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Plasma Physicist Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Lead rootcause analysis of complex, crossdomain chamber behaviors where plasma, electromagnetic ... Serve as MDP PVD physics specialist for chamberlevel multiphysics issues, supporting internal ...

Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a ... Thea Energy is seeking a Sr. Plasma Control Engineer to develop and deploy novel plasma control ...

Senior Plasma Control Engineer

Kearny, NJ · On-site

$120K - $160K/yr

Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a ... Thea Energy is seeking a Sr. Plasma Control Engineer to develop and deploy novel plasma control ...

A successful candidate would have strong background in physics and technology of particle accelerators, nuclear physics, plasma physics, or related field, coupled with solid experience in designing ...

Responsibilities : • Develop and validate machine-learning frameworks for FRC plasma-dynamics, leveraging physics-grounded ML approaches (e.g., differentiable physics, PINNs, surrogate modeling, or ...

Sr Scientist, Plasma Control

Irvine, CA · On-site

$135K - $155K/yr

This role bridges fusion energy science and plasma physics with advanced non-linear control concepts making use of cutting-edge control technology, especially FPGA-based architectures of embedded ...

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Plasma Physicist information

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$39.5K

$94.8K

$226.5K

How much do plasma physicist jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for plasma physicist in the United States is $94,805.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $59,000.00 and $112,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Plasma Physicist position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Plasma Physicist, you need a strong background in physics, mathematics, and computational modeling, typically supported by a PhD in plasma physics or a related field. Familiarity with specialized simulation software, diagnostic instrumentation, and laboratory equipment such as tokamaks or plasma reactors is common. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective scientific communication are essential soft skills for success. Together, these skills enable Plasma Physicists to conduct complex experiments, collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, and contribute to advancements in research and technology.

What is the highest paid field in physics?

In physics, roles such as nuclear physicists, medical physicists, and physicists working in aerospace or defense tend to have the highest salaries, often due to specialized skills and security clearances. Plasma physicists, while essential in research and energy sectors, generally earn competitive but not the highest salaries within the field of physics.

How much do plasma physicists make?

Plasma physicists typically earn a median annual salary of around $90,000 to $120,000, depending on experience, education, and location. Those working in research or government labs may have different pay scales, and advanced skills in computational modeling or experimental techniques can lead to higher compensation.

What is a Plasma Physicist job?

A Plasma Physicist studies ionized gases, known as plasmas, which are found in stars, fusion reactors, and various industrial applications. They conduct experiments, develop simulations, and apply theoretical models to understand plasma behavior. Their work is essential in advancing fusion energy, space physics, and technologies like plasma thrusters and semiconductor manufacturing. Plasma Physicists often work in research institutions, government labs, or private industry.

What do plasma physicists do?

Plasma physicists study the properties and behavior of plasma, the fourth state of matter, often working on research related to nuclear fusion, space phenomena, or industrial applications. They use specialized tools like particle accelerators and computer simulations to analyze plasma dynamics and develop technologies for energy production, space exploration, or medical devices.

What kinds of research projects or experiments do Plasma Physicists typically work on?

Plasma Physicists commonly engage in experimental and theoretical research related to controlled fusion, space plasma phenomena, or plasma applications in material processing and medicine. Their work often involves designing and conducting experiments using advanced equipment such as magnetic confinement devices, lasers, or high-voltage systems. Collaboration with engineers, computational scientists, and other physicists is typical to analyze data and optimize experimental setups. Plasma Physicists also frequently present findings at conferences and publish in scientific journals, contributing to ongoing advancements in the field.

Is plasma physics a good career?

Plasma physics is a specialized field within physics that involves studying ionized gases and their applications, such as in fusion energy, space science, and industrial processes. Careers in plasma physics often require advanced degrees and involve research, laboratory work, and collaboration with engineering teams, offering opportunities in academia, government labs, and industry. It can be a rewarding career for those interested in scientific research and technological development, but job availability may be competitive and dependent on funding and research priorities.
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Physicist / Scientist V

Amat

Santa Clara, CA

$176K - $242K/yr

Full-time

Posted yesterday


Job description

Who We Are

Applied Materials is a global leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. We design, build and service cutting-edge equipment that helps our customers manufacture display and semiconductor chips - the brains of devices we use every day. As the foundation of the global electronics industry, Applied enables the exciting technologies that literally connect our world - like AI and IoT. If you want to push the boundaries of materials science and engineering to create next generation technology, join us to deliver material innovation that changes the world.

What We Offer

Salary:

$176,000.00 - $242,000.00

Location:

Santa Clara,CA

You'll benefit from a supportive work culture that encourages you to learn, develop, and grow your career as you take on challenges and drive innovative solutions for our customers. We empower our team to push the boundaries of what is possible-while learning every day in a supportive leading global company. Visit our Careers website to learn more.

At Applied Materials, we care about the health and wellbeing of our employees. We're committed to providing programs and support that encourage personal and professional growth and care for you at work, at home, or wherever you may go. Learn more about our benefits.

Key Responsibilities

Technically lead and/or execute engineering projects and spearhead research and development of new technologies as appropriate.

Define experiments and diagnostics to isolate dominant physical mechanisms in PVD chambers, including RF/DC plasma behavior, electromagnetic field effects, ionization, sputtering transport, thermal gradients, pressure regimes, and UHV phenomena.

