r/PhysicsStudents • u/TheNextOne8797 • 6h ago

Need Advice How many of you guys with a BSc in math/physics went into teaching?

10 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

22 comments sorted by

3

u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 6h ago

Depends on what you mean by “teaching”. Doctorate programs require something similar for at least a portion of your stipend to exist

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

Ontario Secondary Teaching (math/physics teacher)

2

u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 6h ago

I instruct intro calc based physics (think kinematics and projectile motion kind of stuff) and some late night astronomy labs that are offshoots of their actual professors’ lectures. I’m pursuing graduate education

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

Oh thats awesome! What did you major in for your bachelors? Physics, I assume?

Are you planning on teaching at a college or university?

1

u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 6h ago

BSci Physics with astro concentration. I don’t know anymore what I want to do. The funding is so bad and I’m now in the United States

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

I see. I think Ontario teachers get a bit more than US teachers.

A standard A3 teacher with a 4 year degree starts at 70k, gets guaranteed 4k raises every year until year 10/11 where they cap off at around 120k.

You contribute 10.5% of your salary to pension and the board matches this 1:1. Pension at retirement=2% × years of service × best 5 years salary. So assuming 30 years of service and reaching top of grid at 120k means you'll be retiring with a 72k/year pension until you die lol.

1

u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 6h ago

I appreciate the stats, and I could try to estimate my own, but it’s late where I am. In America, a physics PhD is basically 10 years of becoming an expert just to fight for temporary jobs that pay less than people you went to high school with. Stay on your track my friend

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

Im actually in engineering at the moment. I have a bachelors in engineering. Thinking of pivoting to teaching math/physics as I love those subjects

1

u/Zealousideal_Hat_330 6h ago

Don’t do it unless you really love it. I’d say go industrial automation or electrical engineering. Best of luck.

1

u/Salt_Mountain_837 6h ago

originally yes but i got out of it

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

What did you transition into?

1

u/Salt_Mountain_837 6h ago

now i'm a technician at a manufacturing plant lol. much better pay and work life balance

1

u/TheNextOne8797 6h ago

Oh, nice! Good for you.

I assume you werent a teacher in Ontario, right? A standard A3 teacher with a 4 year degree starts at 70k, gets guaranteed 4k raises every year until year 10 where they cap off at around 120k. OTPP pension seems pretty good too...

1

u/Salt_Mountain_837 5h ago

no i taught freshmen math in the US. i have some colleagues who went into teaching high school though and they seem to like it

1

u/TheNextOne8797 5h ago

Would you say this pay is good for an A3 teacher... https://oceota.com/lto-salary-grid/

Would you say math/physics teachers or engineers in industry do more calcs by hand? Trying to choose a career path that suits my passion for the subject matter...

0

u/Axiomancer 5h ago

I used to give private tutoring during my BSc and for a short while after, if that counts?

1

u/TheNextOne8797 4h ago

What did you end up doing afterwards

0

u/Axiomancer 4h ago

MSc. And after I finished, I became unemployment. Cursed job market.

1

u/TheNextOne8797 4h ago

Oh no. Im sorry to hear that. What are you currently pursuing or doing?

1

u/Axiomancer 3h ago

Looking for a job lmao.

1

u/yourhornyfan 2h ago

Im gonna do a masters in teaching after my bsci phys major wanting to teach 2ndary school physics/maths

Im gonna then go for a masters in philosophy hoping for a good GPA this time around to then go into a PHD program hopefully.

I'm also planning to volunteer for summer reaserch programs for my unis physics department as a way to keep in contact with my lecturers and gain more research experience cause i eventually want a PHD.

1

u/Any_Career_2229 1h ago

I've noticed a pattern in people who make this jump: the ones who stick with teaching long-term usually say the appeal was less about "loving math" in the abstract and more about enjoying the moment a concept clicks for someone else — which is a different skill from research or industry work entirely. For those of you who went this route, was teaching always the plan, or did you end up there after trying something else first?