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Alternative careers for science graduates

Tony Hadlow

Careers Commentator
To give you an idea of where to look and what you could bring to the table, we’ll take you through some of the most promising options.

If you’ve given any thought to what someone does after completing a hard sciences degree, you probably assume that they… go on to get more degrees.

Earn that BS in physics, chemistry, or biology and the natural next step is a PhD program — followed by a career spent holed up in a university lab doing research that will be published in obscure academic journals and read with rapt attention by dozens.

And there’s nothing wrong with that! But the truth is that most science grads go on to do something other than pursue a life in academia. And if you’re finishing up your own science degree and wondering if you’ve got options, we’ve got good news for you:

You do!

Grads with hard science backgrounds are highly in demand. Many of the most dynamic sectors — including tech, finance, and consulting — all value science degrees when hiring.

To give you an idea of where to look and what you could bring to the table, we’ll take you through some of the most promising options. Pay attention to what resonates with you, because you’ll be able to use GradAustralia to search for specific job openings looking for science grads in each sector we cover.

Let’s get started!

What are the top 5 sectors for science grads who don’t want a graduate degree?

Our team at Prosple (GradAustralia’s parent company) surveyed over 600 recent grads who earned a science degree to find out what they are doing in their first graduate job. Here are the most common sectors:

Top employment sectors for graduates with science degrees. Source: Prosple survey of 600+ recent science graduates.

  1. Technology — 25 per cent
  2. Government and public service — 16 per cent
  3. Accounting and advisory — 11 per cent
  4. Banking and financial services — 7 per cent
  5. Management consulting — 7 per cent

These five sectors account for two-thirds of all graduate jobs for science majors. They also offer a wide variety of roles and career paths — none of which involve teaching 8:00 AM classes to sleepy undergraduates!

We’ll take them in order.

1. Technology

Even after a decade during which most of the industry’s utopian shine has worn away, tech is hot. From behemoths like Alphabet to fast-growing (and sometimes, fast-falling) crypto firms to buzzy new startups no one outside the VC community has ever heard of, the technology sector covers a vast range of opportunities and even a puncher’s chance at striking it rich.

In tech, your science background will be extremely useful. Whether or not you have the skill set to do software engineering or coding, your ability to approach a problem logically, sequentially, and with a goal of following the evidence will help you to succeed in anything from an operational role to a research position. If you understand how to deal with huge datasets, you might be especially valuable in a subfield like AI, where you could potentially work with large language models (LLMs) or something else on the bleeding-edge frontier of knowledge.

And while you may end up in a lab, you’ll almost certainly make significantly more money in tech than you would as a graduate research assistant, PhD student, or even an average professor. While the average starting salary for a graduate role in tech is only $65,956 (roughly middle of the pack for graduate salaries, period), your scientific background will likely put you in line for higher-value positions that graduates with, say, an English degree wouldn’t be qualified to take on.

Top tech employers for science grads

Any of these employers can help you build a strong foundation for a career in tech:

Who’s hiring science grads for tech jobs right now?

Start searching for open graduate jobs in tech that are specifically hiring science grads!

2. Government and public service

If tech is all about disruption, working in government is more about continuity — keeping the trains running on time. But effective government services are essential to the smooth functioning of modern society and as a worker at any level of government, you’ll be able to do your part to help support your community.

Because government work touches on such a vast range of areas — everything from international diplomacy to local sewage treatment — you’ll have the opportunity to pursue an equally vast array of roles. Your science background will have given you the intellectual discipline to succeed in most any of them, but you may be able to provide additional value in areas that involve the integration of technology with government policies and actions, which includes sexier fields like intelligence or foreign affairs as well as valuable but less shiny work like analyzing census data.

Government jobs tend to pay decently but not spectacularly. Graduate salaries start at an average of $65,859 and while you’ll certainly see an increase if you stick around, you’ll never reach the level of compensation that high achievers in the private sector can eventually earn. However, you’ll be rewarded with a more consistent schedule, stronger job security, and (hopefully), a sense that you’re contributing to the greater whole.

Top government employers for science grads

Some of Australia’s top departments include:

Who’s hiring science grads for government jobs right now?

Browse open government roles that are specifically hiring grads with a science degree!

