Is Physics an Employable Degree? What Singapore’s Graduate Data Really Shows

Is physics an employable degree? See what MOE’s 2025 graduate survey shows for physics graduates in Singapore, where they work, and how to boost job prospects.

“Is physics an employable degree?” It is a fair question, and it deserves an answer based on data, not reassurance. Students choosing JC subjects, IB courses or a university degree should know what happens after graduation, not just what looks good in a brochure.

Here is the honest short answer. A physics degree is employable, but it is not automatic. Physics trains you to think. It does not hand you a job title. Graduates who do well usually pair that thinking with computing, data or engineering skills.

This guide uses official Singapore figures, US research on physics graduate careers, and the view from teaching physics at every level, from Secondary 3 to first-year university. Mr Chew of Physics Made Easy teaches O-Level, JC, IB and NTU undergraduate physics, so the gap between school physics and university physics is something we think about daily.

The Short Answer: Is a Physics Degree Employable in Singapore?

The data tells a two-sided story.

Physics graduates who land full-time permanent jobs earn well, with median pay close to engineering graduates. But fewer physics graduates land those jobs in their first six months, and the figure swings a lot from year to year.

Both halves matter. Ignoring the first gives you false hope. Ignoring the second makes physics look riskier than it needs to be.

What Singapore’s 2025 Graduate Employment Survey Says About Physics Graduates

Every year, MOE publishes results from the Graduate Employment Survey, run jointly by NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT and SUSS. It measures outcomes about six months after final exams. The 2025 survey was taken in November 2025.

For NTU Physics and Applied Physics graduates in the labour force, the 2025 figures were:

• 78.1% had secured employment
• 71.9% were currently employed
• 56.3% were in full-time permanent jobs
• S$4,600 median gross monthly salary (the middle half earned between S$3,800 and S$5,221)

Now the comparison. Across all six universities, the Sciences cluster, which includes physics, had 69.1% of graduates in full-time permanent jobs in 2025, down from 79.0% in 2023. Its median gross monthly salary was S$4,200. Engineering sat at 72.1% and S$4,600. Information and digital technologies led at 78.3% and S$5,500.

Inside NTU, physics trailed computer science (79.7% full-time permanent, S$5,500 median) and sat close to mathematical sciences (64.4%, S$4,680).

NUS does not publish physics separately. Its physics graduates sit inside the broader BSc (Hons) row, which showed 71.2% in full-time permanent jobs and a S$4,250 median.

One more clue. NTU’s interdisciplinary double major row, which includes Physics and Mathematical Sciences alongside two other maths pairings, showed 71.9% in full-time permanent jobs and a S$5,226 median. That is not a physics-only number, so treat it as a hint rather than proof. But it points the same way as the US evidence below: physics paired with maths or computing tends to open more doors.

Is Physics an Employable Degree? How to Read the Numbers Fairly

Before you panic or celebrate, keep four things in mind.

The survey is a six-month snapshot. Full-time permanent means at least 35 hours a week in a non-temporary role, including contracts of one year or more. Graduates who are studying further are not counted as part of the labour force.

Physics results swing widely. NTU’s physics full-time permanent rate was 48.5% in 2020, 69.0% in 2021, 84.7% in 2022, 72.3% in 2023 and 56.3% in 2025. One year can mislead in either direction.

The survey does not name job titles. It tells you whether graduates are employed, not what they do. For that, we need other sources.

It covers local autonomous universities only. Physics degrees from overseas universities are not included.

Where Physics Graduates Actually Work

For job destinations, the best long-running dataset comes from the American Institute of Physics (AIP). It is US data, so Singapore will differ, but the pattern is useful.

Among physics bachelor’s graduates from the classes of 2021 and 2022 who went straight into work, 60% joined the private sector. Another 11% worked in colleges and universities, 9% in civilian government (including national labs), 6% in high schools, 4% in the military and 10% elsewhere. The median starting salary for private-sector STEM roles was about US$70,000.

An earlier AIP survey looked at what those private-sector jobs were. Engineering and computer or information science made up 59% of them, while about a quarter were outside STEM altogether. AIP’s researchers noted that employers value physics graduates for problem-solving, fast learning and programming skills.

In other words, a physics degree rarely leads to a job called “physicist.” It leads to engineering, software, data and analysis roles where physics-trained thinking is an advantage.

Physics Degree Jobs in Singapore: Semiconductors, Quantum and Data

Singapore’s economy gives physics graduates real places to apply those skills.

Semiconductors. The Trade and Industry Minister said in January 2025 that the semiconductor industry accounts for 8% of Singapore’s GDP and employs 10% of the manufacturing workforce. EDB says Singapore makes about one in ten of the world’s chips. Lam Research alone planned about 200 new roles in Singapore in 2026, mostly engineering and technical. Industry observers noted in early 2025 that the local talent pipeline was still years behind demand.

A caution: many of these roles are engineering and technician jobs, so physics graduates compete alongside engineers. Skills like device physics, instrumentation and programming make that competition winnable.

Quantum technology. Singapore’s National Quantum Scholarships, launched in 2024, support up to 100 PhD and 100 Master’s students over five years, and A*STAR has launched quantum and semiconductor scholarships too. Many research roles ask for postgraduate degrees, although the National Quantum Office notes that a PhD is not essential for every industry job.

