For some people money is the primary motivator. But you have completed your PhD so I would guess that you are less motivated by money than the boyz on Wall St.

For some people money is the primary motivator. But you have completed your PhD so I would guess that you are less motivated by money than the boyz on Wall St. My experiences range from working in multinationals to startups and then returning to do my PhD. So I think my perceptions might be of some value to you. Academia is all about money as well. You need to acquire grants to do more research. If you chose to teach then the tuition fees are part of the revenue that you help the institution acquire. If you want to be very successful in academia then you need to bring in lots of money which in turn means getting lots of publications, etc. In effect you run a startup within an institution and they take their share for providing the facilities, support, etc. If you choose to create a startup, then you are in control but with that control comes the responsibility for making it work. You have more freedom to choose the path. Sooner or later you need to look at monetising your work and that requires marketing, sales, admin, etc. You ask whether there is much interest in physicists. Yes and No. Depends on what specific skills you bring to the prospective employer. Due to your skill set it is probably some large corporation. So until you prove yourself, you are but a cog in a machine. Your PhD proves that you can perform original research and that you can effectively communicate the fruits of your labours. So it is how you plan to apply those skills that matter more than exactly what you are an expert in. In the past people with your skills found much demand on Wall St for their quantitative and reasoning abilities. These days, I think Wall St is not a good option. Although I'm a serial startup person, I've never made it big. Was able to create comfortable living and enjoy the freedom of not working for The Man. But clients are The Man in disguise - so you still need to be wary about becoming a non-indentured slave. To answer your question, I don't regret it. But you have to be comfortable with insecurity - both financial and emotional. And it does limit the choices in relationships to those who too can cope with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. This is becoming a rather long answer. So to wrap up: I believe you need to feel "being called". You absolutely need to take stock of what your strengths and interests are and how and where they can be applied. If you can't create value in the eyes of others, then sooner or later you'll crash and burn. But that is pretty much par for the course on all three paths you are considering. So the bottom line question is how you cope when facing uncertain outcomes. Considering your background in nuclear physics you might already be at home with chaos and lack of certainity. Good Luck !