3. Accounting and advisory

The accounting and advisory sector isn’t just about sitting behind a desk all day punching numbers into a spreadsheet. Working in this field, you’ll play an essential role in maintaining the financial health of companies, NGOs, or other organizations and help provide insight to guide decision-makers in their thinking.

Whether you’re working in anything from risk management to mergers and acquisitions, a big chunk of your role would likely involve creating financial models that incorporate data from a wide range of sources to help predict future scenarios, problems, or organizational performance. To us, that sounds like a job for a scientist! You’ll be able to identify patterns, find red flags, and use your clear, logical thinking to suggest solutions that may play a big role in your company’s business strategy.

We’ll be honest — your initial starting salary will probably be lower than you might like (although this may vary depending on your employer). Accounting and advisory grads make an average salary of $59,945. However, you’ll also be gaining valuable experience, making contacts across your industry, and typically setting yourself up for a bigger payday down the road.

Top accounting employers for science grads

Succeed at one of these Big Four companies and you can write your own ticket:

Who’s hiring science grads for accounting jobs right now?

Take a look at our live list of open accounting positions specifically hiring science grads!

4. Banking and financial services

If you get good at moving other people’s money around, you can make a lot of money for yourself. And working in banking and financial services can give you the opportunity to do just that.

While this sector is vast and covers everything from working as a bank teller to serving as a portfolio manager at a hedge fund, your science background may give you an advantage when applying for some of the more challenging and lucrative positions. Why? One word: data. Contemporary high finance is all about who can create the most powerful, effective models for market performance and use them to beat competitors when making trades or doing deals.

Gone (mostly) are the days of operating on instinct. Instead, the most successful trading or investment banking firms base decisions on vast amounts of data, often run through algorithms at blinding speed and in real-time. As a scientist, you may have a leg up even over grads from similarly quantitative backgrounds like mathematics because you’ll likely be more used to dealing with real-world results rather than strictly theoretical outcomes. 

Now, the average graduate banking job pays a starting salary of just $59,420. But take that with a giant grain of salt. If you can score a coveted position in investment banking, private equity, trading, or a related field, you may earn north of $100,000 right away — and exponentially more if you turn out to be good at the work. Be aware, though, that you’ll be expected to work punishing hours in return for that higher salary.

Top banking and finance employers for science grads

Succeed in the right role at one of these companies and you’ll be on your way to wealth:

Who’s hiring science grads for banking and finance jobs right now?

Scroll through our live list of banking employers actively searching for science grads!

5. Management consulting

Now, GradAustralia was founded by former management consultants, so we’re fans of the sector. When you take a job in management consulting, your role is to help your clients — typically large companies or other major organizations — grow, innovate, and solve problems at a higher level than they would be able to do using only their internal teams.

In other words, you’ve got a big remit — and the opportunity to learn a lot. Much like accounting and advisory, you’ll be doing a lot of work creating models and making evidence-based projections to guide strategy (putting your science background to good use). However, you’ll likely find yourself working on a broader scope of problems, including not just financial issues but operational, logistical, and even political challenges as well.

As a result, you’ll put yourself in a position to gain a formidable skill set — one that can set you up for a career doing just about anything you want. You’ll be able to climb the ladder at your consulting firm, strike out on your own as an entrepreneur, move into other business sectors where your strategic and tactical insights will be welcome, or even transition into government. 

So don’t feel too bad about the $61,981 average starting salary for graduates in the field. Do be prepared for long hours, though. That comes with the territory.

Top management consulting employers for science grads

Succeed at any of these companies and you’ll find the doors of opportunity flung wide open. Just don’t expect to get much sleep:

If you’re searching for specific management consulting employers, you should also be aware that major accounting and advisory firms (including all of the Big Four) also boast large management consulting divisions.

Who’s hiring science grads for management consulting jobs right now?

Find out by browsing our live list of open management consulting positions specifically hiring for a science background!

What are some specific job titles I should look at?

Now, so far we’ve covered sectors and companies you may want to consider. But what if you want to approach your job search by looking for specific job titles? 

We’ve got some thoughts.

Out of the lab, but still in the science sector

Whether you studied minerals or microbiology, the chances are that you’ve endured your fair share of three-hour labs. Some students thrive on the intensely focused atmosphere of laboratory research, while others, quite understandably, find it stifling, understimulating or dull.