Data, finance and analytics. Physics-trained modelling skills transfer well here. Our guides on careers you can unlock with a physics degree in Singapore and how Singapore students use physics to break into quantitative finance look at specific roles. For the research side, see what quantum computing actually is.

What Employers Are Really Paying For

When a company hires a physics graduate, it is rarely paying for knowledge of Newton’s laws. It is paying for habits:

• breaking an unfamiliar problem into manageable steps
• building a simple model and testing it against data
• estimating, and knowing how uncertain an estimate is
• working comfortably with maths, code and measurements

Those habits are exactly what good school-level teaching should build early. At Physics Made Easy, Mr Chew’s teaching methodology is built on conceptual mastery, logical deconstruction and metacognitive strategy, which are the same skills that later show up in a job description.

How to Make a Physics Degree More Employable

If you choose physics, these moves matter more than your grade alone:

1. Pair it with maths or computing. A double major, minor or serious self-study in data analysis improves your options.
2. Learn Python early. Programming is the skill AIP’s data keeps pointing to.
3. Do an internship or research attachment before final year. Real lab or industry experience makes your CV concrete.
4. Target industries, not job titles. Search for semiconductors, data, medtech, energy and finance roles that value quantitative skills.
5. Consider a master’s for research-heavy fields. Quantum and advanced materials roles often expect it.
6. Practise explaining physics simply. Graduates who can explain complex ideas clearly stand out in interviews.

Where School Physics Fits In: O-Level, H2 and IB

Course requirements differ by university and programme, so always check the entry requirements for the specific degree you want. Many science and engineering routes expect or prefer physics at JC or IB level.

What matters just as much is how you learn it. Students who memorise formulas often hit a wall at university, a pattern we explored in why university physics students struggle to see the big picture. Strong conceptual foundations at O-Level, H2 and IB level are what make the later years manageable.

Mr Chew is an Ex-MOE PSC Teaching Scholar and NIE-trained educator who currently teaches first-year undergraduate physics at NTU, according to his profile. That gives Physics Made Easy a direct view of what university physics expects from students arriving from school.

One real example from our results page: Dr Maria, a former student, went on to spend ten years at NUS (four undergraduate, two master’s and four on a PhD in Mechanical Engineering) and now teaches. She is one story, not a statistic, but it shows where strong school physics can lead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Is a physics degree worth it in Singapore?

It can be, if you go in with a plan. Physics graduates who reach full-time permanent roles earn about the same as engineering graduates, but fewer of them get there within six months. Pairing physics with maths or computing, and doing an internship, improves the odds.

Q2: What is the average salary for physics graduates in Singapore?

For NTU Physics and Applied Physics graduates in full-time permanent jobs in 2025, the median gross monthly salary was S$4,600 and the mean was S$4,706. The middle half earned S$3,800 to S$5,221. These figures cover graduates six months after exams, not later career pay.

Q3: Is physics harder to get a job with than engineering?

On the 2025 NTU numbers, yes, at least in the first six months. Physics had 56.3% in full-time permanent jobs, against 73.3% for mechanical engineering and 75.8% for electrical and electronic engineering. Engineering has clearer job titles. But physics results swing widely between years, so avoid judging on one survey.

Q4: Can physics graduates work in finance or tech?

Yes. AIP data shows computer and information science roles take a large share of private-sector physics graduates, and about a quarter work outside STEM. Employers value the problem-solving and modelling skills, but you will usually need programming or data skills to match.

Q5: Do I need a PhD to have a career in physics?

No. Many physics graduates work in industry with a bachelor’s degree. A master’s or PhD becomes more important for research-heavy fields such as quantum technology, though even there it is not essential for every industry role.

Q6: How do I know if I will enjoy university physics?

Ask yourself whether you enjoy working out why something happens, not just how to calculate it. If you do, try the free physics resources on the Physics Made Easy site, then see how you feel about harder topics like electromagnetic induction and quantum physics.

Q7: Does taking H2 Physics or IB Physics help my university options?

For many science and engineering courses, it helps or is required, but rules differ by university and programme. Check the entry requirements for your target course. Either way, a solid understanding of physics makes your first university year far easier.

So, Is Physics an Employable Degree? Yes, With the Right Plan

The evidence says physics is an employable degree, but one that rewards planning. Graduates in full-time permanent jobs earn competitively. The first six months can be slower than in engineering or computing. And the strongest outcomes tend to come from pairing physics with maths, programming and real experience.

If your child is weighing physics at JC or IB and you are unsure whether the foundations are there, start by finding out. At the first session at Physics Made Easy, Mr Chew assesses your child’s current level, identifies the specific learning gaps and explains how to close them, so you decide with facts, not guesses.

You can book a first session here, or explore the free physics resources to see how the teaching works before you decide.

Sources and further reading

• MOE, NTU Graduate Employment Survey 2025
• MOE, NUS Graduate Employment Survey 2025
• MOE, Joint Graduate Employment Survey 2025 (course clusters)
• MOE, NTU Graduate Employment Survey tables for 2020 and 2022
• Physics Today, Physics bachelor’s holders find jobs in many sectors (AIP data, classes of 2021 and 2022)
• AIP Radiations, Where are the physics jobs?
• EDB, Singapore semiconductor sector talent
• National Quantum Office, The Many Worlds of a Quantum Graduate

📍 Physics Made Easy | Main Centre: 185 Toa Payoh Central, Lift E, #02-342, Singapore 310185 | WhatsApp +65 9727 7419 | www.makephysicseasy.com