Finding Employment with a BA in Physics Without Grad School

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At 50 years old and nearing completion of a BA in Physics, the individual expresses concerns about job market demand for physicists, particularly for middle-aged candidates, and seeks research opportunities without pursuing a graduate degree. They have experience tutoring in advanced mathematics and have engaged in practical projects, such as studying water waves. The discussion highlights that job prospects may vary based on geographic location and prior work experience, emphasizing that upper-level physics courses may not directly translate to most job markets. It suggests that pursuing research and development roles in growing companies could be a viable path, though compensation from startups may be uncertain. The conversation also implies that the term "physicist" may not align with specific job titles in the industry, indicating a need for clarity on potential career paths.
compxci
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I'm 50 years old and working on finishing my BA in Physics. I have not seen any demand for physicists (middle aged) anywhere in the job market. I want to do research and if at all possible avoid grad school. What are my chances of finding employment w/o a grad degree?

Have worked as a tutor in Differential Equations, some simple PDE's and complex variables and have some working programs using the Flex PDE 6.0 software and some very simple MatLab programs as well. Currently working on a project (senior seminar) of water waves in a ripple tank and waveguides. It is a simple experiment that does not use simple PDE's.

I try to stay up to date, attending APS seminars, discussing with faculty various topics, etc.
So what do you think? Don't be timid, give an honest answer.
 
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It probably depends on where you live, and more importantly on previous work experience. As you may be starting to realize, your upper year physics courses aren't very applicable to most fields. Not to mention that "physicist" isn't really a job. Your best bet to enter industry would be to find an R&D position at a growing company. The trouble there is how much is a start up company willing to pay?

What previous work experience do you have?
 

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