physics ireland

7/28/2019 Physics Ireland

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Physics in Ireland:the brightest minds go further

May 2011

A report prepared for the Institute of Physics by Tom Martin & Associates

Physicists Go far

Earn more


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The Institute of Physics in IrelandThe Institute of Physics in Ireland (IOPI) is a scientic membershiporganisation devoted to increasing the understanding and application of

physics in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It has over 2,000

members, and is part of the Institute of Physics.

IOPI aims to promote the role of physics in education, health, the

environment, technology, and scientic literacy. Its membership is wide-

ranging and multidisciplinary, including the educational, industrial, medical,

and general public sectors. The institute seeks common purpose with other

learned societies to promote science and science-based learning and

to inuence science policy in the two jurisdictions on the island. Special

emphasis is placed on supporting physics teachers by promoting in our

schools the value, joy and benets of a knowledge of physics and its

applications.

The Institute of PhysicsThe Institute of Physics is a scientic charity devoted to increasing the

practice, understanding and application of physics.

It has a worldwide membership of around 40,000 and is a leading

communicator of physics-related science to all audiences, from specialists

through to government and the general public. Its publishing company,

IOP Publishing, is a world leader in scientic publishing and the electronic

dissemination of physics.

IOP Institute of Physics in Ireland

c/o School of Physics

University College Dublin

Beleld

Dublin 4Tel +353 86 2600903

E-mail [email protected]

www.iopireland.org

Photo credits: Medical radiotherapy linear accelerator Andrew Brookes,

National Physical Laboratory/Science Photo Library
mailto:sheila.gilheany%40iop.org?subject=Graduate%20publicationhttp://www.iopireland.org/http://www.iopireland.org/mailto:sheila.gilheany%40iop.org?subject=Graduate%20publication


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PHYSICS IN IRELAND THE BRIGHTEST MINDS GO FURTHER i

Table of contents

Executive summary 1

1. A prole of physics graduates 2

2. Starting salaries for physics graduates 7

3. Physics: its role in the Irish economy 8

Methodology 10

References 10

List of tables and diagrams

Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1: Respondents current salary range 2

Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2: Sectors in which respondents were employed 3

Table 1.3 and Figure 1.3: Main employers 4

Figure 1.4: Type of physics degree obtained 4

Figure 1.5: Decade in which respondents were born, and gender prole (%) 5

Table 1.4 and Figure 1.6: Year in which respondents last obtained a physics degree 5

Table 1.5 and Figure 1.7: Prole of the respondents current geographical location 6

Table 1.6 and Figure 1.8: How useful were the following skill sets in your career? 6

Table 1.7 and Figure 1.9: Starting salaries for graduates in selected sectors 7


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Executive summary

This report presents the ndings of a survey of physics graduates from third level colleges in both

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The key ndings of the survey are:

Physicists have the potential to earn very good salaries (the survey found that 14% of graduates

earn more than 100,000 a year)

While physics graduates from Irish universities and institutes of technology mainly work in Ireland,

they have found employment all over the world (Europe, North America and the Asia Pacic region)

Graduates with physics degrees are employed in a wide range of sectors ranging from high-tech

industries to the arts and the media

Physics graduates have skill sets such as problem solving, team working and creativity that are

widely sought after by employers

An increasing number of women are pursuing a career in physics: just under a third of the survey

respondents were female

Physics graduates often hold a further qualication in another discipline: a fth of respondents said

they also held a H.Dip. Ed. or PGCE teaching qualication while a similar proportion gained a post-

graduate qualication in another discipline

Graduates with a higher level physics qualication (Masters, PhD) are contributing to Irelands

rapidly growing third level research community in disciplines such as ICT, biotechnology and

nanotechnology to name but a few

The bottom line? A physics qualication is a passport to a well-paid career in a wide variety of sectors

throughout the world. A degree in physics can lead to a varied, interesting and rewarding career.

PHYSICS IN IRELAND THE BRIGHTEST MINDS GO FURTHER PAGE 1


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1. A prole of physics graduates

Introduction

A survey of physics graduates from third level colleges in Ireland was undertaken in 2010. A total of

822 physics graduates completed the survey (details of the survey methodology are presented in

Appendix 1).

