Career comparison
Electronics Engineer vs. Physicist
Side-by-side pay, training, growth and day-to-day duties to help you choose between two related careers.
Physicists earn more at the median ($172,250 vs. $130,220), while electronics engineers usually get to work faster (4-year engineering degree of training). Electronics engineers design circuits and electronic systems for devices, vehicles and communications. Physicists study matter, energy and forces to discover how the universe works.
Pay data: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Outlook: BLS 2025–35 · Checked October 15, 2026
| Electronics Engineer | Physicist | |
|---|---|---|
| Median pay | $130,220 ($62.60/hr) | $172,250 ($82.81/hr) |
| Pay range (10th–90th) | $81,840 – $206,960 | $82,110 – $274,110 |
| Job growth, 2025–35 | +3.7% (about as fast as average) | +7.2% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | 4,900 | 1,300 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degree | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Training time | 4-year engineering degree | 5–7 years after a bachelor’s |
| Key credential | PE license | Ph.D. |
| Work setting | Electronics engineers work in labs and offices.. | Physicists work in labs and offices at national labs, universities and companies.. |
What each job does
Electronics Engineer
- Design circuits
- Lay out boards
- Simulate designs
- Test prototypes
- Debug hardware
Physicist
- Design experiments
- Build models
- Analyze data
- Develop technology
- Write papers
How they’re similar
Both careers involve high-pay, problem-solving, and working with information. Both are part of the science, engineering & lab field, so many skills transfer between them.
Which should you choose?
Choose electronics engineer if…
- I love electronics
- I like debugging
- I like math
Choose physicist if…
- I love physics
- I like math
- I like experiments
Still torn? Take the Electronics Engineer fit quiz and the Physicist fit quiz, or the full Career Match Quiz.
Quick comparisons
Which pays more, electronics engineer or physicist?
Physicists earn more at the median: $172,250 versus $130,220 for electronics engineers, based on BLS May 2025 data.
Which takes less time to train for?
Electronics Engineers typically train faster (4-year engineering degree) than physicists (5–7 years after a bachelor’s).
Which career has better job growth?
BLS projects physicists to grow +7.2% from 2025–35, compared with +3.7% for electronics engineers.