What it pays
Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.
Half of all Physicists in the U.S. earn more than $172,250 a year — the middle 80% land between $82,110 and $274,110. About 20,430 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Physicists”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Professionals earn about ₹38,298 a month on average — around ₹4.6 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$172,250typical pay / year
20,430people in this work
$274,110+top 10% earn
₹4.6 lakha year in India (family avg)
Think you get this job?Six quick questions on how it really works — with a hint and the reason behind every answer.
Test yourself →The work, task by task
These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.
Analysing4
Study physical phenomena
+Design and run the measurement campaign on the cryostat this week, record raw sensor streams and calibration…
Study physical phenomena
+Design and run the measurement campaign on the cryostat this week, record raw sensor streams and calibration logs, then produce a concise report of observed anomalies and uncertainty estimates for the team meeting Friday.
The tools that do the workLinuxESCOjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Develop and analyze experiments to test hypotheses
+Draft the experiment plan to test the resonator damping hypothesis: list required instruments, step-by-step…
Develop and analyze experiments to test hypotheses
+Draft the experiment plan to test the resonator damping hypothesis: list required instruments, step-by-step procedures, control variables, predicted outcomes and statistical power, then book the lab time and circulate to Maya and Dr. Chen before Wednesday.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
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Create mathematical models of physical systems
+Build the mathematical model for the coupled pendulum system, derive the governing equations, fit parameters…
Create mathematical models of physical systems
+Build the mathematical model for the coupled pendulum system, derive the governing equations, fit parameters to last month's data, quantify residuals and deliver the model code plus a short note on assumptions to the theory group on Thursday.
The tools that do the workC++job descriptionsWikipedia
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Use instruments and computational models for experiments
+Run the planned experimental sequence combining laser alignment and the simulation model, record instrument…
Use instruments and computational models for experiments
+Run the planned experimental sequence combining laser alignment and the simulation model, record instrument readings and simulation outputs, compare results to validate the computational model, and log discrepancies in the lab notebook today.
The tools that do the workLinuxC++job descriptionsO*NET
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Keeping the record1
Publish research findings in scientific journals
+Prepare the manuscript of our nonlinear optics results: assemble cleaned datasets, create three…
Publish research findings in scientific journals
+Prepare the manuscript of our nonlinear optics results: assemble cleaned datasets, create three publication-quality figures with clear captions, write methods and uncertainty analysis, then send the draft to co-authors Priya and Alejandro for comments by Monday.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NET
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Care1
Teach physics to students.
+Prepare the two-hour lab lecture for undergraduates: draft a practical worksheet with three measurement…
Teach physics to students.
+Prepare the two-hour lab lecture for undergraduates: draft a practical worksheet with three measurement exercises, prepare demonstration scripts and sample datasets, then upload the materials and email students the prework by Tuesday evening.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptionsO*NET
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The daily work14
Write research proposals and seek funding
+Draft a three-page funding proposal for the National Science Council outlining the novel measurement…
Write research proposals and seek funding
+Draft a three-page funding proposal for the National Science Council outlining the novel measurement technique, include preliminary data from last quarter, a clear budget of $150,000 over two years, and a one‑page impact statement for reviewers by next Friday.
The tools that do the workGitjob descriptionsO*NET
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Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
+Convert the latest lab runs into a concise methods-and-results section: define variables, derive the…
Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
+Convert the latest lab runs into a concise methods-and-results section: define variables, derive the governing equations from our apparatus geometry, fit the parameter values with uncertainties, and produce the equations ready for submission with tonight's manuscript.
The tools that do the workC++O*NET
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Mentor and supervise graduate students and researchers
+Prepare a two‑page supervision plan for my incoming PhD cohort: list each student's project goals, weekly…
Mentor and supervise graduate students and researchers
+Prepare a two‑page supervision plan for my incoming PhD cohort: list each student's project goals, weekly meeting cadence, expected milestones at six and twelve months, and the mentoring resources I will provide starting Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Accessjob descriptions
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Maintain and calibrate laboratory instruments and equipment
+Assemble a consultancy brief for the regional energy authority: summarize our lab capabilities, propose a…
Maintain and calibrate laboratory instruments and equipment
+Assemble a consultancy brief for the regional energy authority: summarize our lab capabilities, propose a six‑month diagnostic program with deliverables, estimate costs at $40,000, and include a risk matrix before the kickoff meeting next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Azurejob descriptions
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Provide consultancy for industry and government projects
+Create a maintenance and calibration checklist for the optics bench and oscilloscope: list required…
Provide consultancy for industry and government projects
+Create a maintenance and calibration checklist for the optics bench and oscilloscope: list required calibration standards, interval for each instrument, pass/fail criteria, and schedule the next calibrations for two weeks from today.
