Know Your Worth / Physical sciences
Physical-science paths investigate matter, energy, measurement, and the environment through theory, computation, and controlled evidence. Strong portfolios demonstrate reproducibility and uncertainty, while actual laboratory, field, and engineering work may depend on approved facilities, specialized equipment, professional registration, or qualified supervision.
1–30 of 30 careers · 1,000 in the directory
All careersEmployee references are annual US median wages for the cited BLS occupation, which may cover several career paths. Freelance examples add $15,000 for benefits and $20,000 for business costs, then divide by 1,200 billable hours a year. Annual figures are rounded to the nearest $1,000 and hourly figures to the nearest dollar. Figures are before personal taxes, with no percentage fees. Open a guide to see the source or adjust the assumptions in the calculator.
BLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Study sound generation, propagation, and measurement for a defined environment. Evaluate boundary conditions, frequency behavior, and uncertainty before turning modeled or recorded sound into an engineering recommendation.
View career → Acoustics ScientistBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Develop and interpret chemical measurements for defined questions. Account for sampling, calibration, interference, and uncertainty so reported results reflect what the analytical method can actually support.
View career → Analytical ChemistBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Study physical processes in the atmosphere using observations and models. Explain spatial coverage, measurement uncertainty, and competing mechanisms while avoiding stronger predictions than the evidence supports.
View career → Atmospheric PhysicistBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Develop numerical methods to study physical systems that are difficult to analyze directly. Evaluate approximation error, numerical stability, and validation evidence before interpreting an attractive simulation.
View career → Computational PhysicistBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Investigate collective behavior in solids and related systems. Connect physical models with reproducible measurements while distinguishing evidence of a phenomenon from claims about a practical device.
View career → Condensed Matter PhysicistBLS · May 2025 · Materials Scientists
Determine and evaluate structural information from diffraction evidence. Assess model fit, symmetry, and uncertainty so a structural interpretation remains traceable to observations rather than a preferred visual model.
View career → CrystallographerBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Study charge-transfer processes and their behavior in chemical systems. Interpret electrochemical measurements with attention to reference conditions, competing mechanisms, and limitations relevant to the intended application.
View career → ElectrochemistBLS · May 2025 · Mechanical Engineers
Investigate fluid behavior using physical models and appropriately validated observations. Examine boundary conditions, numerical error, and scaling assumptions before applying a result to an engineering problem.
View career → Fluid Dynamics ResearcherBLS · May 2025 · Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Study chemical evidence related to Earth materials and processes. Connect sampling context, analytical quality, and geological hypotheses while documenting uncertainty in origin, transport, or environmental interpretation.
View career → GeochemistBLS · May 2025 · Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Investigate subsurface or Earth processes through physical measurements and models. Compare possible explanations for observed signals while documenting resolution limits and assumptions that affect a geological interpretation.
View career → GeophysicistBLS · May 2025 · Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Evaluate groundwater systems using geological, hydrological, and monitoring evidence. Explain uncertainty in flow and subsurface conditions while recognizing the professional approvals needed for site-specific environmental or engineering decisions.
View career → HydrogeologistBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Investigate chemical questions linked to industrial products or processes in approved facilities. Balance experimental evidence, manufacturability, and practical operating constraints while documenting decisions that require further validation.
View career → Industrial Research ChemistBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Study inorganic compounds and their properties within approved research settings. Connect composition, structure, and measured behavior to a clear scientific question without substituting a proposed compound for validated performance.
View career → Inorganic ChemistBLS · May 2025 · Electrical Engineers
Connect approved laboratory workflows with software and instrument interfaces. Improve traceability and repeatability while preserving human review, sample identity, and safe recovery when automated steps cannot proceed.
View career → Laboratory Automation EngineerBLS · May 2025 · Materials Scientists
Study how material structure and processing affect useful properties. Compare characterization evidence and application constraints while distinguishing laboratory findings from claims about reliable industrial performance.
View career → Materials Research ScientistBLS · May 2025 · Materials Scientists
Study materials whose small-scale structure changes useful properties. Evaluate characterization, reproducibility, and handling constraints before interpreting a laboratory observation as evidence for a practical application.
View career → Nanomaterials ScientistBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Investigate the physical principles behind chemical behavior. Use theory and measurements to understand properties, reactions, or interfaces while documenting conditions that limit how results transfer between systems.
View career → Physical ChemistBLS · May 2025 · Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Help research laboratories maintain trustworthy records and measurement practices. Review method documentation, instrument status, and evidence gaps while distinguishing internal quality improvement from accredited certification.
View career → Physical Science Laboratory Quality SpecialistBLS · May 2025 · Project management specialists
Coordinate research activities, dependencies, and evidence reviews across a physical-science program. Keep schedules and budgets connected to experimental readiness rather than treating uncertain research milestones as guaranteed deliverables.
View career → Physical Science Program CoordinatorBLS · May 2025 · Operations Research Analysts
Prepare and interpret research measurements for physical-science questions. Maintain provenance, quality flags, and reproducible transformations so scientific conclusions can be examined independently of undocumented analysis choices.
View career → Physical Science Research Data AnalystBLS · May 2025 · Technical writers
Explain scientific methods, instruments, and research findings for a defined audience. Preserve assumptions, terminology, and uncertainty while coordinating specialist review of statements that affect interpretation or operation.
View career → Physical Science Technical WriterBLS · May 2025 · Chemists
Investigate polymer composition, processing, and properties for a defined application. Evaluate variability, characterization quality, and environmental conditions before recommending a material or a further development trial.
View career → Polymer ChemistBLS · May 2025 · Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Extract information about surfaces or environments from remotely measured signals. Assess sensor characteristics, reference data, and validation uncertainty before presenting a mapped pattern as a reliable real-world measurement.
View career → Remote Sensing ScientistBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Investigate physical questions through theory, modeling, and experimental evidence. Make assumptions and uncertainty explicit so other researchers can examine the reasoning behind a result.
View career → Research PhysicistBLS · May 2025 · Electrical Engineers
Develop instrument concepts that connect a scientific question with measurable signals. Coordinate mechanical, electrical, software, and calibration interfaces so performance requirements can be evaluated through a coherent verification plan.
View career → Scientific Instrumentation EngineerBLS · May 2025 · Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers
Design evidence packages that test whether a scientific method is suitable for its intended use. Make acceptance criteria, uncertainty, repeatability, and known limitations explicit before results inform important decisions.
View career → Scientific Method Validation SpecialistBLS · May 2025 · Software Developers
Build software that makes scientific methods easier to reproduce and maintain. Translate research assumptions into tested code while keeping numerical behavior, provenance, and user expectations visible.
View career → Scientific Research Software EngineerBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Develop reliable computational tools for scientific or engineering simulation. Connect physical assumptions, solver behavior, and verification evidence so users understand where a model is useful and where it may fail.
View career → Scientific Simulation EngineerBLS · May 2025 · Materials Scientists
Investigate how interfaces and surface structure influence material behavior. Combine characterization evidence and controlled comparisons while recognizing that contamination, preparation, and measurement conditions may dominate observed differences.
View career → Surface ScientistBLS · May 2025 · Physicists
Investigate heat transport and thermal behavior through models and measurements. Explain boundary conditions, material assumptions, and uncertainty before applying findings to a device, process, or physical environment.
View career → Thermal Physics Researcher