Employment patterns for physics and astronomy degree recipients in the US shifted little for the classes of 2000 and 2001, according to the latest report from the American Institute of Physics on recent graduates at all degree levels.
US universities conferred 1157 PhDs in physics in 2001, the seventh straight year of decline since a recent peak of 1481 in 1994. The number of astronomy PhDs granted each year has fluctuated around 120 over the same period; it was 101 in 2001. In 2000 and 2001 combined, 54% of physics PhD recipients were US citizens and 13% were women. The median time to earn a physics PhD was six years. The following employment statistics do not include the 5% of US citizens and 18% of noncitizens among the new physics PhDs who found work outside the US.
Starting salaries were up and unemployment was down for physics PhDs in the...
