Career Options After 12th Science PCM - Check Educational Requirements, Salary
Choosing the right career option after 12th science PCM can be confusing. PCM, a combination of 3 core subjects such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, leads to high-paying professions. If you are a student from the PCM background, you can explore opportunities in areas such as engineering, data science, architecture and many emerging fields. This article aims to highlight the best career options after 12th science PCM, along with their educational requirements and salary details. Let’s dive in!
Best career options after 12th PCM
Here are some of the best career options after 12th PCM, along with Educational requirements and the salary range.
Career Option | Educational Requirements | Salary Range (for freshers) |
Engineer | 12th Science PCM; National Level entrance tests such as JEE Main and JEE Advanced, BITSAT, SRMJEE. and state-level entrance tests. | Rs. 5.7 Lakhs - 6.3 Lakhs |
Architect | 12th Science PCM; National Level entrance test- NATA, IIT-JEE Main Paper-2, other private exams | Rs. 26.5 Lakhs - 29.3 Lakhs |
Commercial Pilot | 12th Science PCM; Minimum age limit-17yrs; Entrance test for PPL and CPL courses; Flying experience- 250 hours | Rs. 12.2 Lakhs - 13.5 Lakhs |
Merchant Navy Officer | 12th Science PCM; and B. Tech Marine Engineering/ B.E. Mechanical Engineering/ B.Sc Nautical Science/ Diploma in Marine Engineering (DME) and similar courses. | Rs. 7.4 Lakhs - 8.2 Lakhs |
Defence Officer (Army, Air Force, Navy) | Technical (Science) and Non-technical (non-Science) entries; Entrance exams- NDA or CDS | Rs. 23.5 Lakhs - 26 Lakhs |
Statistician | Mathematics/ Economics as a core subject | Rs 6 Lakhs - 6.7 Lakhs |
Chemist | 12th Science PCM/B and M.Sc Chemistry and Ph.D | Rs. 3 Lakhs - 3.4 Lakhs |
Physicist | 12th Science PCM/B and M.Sc Physics and Ph.D | Rs. 6.9 Lakhs - 7.7 Lakhs |
1. Engineer
Engineering has existed since ancient times when man first developed carts, levers and pulleys. This field is about the creative application of scientific principles to design or develop structures and machines. The Engineering course is certainly one of the best PCM career options.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM
Entrance Exams: JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT, state-level exams
Degree: B. Tech/B.E. (4 years)
Top recruiting companies:
Government sector– PWD, CPWD, SAIL, GAIL
Private Sector- L&T Technology, Siemens India, Google, Microsoft
2. Architect
The Architecture course combines art and science to plan, design and construct buildings. PCM career options require a good understanding of technicalities, space and design. To pursue this field, aspirants are required to complete a degree in B. Arch course, which is a 4-year course. This course can open up opportunities in professions like Landscape Architect, an Urban Planner, and more.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM
Entrance Exams: NATA, JEE Main Paper-2, private architecture entrance tests
Degree: B. Arch (5 years)
Top Recruiters: Gensler, IDEO, IKEA, Sanjay Puri Architects
3. Commercial Pilot
Becoming a Pilot is one of the highly rewarding career options for PCM students. It requires rigorous training and flying hours. It is one of the highly paid jobs that allows travelling across the globe.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM (with 50% minimum in Physics and Math)
Entrance Tests: DGCA-approved medical and written exams
License: PPL followed by CPL with 250+ flying hours
Top Recruiting Companies: Air India, Air India Charters Ltd, IndiGo, Spice Jet.
4. Merchant Navy Officer
If you are a passionate student who enjoys travelling, a career in the Merchant Navy could be your ideal choice. As a merchant navy officer, you will be a part of the international trade, managing ships with cargo and passengers across the world.
