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Astronomy PhD recipients generally follow three main outcomes after receiving their degrees: they accept a postdoctoral position, a non-postdoctoral temporary position, or a potentially permanent position. To learn more about these outcomes, AIP annually asked new astronomy PhDs about their immediate post-degree outcomes. For the classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020, an average of just over 160 individuals per year earned an astronomy PhD at one of the 45 departments in the US with an astronomy doctoral program. From these three classes, around two-thirds of PhD graduates accepted a postdoc. Most of the other graduates secured potentially permanent employment. The graduates accepting potentially permanent jobs entered very different employment positions than those accepting postdocs. Most of the postdocs were in academia, while most of the potentially permanent positions were in the private sector. Those taking positions in the private sector typically reported considerably higher starting salaries than those accepting postdocs. Despite the lower pay, more of the graduates accepting a postdoc find their work challenging, and a higher proportion indicate being satisfied with their employment.

In this report we explore how and why undergraduate students' career and education plans changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that when students changed their plans, they were more likely to pursue employment instead of graduate education. Students reported that their plans changed due to not being accepted into graduate school, feeling unprepared to apply, or losing interest in applying. Students also adjusted their plans centering around employment outcomes, travel, and their undergraduate degree. A regression analysis showed that several factors impacted student plan changes. Students were more likely to change their plans if they experienced financial strain, loss of internship/job opportunities, graduation delays, less university support, and if they identified as Asian or Asian American. Universities, departments, and faculty members can use these findings and recommendations to recognize where additional student support may be needed, to help students achieve their career aspirations. Additionally, this report includes data on students' post-graduation outcomes a year later. The majority (77%) of student outcomes were consistent with their original plans to attend graduate school or seek employment. Students who had different outcomes a year later were more likely to switch from graduate study to employment.

This Focus On uses data from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) to showcase that, as a group, recipients of physics bachelor's degrees tend to do well on two prominent standardized tests for medical school and law school admission. Although only a small percent of the physics bachelor's degree recipients each year (2-4%) pursue these two career paths, a physics degree provides a solid foundation for those making that choice.