I think this boils down to just knowing what you are. Are you a computer scientist or a programmer? These are two very different things - as much as many people

I think this boils down to just knowing what you are. Are you a computer scientist or a programmer? These are two very different things - as much as many people like to think they are not. To be a good (or very good) general software programmer you need about as much math and physics as someone who has completed 9th grade. Some areas of programming will require specialized math knowledge of course i.e. basic linear algebra for general game programming, and various algorithms depending on your specialty. But in any programming field you will almost never be expected to research new algorithms from scratch - this is the job of scientists - and your job is just to implement those, and know enough to choose the right one for the job. This is just a long winded way of saying, I think a lot of HR departments need to clear up for themselves what it is they are trying to recruit. If they want people researching, you are going to need the algorithm/math/physics chops inside and out, but if you are building 98% of the not so super theoretically revolutionary products out there in the world, you really just want to hire people who know how to pick the right tool and then use it i.e. code with it. And to know how to pick the right tool, you do not need a PHD in CS.