I'm currently a graduate student in physics at Purdue working in Scanning Probe Microscopy. My perl hacking is mostly for fun, although I am, from time to time, actually paid for it (and wouldn't mind being so again :)

Judging from the ads I see, programming is likely to be more financially rewarding than a career in physics, especially for the first decade of employment. On the same subject, the American Physical Society has various recent studies of salaries online. I don't have the link offhand but it shouldn't be too hard to find.

If you're looking to maximize cashflow while programming you should consider writing Perl code on Wall Street. Those guys also have recently acquired a hankering for physicists so you could get your scientific degree, code Perl, and make lots of cash, all at once.

<pause> <blink> Hmmm ... <scott wanders off gazing into the distance>