degree recipient information is used to conduct our follow-up survey in the winter following the academic year in which they received their degrees. The data in the focus on comes from that follow-up survey. Recent degree recipients can be very difficult to reach because they tend to move after receiving their degrees. Additionally, many departments do not provide or don't have accurate contact information for their alumni. To assist us in determining outcome information and to help obtain updated contact information, we contact the advisors of non-responding degree recipients when possible. The follow-up surveys for the classes of 2013 and 2014 were administered in a web-based format. Non-responding doctorates were contacted up to four times with invitations to participate in the survey. The physics PhD classes of 2013 and 2014 consisted of 1,743 and 1,803, respectively. We received post-degree information on about 48% of these degree recipients. About 54% of these responses came from PhD recipients themselves, while the other 46% came from advisors. The information obtained from advisors is limited to subfield of dissertation, US citizenship, sex, employment status, sector of employment, and location (in or out of the US). PhDs who left the US after receiving their degrees were not included in the analysis. We thank the many physics and astronomy departments, degree recipients, and faculty advisors who made this publication possible. e-Updates You can sign up to receive e-mail alerts when we post new reports. Visit http://www.aip.org/statistics/e_updates.html to sign up. Indicate your area(s) of interest; we will send you an e-Update only when we post new reports that include data of interest to you. If you sign up for every possible notification, you should receive no more than 20 messages in a year.

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The Statistical Research Center is your source for data on education and employment in physics, astronomy and other physical sciences. Follow us at @AIPStatistics for data updates.