What does a Physicist do?

Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Day to day that includes work like perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers and Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.

What skills should a Physicist put on a resume?

O*NET rates Science, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Physicist list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes Adobe Audition, Adobe Photoshop, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, and Aptech Systems GAUSS. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Physicist work?

O*NET records 37 titles for this occupation, including Health Physicist, Research Scientist, Scientist, and Biophysics Scientist. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Physicist need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 49% reported their level of education as "Doctoral Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Physicist role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Physicist resume example

A resume for a Physicist needs to show the work itself: conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Day to day that means work like this: perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers; analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Health Physicist
Research Scientist
Scientist
Biophysics Scientist
Medical Physicist
Research Consultant
Research Physicist
Aerodynamicist
Aerophysicist
Astrophysicist
Atmospheric Physicist
Atomic Spectroscopist
Cloud Physicist
Computational Physicist
Condensed Matter Physicist
Diagnostic Medical Physicist
Electrodynamicist
Experimental Physicist

O*NET records 37 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers.
Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms.
Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood.
Write research proposals to receive funding.
Teach physics to students.
Report experimental results by writing papers for scientific journals or by presenting information at scientific conferences.
Observe the structure and properties of matter, and the transformation and propagation of energy, using equipment such as masers, lasers, and telescopes, to explore and identify the basic principles governing these phenomena.
Develop theories and laws on the basis of observation and experiments, and apply these theories and laws to problems in areas such as nuclear energy, optics, and aerospace technology.
Collaborate with other scientists in the design, development, and testing of experimental, industrial, or medical equipment, instrumentation, and procedures.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Describe and express observations and conclusions in mathematical terms, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Design computer simulations to model physical data so that it can be better understood, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

Adobe Audition
Adobe Photoshop
Amazon Web Services AWS software
Ansible software
Aptech Systems GAUSS
Autodesk AutoCAD
C
C++
Canu
CERN Physics Analysis Workstation PAW
CERN ROOT
COMSOL Multiphysics
Criss Software XRF11
Database application software

74 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Accelerometers
Analog frequency analyzers
Analog sound level meters
Analytical balances
Annealing furnaces
Arbitrary function generators
Argon ion lasers
Atomic absorption AA spectrometers
Atomic emission detectors AED
Atomic force microscopes
Betatrons
Big G torsion balances

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

Database application
Enterprise resource planning ERP system
Python
Adobe Audition
Aptech Systems GAUSS

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Science
02Mathematics
03Reading Comprehension
04Critical Thinking
05Speaking
06Active Learning
07Active Listening
08Writing
09Complex Problem Solving
10Learning Strategies

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Physics
Mathematics
Engineering and Technology
Computers and Electronics
English Language
Education and Training
Chemistry

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

49%Doctoral Degree
39%Post-Doctoral Training
8%Post-Master's Certificate, awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master's degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Extensive Preparation Needed”. Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Common questions

What does a Physicist do?: Conduct research into physical phenomena, develop theories on the basis of observation and experiments, and devise methods to apply physical laws and theories. Day to day that includes work like perform complex calculations as part of the analysis and evaluation of data, using computers and Analyze data from research conducted to detect and measure physical phenomena.
What skills should a Physicist put on a resume?: O*NET rates Science, Mathematics, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, and Speaking among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Physicist list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes Adobe Audition, Adobe Photoshop, Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, and Aptech Systems GAUSS. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Physicist work?: O*NET records 37 titles for this occupation, including Health Physicist, Research Scientist, Scientist, and Biophysics Scientist. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Physicist need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 49% reported their level of education as "Doctoral Degree". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Physicist role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.