Physicists Salary

Median Salary
$172,250
per year
Hourly Rate
$82.81
per hour
Employment
20,430
jobs in the U.S.

Salary Distribution

10th percentile
$82,110
25th percentile
$111,720
Median
$172,250
75th percentile
$222,760
90th percentile
$274,110

💰 Physicists Salary by State

Best Cities (cost-adjusted) →

Salary Map — Click a state for details

$83K
$225K■ No data
StateMedianvs. National
Florida$225,390+30.9%
New Hampshire$214,030+24.3%
Pennsylvania$210,990+22.5%
California$207,490+20.5%
Oregon$200,320+16.3%
Oklahoma$200,050+16.1%
Texas$184,040+6.8%
New York$181,970+5.6%
Kentucky$180,910+5.0%
Connecticut$180,300+4.7%
Iowa$178,110+3.4%
Maryland$174,390+1.2%
North Carolina$174,180+1.1%
Wisconsin$173,120+0.5%
Minnesota$171,220-0.6%
Louisiana$166,240-3.5%
New Mexico$165,340-4.0%
Tennessee$165,010-4.2%
New Jersey$163,270-5.2%
Ohio$162,900-5.4%
District of Columbia$157,040-8.8%
Utah$156,760-9.0%
Rhode Island$155,150-9.9%
Nevada$154,030-10.6%
Virginia$145,040-15.8%
Georgia$144,870-15.9%
Missouri$140,460-18.5%
Alabama$139,330-19.1%
South Carolina$138,400-19.7%
Illinois$137,140-20.4%
Arkansas$135,820-21.1%
Idaho$135,150-21.5%
Washington$134,790-21.7%
Arizona$130,500-24.2%
Mississippi$129,970-24.5%
Hawaii$117,190-32.0%
Massachusetts$106,410-38.2%
Indiana$105,940-38.5%
Colorado$104,580-39.3%
Montana$103,800-39.7%
Michigan$94,520-45.1%
South Dakota$83,050-51.8%
Delaware$82,590-52.1%

🏙️ Physicists Salary by Metro Area

Metro AreaMedianvs. National
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL$272,480+58.2%
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL$266,260+54.6%
Cleveland, OH$239,360+39.0%
Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN$236,920+37.5%
Pittsburgh, PA$224,160+30.1%
Richmond, VA$218,290+26.7%
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX$199,770+16.0%
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI$199,170+15.6%
San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX$194,290+12.8%
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ$181,970+5.6%
Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA$178,110+3.4%
Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY$175,060+1.6%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$173,450+0.7%
Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI$173,160+0.5%
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$172,080-0.1%
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$171,580-0.4%
Tucson, AZ$171,190-0.6%
Columbus, OH$170,400-1.1%
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI$168,450-2.2%
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO$166,140-3.5%
Albuquerque, NM$165,340-4.0%
Knoxville, TN$165,010-4.2%
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD$164,850-4.3%
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA$163,990-4.8%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$163,210-5.2%
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA$160,270-7.0%
Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY$159,240-7.6%
Colorado Springs, CO$158,070-8.2%
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX$156,750-9.0%
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA$156,480-9.2%
Providence-Warwick, RI-MA$155,150-9.9%
Worcester, MA$153,990-10.6%
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH$151,050-12.3%
Huntsville, AL$149,990-12.9%
Charlottesville, VA$148,950-13.5%
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL$146,350-15.0%
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA$144,870-15.9%
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN$142,180-17.5%
Kansas City, MO-KS$141,200-18.0%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$140,370-18.5%
Memphis, TN-MS-AR$139,810-18.8%
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$137,140-20.4%
Madison, WI$136,450-20.8%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$135,260-21.5%
Idaho Falls, ID$135,150-21.5%
Trenton-Princeton, NJ$135,030-21.6%
Lexington Park, MD$132,770-22.9%
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$130,500-24.2%
Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC$128,040-25.7%
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$120,490-30.0%
Urban Honolulu, HI$117,190-32.0%
Las Cruces, NM$112,400-34.7%
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$110,930-35.6%
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$107,340-37.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$106,000-38.5%
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN$105,940-38.5%
Boulder, CO$104,580-39.3%
Lansing-East Lansing, MI$71,580-58.4%
Ann Arbor, MI$64,380-62.6%
Portland-South Portland, ME$57,780-66.5%
Data Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Data reflects the most recent annual survey.