What's the job market like for PhD researchers?

In science and engineering, many PhD students are interested in continuing their research in an academic setting, and a PhD followed by post-doctoral research is very much a requirement for this. However, PhD researchers go on to work in research posts outside academia, and also enter a wide range of careers where the skills they have developed from their research (rather than their knowledge) are of most importance.

Whilst having a PhD is never a guarantee of a higher salary or level of job, the statistics show that PhDs do well in the job market. In 2004, UK GRAD published the first ever detailed summary of PhD destinations called "What Do PhDs Do?", followed by "What Do PhDs Do? - Trends" in 2007.

"What Do Postgraduates Do?" showed that PhD graduates are:

• more geographically mobile and more fully employed than less highly qualified graduates
• their unemployment rate at just 3.2% is less than half that of first degree graduates
• only 1% are in "stop gap" jobs (jobs which bear no relation to the level of their qualifications)
• the data also challenges the view that a PhD leads only to a career in academia or research. Significant numbers are found in all sectors of the economy

For more information about the job market for PhDs, also see "Your PhD What Next?".

What happens to scientists and engineers?

There are differences between the destinations of researchers, depending on their academic discipline. For a more detailed breakdown from "What Do Postgraduates Do?" see:

• Information for Biological Sciences
• Information for Biomedical Sciences
• Information for Physical Sciences and Engineering
• Information for Graduates of the University of Reading: To see what University of Reading graduates (including PhD researchers) do on leaving, see the Graduate Destinations information.

Science and Engineering PhD Case Studies

For more information about the successful career choices and job seeking strategies of PhD graduates from science and engineering see the following case studies:

• Case Studies of Biological and Biomedical Sciences
• Case Studies of Physical Sciences and Engineering

How Do I Find Out About Different Careers?

To see information which will signpost you to information about a wide range of careers, see Graduate Options. The information here is relevant to postgraduates as well as undergraduates, and the employers referred to will take applications from both, too.

There is also a web resource called Beyond the PhD, which is especially for Arts and Humanities Researchers.