Over the next two decades, biotech will be in serious need of physic mentality. Molecular computing will pay the bills.

Medical biotechnology will get strangled by ethics committees. If they change the term to Quantum computing, the lawmakers won’t even notice.

Who wants to major in physics, work at NASA for $19, 000 in salary, put in 70 hrs a week, and then watch a shuttle and 7 people explode for a damned o-ring?

Personally, I love physics and wanted to work for NASA, as a kid. Then I realized I was female. I learned about computers, instead. Oddly enough, I learned alot in the petroleum industry. As a female, I can be smart and well-paid with software. I can even do alot in bio because medicine has become a female field.

Unless I want an engineering degree, a PHD, AND I want to be poor, physics hold little allure. The avg. salary for a physicist with 5 yrs. exp. is $55,000 US. Ten to 15 yrs. exp is $75,000.

Sheesh, I could go to work for Exxon as tech support, no paper and prolly make $50K, tomorrow.

I will say that over the past *ahem* years, I’ve enjoyed working for oil related companies and software, the most. I’ve installed networks, built computers, been paid well, but software is more challenging.

Take the most difficult classes at school and try out some internships. The best teacher is a real-world job. School is really a different world.

I hear that bio-related jobs are hard to come by these days, but that’s just what I read. Also, perhaps at some point in your life, you may ask yourself whether the dabbling in genes etc is really a good thing (not just for the economy but for mankind). But of course, these jobs may probably pay higher.

In astronomy, well, you explore things that fewer people have an in depth understanding of. You’d be part of something great. But the pay may not be as good (don’t quote me on that).

Personally, if I enjoyed one thing over the other, I’d pick that thing, in your case astronomy. But be advised that you may learn things in the one thing or the other that can also be applied to other.

As most of you’ve probably seen, my knowledge about these two subject is quite limited. My suggestion is to buy a couple of books on them and see which one you like best.

If you want info about pay, try http://www.bls.gov/home.htm

It is very curious that I had almost identical leanings.

As MEENA M said, I chose both. Bio Medical Technology for profession, astronomy for hobby. No regrets after nearly half a century of that. Though suspended particle matter and light pollution is playing havoc with the astronomical part.

Both physics and related fields as well as biotechnology are career choices with scope, decent pay and potential benefits to humanity. Both have potential dangers in their use or exploitation. Both can also be dead-end occupations, depending on circumstance and your abilities.

Consider carefully–what do you love? What fulfills you? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Research both fields to get an accurate idea of what a career in them would be like or involve. Keep your mind and heart open to intuition and new ideas.

Remember that there are opportunities to be of service to humanity every minute of every day in every career and occupation. It is up to you (all of us, really) to discover them and to use them.

Good fortune to you.