The highest salaries for young physicists in the U.K. are paid for jobs associated with the electricity-generation industry, according to a recent survey conducted by the London-based Institute of Physics.

The survey, based on 1988 salary data supplied by 5,430 respondents, revealed that physicists between 25 and 29 earn a median salary of £15,380 ($26,146) in that industry, compared to £14,700 ($24,990) in communications technology, and £14,500 ($24,650) in computer science.

At the low end of the salary scale for young physicists come positions in government laboratories at £11,700 ($19,890), school teaching at £10,300 ($17,510) and, lowest of all, nonteaching positions in hospitals at £8,530 ($14,501).

For the U.K.’s senior physicists, the 55- to 59-year-olds, the survey reports the best median salary from management positions: £35,150 ($59,755). Other areas of comparatively high pay for the senior group were positions in computer science, with a median wage of £27,410 ($46,597) and...

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