Explore physics careers
Browse A-level Physics career profiles. Filter by cluster and typical study level to find paths that match your interests.
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Showing 38 career profiles
Aerospace Engineer
Design, test and improve aircraft, spacecraft and their systems, from wings to propulsion.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£32,000 to £70,000+
Mechanical Engineer
Apply physics and mechanics to design machines, tools and moving systems used across every industry.
Indicative UK salary: £25,000-£31,000 to £65,000+
Data Scientist
Use maths, statistics and programming to find patterns in large datasets and guide decisions.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£35,000 to £80,000+
Software Engineer
Design, build and maintain the software that runs devices, services and scientific instruments.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£34,000 to £75,000+
Quantitative Analyst
Build mathematical models to price assets, manage risk and guide trading or investment decisions.
Indicative UK salary: £40,000-£65,000 to £200,000+
Actuary
Use probability and statistics to measure financial risk for pensions, insurance and investments.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£36,000 to £100,000+
Medical Physicist
Use physics to develop and assure safe, effective medical imaging and radiotherapy treatments.
NHS pay bands: Band 6 £39,959–£48,117 to Band 8a £57,528–£64,750
Biomedical Engineer
Design and improve medical devices, prosthetics and health technologies that improve patients’ lives.
Indicative UK salary: £24,000-£30,000 to £65,000+
Renewable Energy Engineer
Design, install and improve systems that generate power from wind, solar, tidal and other low-carbon sources.
Indicative UK salary: £25,000-£32,000 to £70,000+
Climate Modeller
Use physics, maths and supercomputers to simulate climate systems and predict environmental change.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£32,000 to £65,000+
Research Scientist (Physics)
Plan and carry out experiments or theoretical work to discover new physics and turn it into applications.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£33,000 to £60,000+
Materials Scientist
Investigate and develop new materials for everything from batteries and aircraft to medical implants.
Indicative UK salary: £25,000-£31,000 to £65,000+
Spacecraft Engineer
Design, build and test satellites, probes and spacecraft systems that operate in extreme environments.
Indicative UK salary: £27,000-£34,000 to £75,000+
Defence Scientist
Apply physics and engineering to develop and evaluate technologies that protect national security.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£33,000 to £70,000+
Physics Teacher
Inspire the next generation by explaining physics concepts, running practicals and supporting students’ curiosity.
Indicative UK salary: £33,000-£40,000 to £65,000+
Science Communicator
Explain science to the public through writing, broadcasting, events, museums and digital media.
Indicative UK salary: £22,000-£28,000 to £55,000+
Electrical Engineer
Design and develop electrical systems, from power networks and renewable grids to microchips and control systems.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£32,000 to £70,000+
Nuclear Engineer
Design, operate and improve nuclear systems for power generation, medicine, research and defence.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£35,000 to £80,000+
Machine Learning Engineer
Build, train and deploy machine-learning models that power products from search engines to medical diagnostics.
Indicative UK salary: £30,000-£40,000 to £100,000+
Cyber Security Analyst
Protect organisations from cyber threats by finding weaknesses, monitoring attacks and designing secure systems.
Indicative UK salary: £25,000-£34,000 to £75,000+
Quantum Software Engineer
Write software and algorithms for quantum computers, bridging physics theory with practical computation.
Indicative UK salary: £30,000-£40,000 to £90,000+
Risk Analyst
Identify, measure and manage financial, operational or credit risks to keep organisations stable and compliant.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£35,000 to £90,000+
Clinical Scientist
Apply specialist science across physical sciences, clinical engineering, physiological sciences, informatics and life sciences to improve diagnosis, treatment and patient care.
NHS pay bands: Band 6 £39,959–£48,117 to Band 8a £57,528–£64,750
Radiation Protection Adviser
Ensure radiation is used safely and legally in hospitals, industry, research and nuclear facilities.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£33,000 to £70,000+
Fusion Scientist / Engineer
Study and develop nuclear fusion as a future low-carbon energy source, from plasma physics to reactor engineering.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£35,000 to £75,000+
Satellite Systems Engineer
Design and integrate satellite power, communications, attitude control and payload subsystems for space missions.
Indicative UK salary: £27,000-£34,000 to £75,000+
Robotics Engineer
Design, build and program robots and autonomous systems for manufacturing, healthcare, exploration and defence.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£36,000 to £80,000+
Photonics Engineer
Design and develop devices and systems that use light, such as lasers, optical fibres, sensors and photonic integrated circuits.
Indicative UK salary: £27,000-£35,000 to £75,000+
Semiconductor / Electronics Engineer
Design and test the microchips, sensors and electronic hardware that power everything from phones to electric vehicles.
Indicative UK salary: £26,000-£34,000 to £85,000+
Data Engineer
Build and maintain the data pipelines, warehouses and infrastructure that let organisations store and analyse data at scale.
Indicative UK salary: £30,000-£40,000 to £90,000+
AI Research Scientist
Develop new algorithms, models and theories that advance artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Indicative UK salary: £35,000-£45,000 to £110,000+
Patent Attorney
Help inventors and companies protect new technologies by drafting and prosecuting patent applications.
Indicative UK salary: £28,500-£37,000 to £100,000+
Management Consultant
Advise organisations on strategy, operations and performance, using data and analysis to solve complex business problems.
Indicative UK salary: £30,000-£45,000 to £90,000+
Healthcare Data Scientist
Use data science and statistics to improve patient care, predict disease trends and optimise health services.
NHS pay bands: Band 6 £39,959–£48,117 to Band 8a £57,528–£64,750
Geophysicist
Study Earth's physical properties using seismic, gravitational and magnetic methods to find resources and understand hazards.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£35,000 to £75,000+
Meteorologist
Study the atmosphere to forecast weather, predict climate trends and advise on severe-weather risks.
Indicative UK salary: £27,000-£33,000 to £65,000+
Astrophysicist / Space Scientist
Use physics and observations to explore stars, galaxies, planets and the origins of the universe.
Indicative UK salary: £28,000-£35,000 to £70,000+
Sustainability / Net-zero Consultant
Help organisations measure, reduce and report carbon emissions and build strategies to reach net-zero targets.
Indicative UK salary: £25,000-£32,000 to £75,000+