The tools that do the workLinuxjob descriptions
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Research alternative energy sources like solar and wind
+Draft an exploratory research plan for solar and wind sensors: state hypotheses, outline lab tests to measure…
Research alternative energy sources like solar and wind
+Draft an exploratory research plan for solar and wind sensors: state hypotheses, outline lab tests to measure efficiency under variable irradiance and wind shear, estimate resource needs of $80,000, and propose milestones for year one.
The tools that do the workAmazon Web Services AWSjob descriptions
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Use measurement instruments
+Record the oscilloscope and photodiode measurements for run 27 at 300 K, convert raw voltages to calibrated…
Use measurement instruments
+Record the oscilloscope and photodiode measurements for run 27 at 300 K, convert raw voltages to calibrated units, flag and annotate any spikes, and compile a time-stamped CSV so I can re-run the uncertainty analysis tomorrow morning.
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Perform laboratory tests
+Carry out the planned absorption and transmission tests on sample B at 10 wavelength settings, log each…
Perform laboratory tests
+Carry out the planned absorption and transmission tests on sample B at 10 wavelength settings, log each measurement with temperature and laser power, run the standard background subtraction, and produce a preliminary summary of fitted parameters before 5 PM.
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Design and develop new electronic and communication technologies
+Design and prototype the new low-noise transceiver electronics for the quantum optics demo: specify…
Design and develop new electronic and communication technologies
+Design and prototype the new low-noise transceiver electronics for the quantum optics demo: specify schematics, bill of materials, PCB layer stack, expected noise budget, and a test plan that validates performance to 1 kHz with room-temperature sensors by end of month.
The tools that do the workC++Gitjob descriptions
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Identify and analyze scientific problems
+Run a systematic problem-identification sweep on last week’s cryostat run: compile all sensor traces, flag…
Identify and analyze scientific problems
+Run a systematic problem-identification sweep on last week’s cryostat run: compile all sensor traces, flag anomalies in temperature and vibration, quantify their statistical significance, and prioritise three root-cause hypotheses with required follow-up experiments.
The tools that do the workLinuxGitjob descriptions
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Explain natural phenomena using theoretical frameworks
+Draft a concise theoretical explanation for the unexpected absorption line: fit the measured spectra to…
Explain natural phenomena using theoretical frameworks
+Draft a concise theoretical explanation for the unexpected absorption line: fit the measured spectra to candidate interaction models, compute the simplest analytic derivation that matches the line shape, and produce figures and equations suitable for the group meeting on Thursday.
The tools that do the workC++LinuxWikipedia
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Predict outcomes of physical systems through modeling
+Build and validate a predictive model for the cavity decay rate versus temperature: choose the governing…
Predict outcomes of physical systems through modeling
+Build and validate a predictive model for the cavity decay rate versus temperature: choose the governing differential equations, implement a numerical solver, compare predictions with last quarter’s data, and deliver error bounds and a short methods note.
The tools that do the workC++GitWikipedia
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Focus their research depending on their specialisation
+Refocus the lab’s next six-week effort on either superconducting circuits or photonic integration: summarise…
Focus their research depending on their specialisation
+Refocus the lab’s next six-week effort on either superconducting circuits or photonic integration: summarise current results, list required equipment and personnel, estimate milestones and failure modes, and recommend which direction maximises publishable output.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessESCO
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Apply their findings for the improvement of society
+Translate our detector noise reduction results into practical improvement measures: identify three near-term…
Apply their findings for the improvement of society
+Translate our detector noise reduction results into practical improvement measures: identify three near-term engineering changes, model expected system-level benefit, draft a one-page case for the funding board showing cost, timeline and societal impact.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft AccessESCO
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Activities this job lives in
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Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.
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The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.
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Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses
Built on public evidence: O*NET®, ESCO, Wikipedia, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ILOSTAT. All sources & licenses