Earnings

Respondents were asked to specify their current annual salary range and the data indicate that 14% of

respondents are earning in excess of 100,000 per annum with 5% earning over 150,000.

Table 1.1 and Figure 1.1: Respondents current salary range

Salary level

% ofrespondents

Up to 19,999 16

20,00029,999 8

30,00039,999 11

40,00049,999 13

50,00059,999 11

60,00069,999 9

70,00079,999 8

80,00089,999 6

90,00099,999 4

100,000149,999 9

More than 150,000 5

Seven per cent of female respondents and sixteen per cent of male respondents said that they earned

over 100,000 per annum.

Twenty seven per cent of all respondents had an annual salary of between 60,000100,000.

Table 1.1 indicates that, in 2010, the majority of physics graduates earned more than the estimated

average annual earnings of all employees (c. 35,000) based on quarterly earnings published by the

Central Statistics Ofce for Quarter 3, 2010, for all economic sectors excluding agriculture, forestry

and shing.

The majority of the respondents to the survey were working (84%), of which just under four-fths were

working full-time and the balance were part-time. The remaining respondents were either retired, on a

career break or seeking employment.


Up to 19,999

20,00029,999

30,00039,999

40,00049,99950,00059,999

60,00069,999

70,00079,999

80,00089,999

90,00099,999

100,000149,999

More than 150,000


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Sectors where respondents are currently employed

The survey responses show that physics graduates are working in a wide variety of sectors including

manufacturing and services (both public and private).

While four out of ten respondents worked in the education sector (both second and third level), physics

graduates were employed in a diverse range of sectors including health and nance proving thatemployers hold graduates with a physics qualication in high regard.

Just over 14% of respondents were working in Communications/IT/electronics while a smaller

percentage (7%) were employed in other high-tech sectors such as Pharmaceuticals/chemicals/

medical devices, Aeronautics/space and Energy. Physicists were also to be found in the Construction,

Environment, Leisure/tourism/retail and Media/arts sectors (see Table 1.2 below).

There can be no doubt that a physics qualication opens doors to employment in a wide range of

sectors.

Table 1.2 and Figure 1.2: Sectors in which respondents were employed

Sector% of

respondents

Aeronautics/space 1.6

Communications/IT/electronics 14.3

Construction 0.9

Defence forces 0.4

Education 2nd level 21.8

Education 3rd Level 20.2

Energy 3.2

Environment 1.6

Finance 5.6

Government/non-prot 6.9

Health/medicine 6.4

Leisure/tourism/retail 0.6

Media/arts 0.6

Pharmaceuticals/chemicals/medical devices 2.6

Other 13.3

An analysis of the occupational choices of recent physics graduates (those who graduated after 2000)indicates that they follow a wide variety of career paths including:

Software Astrophysics Renewable energy

Biophysics Quantum physics Financial services

Plasma physics Transport Nanotechnology

Instrumentation Materials research Micro systems technology

The range of sectors in which physicists are involved is positive proof that a qualication in physics is

a passport to a varied and fullling career.

Respondents were fairly evenly divided between the main employer categories of academia, industry

and government/not-for-prot as shown in Table 1.3 below.

PAGE 3 PHYSICS IN IRELAND THE BRIGHTEST MINDS GO FURTHER

Communications/

IT/electronics

Education

(2nd level)

Education

(3rd level)

Finance

Health/medicine

All other sectors 14.3%

21.8%

20.2%

5.6%

6.5%

31.6%


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Table 1.3 and Figure 1.3: Main employers

Employer categories% of

respondents

Industry 24.7

Academia 34.0

Government/not-for-prot

including hospitals/schools31.1

Other 10.2

Degree obtained

Respondents were asked to specify what physics degrees that they held. 822 said they had a

Bachelors degree in physics while 235 said that they held a Masters degree with a further 37 saying

that they held another post-graduate physics qualication. A total of 227 respondents had qualied

with a doctorate in physics. 157 respondents said that in addition to a physics degree they also held a

H.Dip. Ed. or PGCE (teaching) qualication.

A total of 175 respondents said that in addition to holding a physics degree they also gained a post-

graduate qualication in another discipline.

