Also called: Simulation Scientist, Scientific Computing Physicist
Writes huge computer simulations of things too big, small, fast, or dangerous to experiment on directly.
You might simulate a nuclear explosion (so no real tests are needed), a supernova, or airflow over a hypersonic jet on a supercomputer with millions of processors. Your day is coding, running jobs, and turning terabytes of output into insight.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Doctorate (PhD), about 9 years after high school. PhD or master's in physics with strong programming skills.
Ways in: 4-year college, Graduate school. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Physics, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics.
Growing faster than average (about 7% over 10 years). Growth figure is for physicists and astronomers combined.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI coding agents write and tune simulation code; fewer junior coders, while setting up physics and checking results stay human.
Classes: AP Physics C, AP Computer Science, AP Calculus BC.
Official data: O*NET occupation 19-2012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.