Online Degrees and Careers in Math and Physics

Have you always loved science, and did you always win at your school's science fair? Do you want to be involved with making the future better for our nation and the world? Then the field of math and physics could be the right career for you. As America continues to compete in a growing global marketplace, the need for excellent American workers in the field of math and physics is critical is our national economy and future. Those going into physics often become physicists or astronomers. While those going into mathematics, often become mathematicians or statisticians.

Job Outlook for Math and Physics

Those employed in the field of physics could see up to 16 percent job growth between now and 2018, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many employed in the field of physics work for agencies that get their funding from the national government. This area has had limited growth due to a lack of funding over the past decade. However, as of 2007, the United States government has promised to double the amount of funding going into agencies like the National Science Foundation and the National Department of Energy. This should assist this field in having funds to create growth and open up more positions. The field of mathematics in expected to see growth of nearly 22 percent between now and 2018, which is excellent. Much of this growth will be in fields where mathematical skills are needed to evaluate trends in information. Other fields where mathematical skills will be greatly needed are computer science, engineering, physics, software development, and operations engineering. This information was also obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Salary Forecast for Math and Physics

The career fields of math and physics have excellent earnings potential. Those employed in the field of physics had median salaries between $80,000 and $130,000 annually as of 2008. Those employed in the top ten percent of this field made over $159,000 annually, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook.  In the field of mathematics, mathematicians had an annual wage between $71,000 and $119,000. The top 10 percent of mathematicians made over $140,000. For those working for the federal government in the field of mathematics, the annual average salary was over $107,000 for mathematical statisticians. This information was also gathered from the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

Education Requirements for Math and Physics

Many colleges and universities offer great programs in physics and mathematics. It is best to obtain a bachelor's degree or higher in this field. Generally, the more education and degrees you have in these fields, the greater your earnings potential becomes. Also, schools are now creating strong online degrees in these fields as well.