The experiences of the survey respondents show that holders of Bachelors degrees in physics have

varied options open to them in terms of further qualications. As the light blue arrows in Figure 1.4

below shows, a graduate with a Bachelors degree can progress to higher level physics qualications

such as a Masters degree or a doctorate. Another group of respondents (denoted by the green arrow)

opted for a teaching qualication and are now teaching physics to the next generation. The darker bluearrow shows that yet another group of respondents branched out by gaining a post-graduate degree in

another discipline.

Figure 1.4: Type of physics degree obtained


Bachelors degreein physics

822

Masters degree

in physics

Otherpost-graduatequalication

235

175

Doctorate

in physics

227

H Dip Ed/PGCE

147

Other post-graduatequalication in physics

37

Industry

Academia

Government/

not-for-prot

Other

24.7%

34.0%

31.1%

10.2%


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Age and gender of respondents

The respondents ranged in age from early twenties to late eighties. Just under half of the respondents

were born after 1970 while just under 5% were born before 1940.

Just over two-thirds of respondents were male while 31% were female. The proportion of female

respondents while low is higher than in regions of the UK such as Scotland.1

Figure 1.5: Decade in which respondents were born, and gender prole (%)

Year of physics degree qualication

A third of the respondents obtained their physics qualication after 2001 while just under a quarter

(23.5%) gained their physics qualication during the 1990s. Respondents graduating with a physics

degree during the 1980s accounted for 17.5% while 1970s graduates totalled 14.3%. Respondents

acquiring a physics degree before 1970 accounted for 13.9%.

Table 1.4 and Figure 1.6: Year in which respondents last obtained a physics degree

Year in which respondents last obtained aphysics degree in Northern Ireland or theRepublic of Ireland

% ofrespondents

Before 1970 13.9

1971-1975 7.5

1976-1980 6.6

1981-1985 6.8

1986-1990 10.7

1991-1995 8.3

1996-2000 13.2

2001-2005 11.0

2005-2010 22.0

Location

The responses to the survey show that a physics degree can be a passport to travel. Though almost

three-quarters of the respondents were presently residing on the island of Ireland, the remainder were

dispersed around the globe (see Table 1.5 and Figure 1.7 below).


Female

Born before 1940

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980+

Male69%

31%

24%

24%

20%

14%

13%

5%

2005-2010

2001-2005

1996-2000

1991-1995

1986-1990

1981-1985

1976-1980

1971-1975

Before 1970


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Table 1.5 and Figure 1.7: Prole of the respondents current geographical location

Location% of

respondents

Northern Ireland 12

Republic of Ireland 64

Great Britain 12

Europe 4

North America 5

Asia Pacic 1

Rest of the world 2

Skill sets

Physics graduates through their training acquire skills that are valuable to them in their careers and, byextension, to employers. The participants in the survey overwhelmingly endorsed the value of the skill

sets that they had acquired from their physics courses.

Over four-fths (85%) of the respondents said that Analysis/problem solving skills had been very

usefulto them in their career while 13% said they had been useful and 2% said they had been quite

useful. Just over six out of ten respondents said that Team working/communications had been very

useful in their career while a further 26% said this skill set had been useful. Sixty one per cent of

respondents said that New Ideas/theories/creativity had been very useful in their career with 28%

saying it had been useful.

Studies have shown that employers greatly value graduates possessing skill sets that encompass

problem solving, team working and creativity skill sets that physics graduates have in abundance.

Table 1.6 and Figure 1.8: How useful were the following skill sets in your career?

Skill setVery

useful UsefulQuiteuseful

Notvery

useful

Analysis/problem

solving85% 12% 2% 1%

Team working/communications

62% 26% 8% 4%

New ideas/theories/

creativity61% 28% 8% 3%


Analysis/problemsolving

%0 20 40 60 80 100

85%

62%

61%

Team working/communications

New ideas/theories/creativity

Very useful UsefulNot veryuseful

Quiteuseful

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Great Britain

Europe

North America

Asia Pacic

Rest of the world

%

12%

12%

4%

5%

1%

2%

64%

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80


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2. Starting salaries for physics

graduates

gradireland, the publishing arm of the Association of Higher Education Careers Services, has released

data on starting salaries for graduates in a number of sectors.2 The results for 2009 indicate that

sectors in which physicists are commonly employed have high median starting salaries.

