Quantum sector jobs span specialties, degree requirements

Jobs in engineering, information technology, and research together make up nearly half of the roles in the global quantum workforce. Yet many quantum-related jobs in business development, arts and design, sales, community services, and other fields listed in the figure do not rely on STEM skills. (See also Physics Today, April 2025, page 17 .) The chart is adapted from one in a 2025 report by the Quantum Economic Development Consortium (QED-C), which provides research and market forecasts on the quantum economy.

Data reveal other qualities that employers in the quantum space are looking for in candidates. Last year, using QED-C and Quantum Computing Report job postings from 2021 to 2023, the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE)—whose members include five universities and two national labs—did an analysis of more than 5000 roles in the quantum technology workforce. Among the ads posted in 2022 and 2023, about 31% requested that candidates have a PhD, and some 14% specified a master’s degree. The remainder of the positions required a degree no more advanced than a bachelor’s or no degree.

The authors of the CQE report found that the percentage of jobs requiring PhDs slipped from about 35% for 2021 to 29% for 2023, whereas the percentage asking for a bachelor’s degree rose from about 35% to 38%. Ads for positions in the industry sector were less likely to require a PhD than were ads for roles in academia or government.

For more information on the quantum workforce, see the reports at https://quantumconsortium.org/publications/stateofthequantumindustry2025/#2025report and https://chicagoquantum.org/degreereports .