PhysicsUK Careers
Routes, profiles and the careers quiz
What can you do with A-level Physics?
If you enjoy physics, you have more choices than you might think. This section is here to help you compare real routes into engineering, medicine, technology, energy, space, finance, teaching and research.
How to use this page
- Start with a broad career area, or go straight to the full list of profiles.
- Check the typical study route, useful subjects and employers for each career.
- Use the links out to UCAS, Prospects, apprenticeships and official training routes when you want detail.
Explore career clusters
View every profileChoose an area and see the careers, salaries and routes that sit inside it.
Engineering
Design, build and test physical systems and machines.
See careersTechnology & Data
Build software, analyse data, and model complex systems.
See careersFinance & Business
Use numeracy and modelling in banking, insurance and consulting.
See careersHealth & Medicine
Apply physics in hospitals, imaging, radiotherapy and medical devices.
See careersEnergy & Environment
Work on fusion, renewables, climate modelling and sustainability.
See careersResearch & Development
Push boundaries in materials, products and new technologies.
See careersSpace & Defence
Solve problems in aerospace, satellites, security and defence.
See careersEducation & Communication
Teach, communicate or write about science and inspire others.
See careersWhy physics?
The habits you build in mechanics, waves and fields also matter in data teams, hospitals, design offices, climate labs and finance desks.
- Problem solving: you practise breaking messy situations into something you can model.
- Maths and data: physics gives you the confidence to handle numbers, uncertainty and graphs.
- Communication: explaining a hard idea clearly is useful in almost every job.
- New technology: clean energy, AI, quantum technology, space and medicine all need physics.
Where to look next
Trusted careers information
We base our profiles on reliable, independent sources. These organisations offer further detail on physics careers, courses and employers.
Explore PhysicsUK
Strengthen the physics behind these careers with free tools and stories:
Not sure where to start? The quiz gives you a quick cluster match. Start matching