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Physicists study matter and try to work out why it behaves like it does.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; occasionally
In your day to day tasks you could:
Depending on the sector you work in you could:
You may need to wear protective clothing.
You could work at a research facility, in a laboratory or at a university.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
You'll need a degree in physics, applied physics, or a related science or engineering subject. You may also need a relevant postgraduate qualification, like a master's degree or PhD.
If you do not have the required entry qualifications to do a physics degree, you may be able to do a 1-year physics foundation course.
Some physics degrees combine an undergraduate degree and master's qualification, like an MPhys or MSci. You'll do more independent research and courses may lead directly onto further postgraduate study like a PhD.
You'll usually need:
You could do a level 7 research scientist degree apprenticeship.
This apprenticeship typically takes 30 months to complete.
It may give you some of the requirements you need to become a chartered physicist.
Employers will set their own entry requirements.
In some industries you may be able to start on a research scientist, graduate training scheme after completing your degree or postgraduate qualification.
Try to get work experience to find out more about job roles and the sectors where you could apply your knowledge and skills as a physicist. Look out for:work placements; internships and vacation schemes; the Year in Industry programme
You can find out more about careers in physics through the Institute of Physics.
Physicists work in lots of sectors of the economy and their skills are often transferable across them.
Take a look at the Institute of Physics for information on potential career pathways.
With experience, you can take on more responsibility and manage the work of other scientists.
In higher education you could progress from postdoctoral research roles to senior lecturer positions and professor.
You could also become a consultant or special adviser or work in science communication.