Determine meaningful data required to distinguish between plasmadriven, EMdriven, thermaldriven, or pressuredriven effects in complex, coupled chamber environments.

Lead and/or develop, and executes significantly complex system projects. Oversees and approves designs in team design reviews. Takes active part in the design of complex modules / sub-modules. Approve qualification results of complex modules.

Provide physicsbased guidance during chamber, module, and submodule design reviews, with emphasis on Efield / Bfield topology, plasma confinement, sputtering efficiency, thermal behavior, and vacuum performance.
Influence chamber architecture and design rules by identifying physicsimposed constraints and tradeoffs impacting performance, uniformity, reliability, and scalability.

Problem identification and troubleshooting a wide range of significantly complex problems. Oversees and approves research and analysis results. Supports high level / complex physics related application and system issues in the lab and in the field when required.

Lead rootcause analysis of complex, crossdomain chamber behaviors where plasma, electromagnetic, thermal, pressure, and vacuum effects are strongly coupled.
Diagnose nonintuitive behaviors such as process drift, uniformity excursions, defect generation, or instability by identifying secondorder physics effects missed by purely empirical approaches.

Function as specialist for physics/scientists issues, while influencing and utilizing expertise in interfacing with external and internal customers, lead and/or develop and execute system projects, troubleshooting system problems, and defining system specifications and schedules. Regularly interacts with senior managers on matters involving several functional areas, departments or customers concerning projects, operations and schedules. Interactions require the ability to change thinking or gain the acceptance of others in sensitive situations. Reviews and approves system and sub-system requirements and specifications designed by other team members.

Serve as MDP PVD physics specialist for chamberlevel multiphysics issues, supporting internal product teams and selected customer escalations involving advanced PVD challenges.
Communicate complex physics concepts to engineering, management, and customer stakeholders to drive alignment and sound technical decisionmaking under ambiguity.

Apply advanced principles, theories, and concepts. Contributes to the development of new principles and concepts. Takes an active part in product risk management discussions leveraging his / her expertise and knowledge to influence and drive risk management decisions. Takes an active part in Red-Team groups, leveraging his / her expertise to analyze competitor technologies and assess competitor architectural entitlements.

Apply and develop advanced principles in lowtemperature plasma physics, electromagnetics, sputtering physics, and transport phenomena relevant to PVD systems.
Contribute physics insight to platform and architectural risk assessments, including evaluation of competitor PVD architectures, field configurations, and process entitlements.

Initiates innovative physics/science projects, which extend boundaries of system performance or techno. Leads the selection and management of strategic vendors. Maintains relationships with outside customers of innovation, Universities, Consortia. Leads technological customer engagements driving innovation & development. Meets high level executives on the customer side effecting customer decision making

Initiate and lead physicsdriven innovation projects targeting nextgeneration PVD performance limits, including scaling, uniformity, materials capability, and manufacturability.
Engage with universities, consortia, and strategic partners on applied plasma, deposition, and chamber physics topics aligned with MDP roadmaps.

Provide mentoring for less experienced physicist/scientists.

Research new technologies and analyze competition technology. Evaluate new technologies. Plan and execute complex feasibility studies of new technologies and lead the decision making process. Prepare and deliver papers regarding new technologies, share and promote new ideas and capabilities. Plans and executes feasibility studies of complete systems / sub-systems, leveraging new technologies and design concepts. Leads the demonstration of new capabilities and drives the decision making process.

Mentor engineers and physicists in applying firstprinciples, systemlevel thinking across coupled plasma, EM, thermal, pressure, and vacuum domains.

Functional Knowledge

  • Regarded as the technical expert in their particular field,.

  • Demonstrates in-depth and/or breadth of expertise in own discipline and broad knowledge of other disciplines within the function

Business Expertise

  • Anticipates business and regulatory issues; recommends product, process or service improvements

Leadership

  • Leads projects with notable risk and complexity; develops the strategy for project execution

Problem Solving

  • Solves unique problems with broad impact on the business; requires conceptual and innovative thinking to develop solutions

  • Solves complex problems where multiple physical domains interact and where root causes are not directly observable, requiring hypothesisdriven analysis and conceptual physics insight.

Impact

  • Impacts the direction and resource allocation for program, project or services; works within general functional policies and industry guidelines

Interpersonal Skills

  • Communicates complex ideas, anticipates potential objections and persuades others, often at senior levels, to adopt a different point of view

Additional Information

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Type:

Assignee / Regular

Travel:

Yes, 10% of the Time

Relocation Eligible:

Yes

The salary offered to a selected candidate will be based on multiple factors including location, hire grade, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and with consideration of internal equity of our current team members. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, candidates may be eligible for other forms of compensation such as participation in a bonus and a stock award program, as applicable.

For all sales roles, the posted salary range is the Target Total Cash (TTC) range for the role, which is the sum of base salary and target bonus amount at 100% goal achievement.

Applied Materials is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law.

In addition, Applied endeavors to make our careers site accessible to all users. If you would like to contact us regarding accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact us via e-mail at Accommodations_Program@amat.com, or by calling our HR Direct Help Line at 877-612-7547, option 1, and following the prompts to speak to an HR Advisor. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.