How to become a Physicist or Astronomer
Official title: Physicist/Astronomer
Also called: Acoustics physicist, Aerodynamicist, Astrometrist, Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Ballistician, Cosmologist, Dosimetrist, Electricity physicist, Electronics physicist, Heat physicist, Hydrodynamicist
Physicist/Astronomer conducts research, improves or develops concepts, theories and operational methods concerning matter, space, time, energy, forces and fields and the interrelationship between these physical phenomena. He/she applies scientific knowledge relating to physics and astronomy in industrial, medical, military or other fields.
Main tasks
- Conducting research and improving or developing concepts, theories, instrumentation, software and operational methods related to physics and astronomy
- Conducting experiments, tests and analyses on the structure and properties of matter in such fields as mechanics, thermodynamics, electronics, communications, power generation and distribution, aerodynamics, optics and lasers, remote sensing, medicine, sonics, magnetism, and nuclear physics
- Evaluating results of investigations and experiments and expressing conclusions, mainly using mathematical techniques and models
- Applying principles, techniques and processes to develop or improve industrial, medical, military and other practical applications of the principles and techniques of physics or astronomy
- Ensuring accurate measurement and characterisation of radiation doses delivered to patients in medical applications of nuclear technology
- Testing, commissioning and evaluating equipment used in applications such as imaging, medical treatment and dosimetry
- Advising and consulting with medical practitioners and other healthcare professionals in optimising the balance between the beneficial and deleterious effects of radiation
- Observing, analysing and interpreting celestial phenomena and developing methods, numerical models and techniques to extend knowledge of such fields as navigation, satellite communication, space exploration, celestial bodies and cosmic radiation
Ways in
- University: Medicine & Dentistry degrees, Offered by 2 universities in Singapore
Pay · Outlook · AI and this job
- Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.
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Questions people ask
How do I become a Physicist or Astronomer?
Ways in include: Medicine & Dentistry degrees.
Will AI change the work of a Physicist or Astronomer?
Generative AI could change some tasks in this job, by the ILO's global estimate.
Sources
- International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
Updated 4 October 2026