Eligibility:
12th Science with PCM (minimum 50%)
Minimum age: 17 years
250+ flying hours for Commercial Pilot License (CPL)
Clear DGCA-approved medical and written tests
Recruiters:
Indigo
Air India
Vistara
Emirates (after global licensing)
5. Defence Officer (Army, Navy, Air Force)
A defence officer is a highly respected and desirable career that plays a crucial role in national security. PCM students can join through technical or non-technical entries to roles such as career as an Indian army officer, career as an Indian navy officer and career as an Indian airforce airman.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM (for technical entries)
Entrance Exams: NDA (after 12th), CDS (after graduation)
Medical fitness and SSB interview required
Top Recruiters:
Indian Army, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy
6. Forensic Scientist
Forensic science remains a powerful force that is useful in investigating crimes and examining evidence. It’s a fascinating career for those who are interested in areas of investigation such as criminal, financial, cybercrime, environmental protection, human rights, and anti-terrorist operations.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM/B
Degree: B. Sc/M. Sc in Forensic Science, Chemistry or related fields
Admission through entrance or merit-based selection
Top Recruiters: CBI, IB, CFSL, State Forensic Labs
7. Statistician
Statisticians are responsible for collecting, analysing, and interpreting data to solve real-world problems. In this data-driven world, statistics is in high demand, especially across industries such as Business development, Finance, Agriculture, Computers and IT, and Health Sciences.
Eligibility:
12th Science with Mathematics/Economics
Degree: B. Sc/BA in Statistics, M. Sc preferred for advanced roles
Top Recruiters: Apple, Microsoft, PayPal, eBay, RBI, Government Agencies
8. Chemist
A career as a chemist is a scientist who studies substances at the atomic and molecular levels. From formulating everyday products like soaps to developing life-saving drugs and refining fuel, a chemist plays a major role in every industry. Specialisations include Biochemist, Quality Control chemist, Oil and Petroleum chemist, Forensic chemist, Nuclear chemist, Pharmacologist, and Geochemist.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM/B
Degree: Chemistry courses such as B. Sc/M. Sc in Chemistry, PhD for research positions
Top Recruiting Companies: Abbott Laboratories, Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation, ONGC Ind. Ltd.
9. Physicist
A career as a Physicist is a scientist who studies the fundamental laws of nature, understanding the behaviour of energy, matter and space. They also use mathematical concepts to analyse, understand and predict the nature of the universe. A physicist is a profession with high demand and is also the best career option for PCM students.
Eligibility:
12th Science PCM/B
Degree: B. Sc/M. SC in Physics, PhD required for top research roles
Top Recruiters: ISRO, DRDO, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Research Institutes
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right career path after 12th science PCM is a crucial milestone in a student’s academic and professional journey. Whether you are interested in engineering, aviation, defence, research, or design, there are a plethora of opportunities available. Stay curious and research in depth while choosing a career that reflects your interests, strengths and ambitions. With the right guidance and knowledge, students after 12th PCM can pursue their dream careers to build a successful future.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Definitely Yes! The top 05 Careers of the future don’t need a B.Tech degree! Technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, Data Analytics and Cloud Computing are growing rapidly
Top 05 Tech professionals in high demand- Data scientist, Machine Learning Engineer, UX Designer, Cloud Engineer and Robotics Engineer.
The world is data-driven now and there are many other courses through which you can get into data-oriented tech careers.
For example- B.Sc Computer Science, B.Sc Statistics/ Applied Mathematics, M.Sc Artificial Intelligence, M.Sc Robotics etc.
Both are undergraduate level engineering courses for 4 years. They have a lot of similarities with minor differences.
B.Tech deals more with fundamentals and advanced study in a particular area, while BE stops at fundamental education. Difference also lies in the way of delivering the subjects.
“While in India, both BTech, BE and BSc are at par, what gives more weightage to one degree over another is where a student has studied the subjects from.” -M Jagdeesh, Dean Academics, IIT-Madras
Indeed very closely related fields but what separates the three is the core task area.
Data Engineering is the overlapping of two areas- Software Engineering and Statistical Algorithms. It focuses on development and maintenance of data pipelines. A Data engineer prepares data for further analytical usage.
Data Analytics deals with Data Communication and Statistical Algorithms. Data analysts mainly analyze the data, make it understandable and accordingly take actions that affect a company’s scope.
Data Science is the area where all 3 meet- Software Engineering, Statistical Algorithms & Data Communication. A data scientist is responsible for pulling out valuable information from the existing data. This helps organizations and companies in making predictions and data-driven decisions.