Not just any job — your ideal job
The questions usually go something like, "What are you going to study? What are you going to do with that major?"
The Department of Physics & Astronomy helps you build versatile skills that will make you marketable, hirable, and secure.
Our majors go on to study at graduate programs at:
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- California Institute of Technology
- Stanford University
- Yale University
- The Ohio State University
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of California, Berkeley
Our program prepares students for employment in government, industry, and academia:
- National laboratories including Princeton, Caltech, Berkeley, and the Office of Naval Research
- Businesses such as Amazon, Garmin International, John Woollam Co., LNK ChemSolutions, Microsoft, Northrup Grumman, as well as the State of Nebraska
- Academic positions at University of Texas, University of Colorado, University of British Columbia, and University of Southern California
Careers in Physics - By the Numbers
96% Physics Students Employed One Year After Degree1
$46,000-
$58,000 Average Starting Salaries for Physics Majors1
18 million Jobs That Require Bachelor's Degree-Level Knowledge of STEM2
1As reported by the American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center, www.aip.org/statistics
2As reported by the National Science Foundation, www.nsf.gov/statistics/2015/nsf15317/
Graduate and Professional Planning Resources
Your academic advisers can answer many questions about the types of careers you can pursue with your physics degree. Throughout your time at Nebraska, you should discuss your job interests with your adviser. The following resources can also help you to identify potential employment opportunities:
- American Physical Society Careers in Physics: Information on jobs, career guidance, and statistical data on careers as a physicist.
- Statistical Research Center of the American Institute of Physics: Learn more about careers for physicists.
- Graduate programs in physics and related fields.
- GRE: the Graduate Records Exam, required for admission to most graduate programs in the US.
- UNL Career Services staff help all university students with career decisions, work experience, and further education.
- Handshake is a job database for university students and alumni, as well as for employers seeking to fill jobs and internships.