Graduates working in Science, research and development had a median starting salary in 2009 of

38,000 compared with the median starting salaries of graduates employed in Banking, insurance and

nancial services of 26,000 and Accountancy and nancial management of 21,600 (see Table 1.7

and Figure 1.9 below). Starting median salaries for graduates working in the Engineering andmanufacturing and IT and telecoms sectors were also higher than in the Banking and Accountancy

sectors.

The Science, research and development, Engineering and manufacturing and IT and telecoms sectors

accounted for a quarter of all graduate jobs created in 2009.

Table 1.7 and Figure 1.9: Starting salaries for graduates in selected sectors

SectorMedian

salary 2009

Science, research and development (R&D) 38,000

Law, legal services and patents 32,000

Engineering and manufacturing 28,000

Logistics and transport 27,000

IT and telecoms 26,500

Retail and sales 26,500

Banking, insurance and nancial services 26,000

Accountancy and nancial management 21,600

(Source: gradireland Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2010)

The gradireland survey results clearly show that graduates with a technical qualication such as

physics have the potential to achieve high starting salaries across a range of industry sectors.

The Hudson 2010 Ireland Salary Guide 3 reviewed salaries and employment prospects across key

sectors of the economy. While acknowledging the difculties facing Irish business, Hudson said it

believed a number of technical sectors were showing growth; these included the medical devices,

pharmaceuticals, utilities and environmental services sectors sectors in which physics graduates

are regularly found. The Hudson study noted that in the technical and engineering disciplines, project

managers with between 110 years experience could command an annual salary ranging from

50,0075,000 excluding bonuses.


Science, R&D

Law, legal services& patents

Engineering &manufacturing

Logistics & transport

IT & telecoms

Retail & sales

Banking, insurance& nancial services

Accountancy & nancialmanagement

Median salary 2009 () 40K


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3. Physics: its role in the Irish

economy

Heritage

Irish physicists have a long and distinguished history, but perhaps the nest of them was William

Rowan Hamilton of Dublin. Hamilton reformulated Newtons Mechanics, a development that was to

prove useful not just in electromagnetism, but in quantum mechanics. He also invented quaternions,

an extension of complex numbers to higher dimensions. William Thomson of Belfast was a 19th

century giant of thermodynamics, whose title (Lord Kelvin) is the unit of absolute temperature. Ernest

Walton, born in Waterford and educated in Belfast and Dublin, split the atom with John Cockcroft in

Cambridge, becoming the only Irish scientist to win a Nobel prize.

Recent research by the Higher Education Authority and Forfs4 reveals that Irish physicists in leading-

edge research centres have gained a larger share of the world market in research publications and, as

testimony of their quality, the number of times these publications have been cited by other researchers

has also been increasing.

In 2010, ScienceWatch.com5, a division of Thomson Reuters, ranked Northern Ireland and Ireland in

the top 20 countries for the number of citations per paper in relation to academic papers published in

Thomson Reuters-indexed journals during the period January 2000August 2010.

Physics: its signicant contribution to the Irish economy

A report published by the Institute of Physics in October 2007, Physics and the

Irish Economy,6 highlighted the signicant and positive contribution of physics to

the Irish economy in 2005 on a number of different levels. The report showed

that:

In 2005 there were more than 85,500 jobs in physics-based sectors in the

Republic of Ireland. This compared with 82,000 jobs in the banking, nance

and insurance sector and was equivalent to 5.3% of all jobs in the economy.

Physics-based sectors contributed 15 billion to the Irish economy in 2005

10.5% of total Gross Value Added (GVA) generated in the economy. This

was slightly more than the 10.1% share of total national GVA accounted for by Irelands banking,

nance and insurance sector in the same year.

Productivity in physics-based sectors is also relatively high. On average between 2000 and 2005,

the GVA per employee in physics-based sectors was around 150,200 per annum approximately

88% higher than the national average.

The physics-based sectors also had a positive multiplier effect. Expenditure of physics-based

sectors on intermediate goods and services in Ireland in 2005 helped to support 69,100 jobs and6.1 billion worth of GVA in supplier sectors.


