Careers after Physicist: 19 jobs where your skills transfer.
Every related role O*NET lists for physicists, scored by how closely the skill profile matches, what it pays and how much extra preparation it needs. Original analysis, sources below.
- Science
- Critical Thinking
- Reading Comprehension
- Speaking
- Biochemists and Biophysicists
- Molecular and Cellular Biologists
- Hydrologist
The jobs closest to a Physicist's skills are Biochemists and Biophysicists, Molecular and Cellular Biologists and Hydrologist (96%, 93% and 92% skill match). None of the related roles both pays more and needs no extra preparation.
Where your skills transfer
Data Skill match and pay change are our calculations from O*NET and BLS data (method below).
The three closest moves
Data Skills where the destination's O*NET level is at least half a point higher are listed as gaps.
Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Active Learning, Science, Writing.
To build: Equipment Selection, Operation and Control.
Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Science, Writing, Critical Thinking.
To build: Operation and Control, Management of Material Resources, Time Management.
Already strong: Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Learning, Science.
To build: Installation, Equipment Maintenance, Operation and Control.
How to make the move
Advice
- Weeks 1 to 2Pick one destination
Biochemists and Biophysicists is the closest match at 96%. Weigh pay against preparation in the matrix.
- Weeks 2 to 6Close the top gap
For Biochemists and Biophysicists, the biggest gap is equipment selection. Build one piece of proof for it.
- Weeks 4 to 8Reframe your resume
Lead with reading comprehension, active learning, written in the destination's language.
- From week 6Talk to people in the role
Ask three biochemists and biophysicistss what they wish they had known before switching.
How this page is built
Skill match is the correlation between the two occupations' skill profiles: for each of 35 O*NET skills (10 essential, 25 transferable) we multiply importance by level, subtract the average across all occupations, and correlate the two profiles. 100 means identical shape; 0 or below means unrelated. Only occupations that O*NET itself lists as related are compared. Pay change compares the BLS national median annual wages (May 2025) of the two occupations. Preparation change compares O*NET Job Zones (1 = little preparation, 5 = extensive preparation). Destinations without BLS wage data or O*NET skill ratings are left out.
- Licensing or degree rules for a specific destination.
- Whether employers in your area hire career changers.
- Your own skills: the scores compare occupations, not people.
- O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. TryHired selected, ranked and combined the data; O*NET is not responsible for these pages.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 estimates (public domain).