The good news for graduates in the latter category is that some of the most important and exciting science takes place outside of the lab. From Darwin to Goodal, the history of science is full of meaningful contributions made in the field. So — while it might be too late for you to take credit for the theory of evolution — there are still a host of careers you can pursue without first putting on a white lab coat. 

Before brainstorming, think about how you might leverage what you’ve learned within your specific field. Here are some ideas to get you started:

  • Field research scientist
  • Quality control technician
  • Dietician
  • Civil service administrator
  • Technical sales executive
  • Academic
  • Forensic scientist
  • Conservation officer
  • Meteorologist
  • Hydrologist
  • Data analyst
  • Pharmaceutical research
  • Audiologist
  • Diver
  • Sonographer
  • IT systems analyst
  • Microbiologist
  • Bioinformatician
  • Ecologist

Careers where knowledge of science is advantageous

We now turn to jobs outside of the science sector, but in which your knowledge of science will be advantageous.
 

Here, one of the most popular career choices is that of the scientific journalist or writer. The world has a great need of people who are able to communicate the findings of science in a way that lay audiences can appreciate and understand. 

So if you’re a talented writer or presenter, you might consider positioning yourself to share the exciting developments of your field and, in doing so, advance the cause of science outside of the (often insular) scientific community.

Alternatively, you might consider completing a postgraduate degree or diploma so that you can apply your scientific knowledge in non-scientific disciplines. For example, with appropriate training, you might become a patent attorney and use your technical know-how to help clients assert or defend their intellectual property. 

Other possible careers include:

  • Science teacher
  • Law (you may choose to specialise in a field that builds on your scientific training, such as environmental law, medical law or product liability law)
  • Human Resources (for a scientific organization)
  • Sales and marketing (in a scientific or pharmaceutical organization)
  • Visual effects artist in film or TV

Careers that use your generic skills

With its emphasis on patient problem-solving, creative experimentation and data analysis, the scientific mindset is well-suited to a range of careers that mightn’t necessarily draw on your scientific expertise.

For example, we’ve already highlighted consulting above because that is a career in which you can apply your critical and creative thinking skills to a range of business problems, helping client organizations to minimize inefficiency while maximizing profitability and performance. Science graduates are particularly valued in consultancy firms because they’ve been trained to approach complex challenges with an openness to novel solutions.

Bear in mind that, if prospective employers aren’t investing in the specifics of your scientific training, they’re likely to place more emphasis on your academic results as evidence that you’ve developed generic graduate skills. In an interview situation, you should be ready to relate these skills to the target job description, and, by doing so, convince recruiters that your background is relevant and valuable to their organization.

Of course, before applying for non-scientific jobs or attending interviews for them, it’s helpful to revise what exactly your generic skills are. Different institutions will have different criteria, and you should check your course description to see what it identifies as its target outcomes.

For example, University of Sydney graduates are expected to have developed the following generic skills by the end of their science degrees:

  • Research and inquiry: analyzing information, thinking critically, solving problems, disseminating (communicating) what you have found out
  • Communication and interpersonal: oral, written and non-verbal; teamwork, leadership and networking
  • Information literacy: knowing when there is a need for information, being able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively use and cite the information; ability to use IT
  • Personal and intellectual autonomy: self-management, learning independently and setting goals
  • Ethical, social and professional understanding: knowing your role as a professional scientist, your personal identity and ethics

Clearly, there are a variety of jobs in which these skills would be highly valued. While it would be impossible to provide an exhaustive list in this article, we hope the following ideas help you get started:

  • Business analyst
  • Market research
  • Public relations manager
  • Public servant
  • Consultant
  • Curator
  • Urban planner
  • Pilot
  • Logistician
  • Filmmaker
  • Librarian
  • Set designer
  • NGO advocate
  • Police officer
  • Customs official
  • Counsellor
  • Advertising creative
  • Nursery worker

Science teaches you to see the world through a rational lens. That’s valuable in almost any career.

If you’ve read this far, we hope that you’re feeling excited about the options in front of you. With your science background, you’ll be able to walk through many doors — and if you’re willing to work hard and challenge yourself to consistently grow — you’ll find that your opportunities only multiply.

Good luck!

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