Physics and theIrish Economy

Institute of Physics Report

Areportpreparedfor the Institute of Physics by the Centre forEconomics

andBusiness ResearchLtd

October 2007


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The spend of employees from physics-based sectors on goods and services in the wider economy

amounted to 3.1 billion in 2005. This helped to support 16,700 jobs and more than 1.5 billion

worth of GVA in the wider economy.

Physics-based sectors also play a vital role in the economy by supplying intermediate goods

and services to many other industries. In 2005, these industries spent a total of 18.2 billion onintermediate goods and services from physics-based sectors. This is equivalent to 128,400 jobs

and more than 9.6 billion of the GVA generated in these non physics-based sectors.

A review of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) in Northern Ireland7 by the

Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland has

pointed out that a strong, STEM educated workforce is fundamental to economic growth for the

following reasons:

Economic studies conducted before the information technology revolution, have shown that the

vast majority of growth in per capita income is due to technological change.

Studies have also highlighted how companies with qualied scientists and engineers in senior

positions tend to invest in projects which bring a longer term benet and have better performance.

The opportunity to attract Foreign Direct Investment will be enhanced by a society with a work-

force with good qualications in STEM subjects. Multinational companies cite access to qualied

personnel as a major factor in developing off-shore operations and this past decade has seen a

move from traditional, capital-based investment to a more knowledge-based investment providing

access to intellectual property.

The STEM review indicates that increasing Northern Irelands GVA will be inuenced by research and

development, innovation and scientic management, all of which require a supply of graduates withappropriate STEM skills.

Physics and Innovation Ireland

Physics-based sectors are important building blocks for the achievement of the Governments

stated ambition of making Ireland an innovative, high-value export-led economy with some of the

worlds leading research-intensive multinationals and thousands of innovative small and medium

enterprises. 8

The Governments investment over the last decade, for example, in nanotechnology has made Ireland

a home to a world-class infrastructural base which will serve as a strong foundation for producinghigh-quality nanotechnology research and ensuring Irelands international competitiveness in this area.

Physics occupies a central position in nanotechnology as witnessed by the role of nanoelectronics,

nanomechanics and nanophotonics in providing a basic scientic foundation for nanotechnology.

The contribution of highly qualied Irish physics graduates will be essential to progressing Irelands

nanotechnology efforts across key application domains Next generation electronics, Medical

devices and diagnostics, Environmental applications and Industrial process improvements.


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Methodology

The data used in Section 1 was collected through an on-line survey of physics graduates of third level

institutions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The data collection process involved thedevelopment of a questionnaire and the identication of lists of graduates with a physics degree or

with a degree the nal year of which incorporated a signicant physics component.

The graduates were contacted by email or by letter and invited to participate in the survey. The online

poll consisted of 13 questions and was conducted during May-July 2010.

The vast majority of the 822 graduates with a physics degree who responded to the survey obtained

their qualication in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

Graduates from the following third level institutions were surveyed:

Cork Institute of Technology Dublin City University

Dublin Institute of Technology National University of Ireland, Galway

National University of Ireland, Maynooth Open University

Queens University Belfast Trinity College Dublin

University College Cork University College Dublin

University of Limerick University of Ulster

Waterford Institute of Technology Other N. Ireland College

Other ROI College Other college outside NI/ROI

References

1. Institute of Physics (2009), Physics in Scotland: the brightest minds go further.

2. gradIreland (2010), Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2010.

3. Hudson (2010), 2010 Ireland Salary Guide.

4. Forfs and the Higher Education Authority (2009): Research strengths in Ireland: a bibliometric

study of the public research base.

5. ScienceWatch.com.

6. Institute of Physics (2007), Physics and the Irish Economy.

7. Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Learning (2007), Report of the

STEM Review.

8. Department of the Taoiseach (2010): Innovation Ireland The Report of the Innovation Taskforce .
http://www.sciencewatch.com/http://www.sciencewatch.com/


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Physics in Ireland:the brightest minds go further

For further information contact:

Sheila Gilheany

Institute of Physics in Ireland

c/o School of Physical Sciences

University College Dublin

Belfield, Dublin 4Tel +353 86 2600903

E-mail [email protected]

www.iopireland.org

physics ireland

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