Overview
1. Automation Risk
2. User Poll
3. Growth
4. Wages
5. Volume
Decription
Resources
Comments

Physicists

AUTOMATION RISK
CALCULATED
0.0%
risk level
POLLING
19.1%
Based on 839 votes
LABOR DEMAND
GROWTH
8.2%
by year 2031
WAGES
$142,850
or $68.67 per hour
Volume
18,840
as of 2022
SUMMARY
JOB SCORE
8.3/10

Want this summary on your site? Embed code:

Vote
Comments (25)

Automation risk

0.0% (Minimal Risk)

Minimal Risk (0-20%): Occupations in this category have a low probability of being automated, as they typically demand complex problem-solving, creativity, strong interpersonal skills, and a high degree of manual dexterity. These jobs often involve intricate hand movements and precise coordination, making it difficult for machines to replicate the required tasks.

More information on what this score is, and how it is calculated is available here.

Some very important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Originality

Some quite important qualities of the job are difficult to automate:

  • Social Perceptiveness

  • Persuasion

User poll

19.1% chance of full automation within the next two decades

Our visitors have voted there's a minimal chance this occupation will be automated. This assessment is further supported by the calculated automation risk level, which estimates 0.0% chance of automation.

What do you think the risk of automation is?

What is the likelihood that Physicists will be replaced by robots or artificial intelligence within the next 20 years?






Sentiment

The following graph(s) are included wherever there is a substantial amount of votes to render meaningful data. These visual representations display user poll results over time, providing a significant indication of sentiment trends.

Sentiment over time (yearly)

Growth

Fast growth relative to other professions

The number of 'Physicists' job openings is expected to rise 8.2% by 2031

Total employment, and estimated job openings

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the period between 2021 and 2031
Updated projections are due 09-2023.

Wages

Very high paid relative to other professions

In 2022, the median annual wage for 'Physicists' was $142,850, or $68 per hour

'Physicists' were paid 208.5% higher than the national median wage, which stood at $46,310

Wages over time

* Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Volume

Lower range of job opportunities compared to other professions

As of 2022 there were 18,840 people employed as 'Physicists' within the United States.

This represents around < 0.001% of the employed workforce across the country

Put another way, around 1 in 7 thousand people are employed as 'Physicists'.

Job description

Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories.

SOC Code: 19-2012.00

Resources

If you're thinking of starting a new career, or looking to change jobs, we've created a handy job search tool which might just help you land that perfect new role.

Search jobs in your local area

Comments

Leave a comment

Brian (No Chance) says
Many other experimental physicists and I already automate every measurement we can, but there is still plenty of work to do.
Oct 25, 2022 at 05:51 PM
David (No chance) says
I wonder what all those people were thinking when they said there was a realistic possibility that physicists will be obsolete in 20 years. That's absurd on its face and every physicist I have ever met would agree.

We can have a discussion on whether it is possible in the next 200 years, sure, but 20 years? That's laughable. Given that only physicists are qualified to write, train, and optimize the algorithms that would be used to replace them, it will take a long, long, long time.

I suspect that we would need true machine sentience before we could actually start to talk about replacing theoretical and mathematical physicists.
May 29, 2022 at 05:30 AM
Bimsara Bodaragama (No chance) says
It's more about intuition and innovativeness. Of course, we will use more tools, but with Physics, since we interpret as we observe (there is a little problem with that conclusion, though), AI may not be able to take it over.
Mar 29, 2022 at 06:37 PM
Wesley I (No chance) says
I believe that it will be possible but not for a very long time, the process of positing new questions and then solving them is rather complex and I'm guessing that it will be at least 100 years before the jobs of theoretical physicists start to become threatened.
Aug 30, 2021 at 01:48 PM
just bored (No chance) says
Even though computers may get more intelligent than us humans, there is still a very small chance because computers don't have the basic questioning ability which we humans have
Jun 23, 2021 at 08:02 AM
Rowan (Uncertain) says
The development of AI is rapidly improving, AI maybe 10 years in the future being able to predict or understand the universe better through random generation or pure knowledge is very probable. However I doubt they will replace Physicists in the near decade it should be very increasingly possible.
Mar 23, 2021 at 03:36 PM
rafel says
We are users of AI to improve some calculations and we need robots and AI for experimental precision and performance. Until the singularity, we will be in charge.
Mar 18, 2021 at 08:36 PM
Pinaki Patra says
A huge section of theoretical physicists do algorithm based research, which can easily be replaced by automation.
However, Philosophy based theoretical research is difficult to be replaced.
Feb 08, 2021 at 07:08 PM
Physics Boi (Low) says
Doubt it, anyway we need physicists to understand what the AI is discovering anyway
Jan 06, 2021 at 08:16 AM
Anonymous (No chance) says
It is scientifically proven that the human brain is MUCH more complicated than any AI, and it is very hard for AI to ask a question and solve it on their own, so I think AI stands no chance on taking over the complex job of science.
Dec 28, 2020 at 01:45 PM
Tom (No chance) says
Whilst experimental physics can be automated, I doubt theoretical physics will be automated
Aug 07, 2020 at 12:20 PM
Mark (No chance) says
Most physicists I know are already good with experimental automation and AI and there's still plenty of work for everyone.
Jul 20, 2020 at 04:55 PM
Nine says
Scientific discovery can be easily automated. It has a rather rigorous process. And if not, then the computer can use randomness like humans do.
Feb 26, 2020 at 10:24 PM
No Nine says
Computers use "seeds" as a way to "randomize" events. As soon as the seed is known, randomness is no more useful. The randomness of computers is limited, is false.
Jan 18, 2021 at 03:39 AM
Me (Low) says
Too chaotic
Dec 07, 2019 at 01:08 AM
Physics boy says
10% really??
Nov 11, 2019 at 08:47 AM
Anthony says
It’s comparatively still very low, so don’t worry about it lol.
Aug 28, 2020 at 05:30 AM
Furkan (No chance) says
artificial intelligence can not be a physicist because it takes more than imitation to ask a new question to understand the universe
Sep 23, 2019 at 03:04 PM
Charlotte Bellanie (No chance) says
It’s a job that simply can’t be replaced, robots don’t have feelings, it would feel as though you were talking to a wall.
Sep 19, 2019 at 06:02 AM
Giorno (No chance) says
There is no way scientific discovery can be automated
Jul 25, 2019 at 04:54 AM
Gabriel says
Not really. AIs understand patterns better than we do. Also being faster than we are.
Apr 28, 2020 at 01:49 PM
Faisal Ali says
I might not really agree because the work of Physicist is too complicated & AI will not replace any theoretical scientists at all.
Apr 29, 2020 at 11:02 PM
Johann says
Probably means automating certain procedures in experiments, or using simulations to define and test experimental laws, hypotheses, etc.
Aug 06, 2020 at 07:38 PM

Leave a reply about this occupation

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

People also viewed

Computer Programmers
Lawyers
Mechanical Engineers
Graphic Designers
Accountants and Auditors