Physicists Salary
Average salary, salary range, and compensation data for Physicists positions across the United States.
Median Annual Salary
$166,290
National average
Salary Range
$80,020 – N/A
10th–90th percentile
Data Year
2024
Source: BLS
Physicists Salary by City
| Location | Median Salary | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN | $226,750 | $223,590 | $226,750 |
| Cleveland, OH | $225,930 | $102,890 | $225,930 |
| Minnesota | $222,550 | $95,970 | N/A |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $219,070 | $135,820 | N/A |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $215,340 | $131,310 | N/A |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $214,520 | $139,420 | N/A |
| Richmond, VA | $212,950 | $111,800 | N/A |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | $212,050 | $71,650 | N/A |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $211,600 | $137,630 | N/A |
| Florida | $209,020 | $109,050 | N/A |
| Pennsylvania | $208,470 | $76,860 | N/A |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $206,070 | $117,740 | N/A |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $202,610 | $64,330 | N/A |
| Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI | $196,680 | $85,000 | N/A |
| Arizona | $190,960 | $107,240 | N/A |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | $188,400 | $67,850 | $218,840 |
| Oregon | $183,860 | $79,580 | N/A |
| California | $180,900 | $103,800 | N/A |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $180,450 | $83,770 | $234,260 |
| Missouri | $180,450 | $83,760 | N/A |
| New Hampshire | $179,440 | $67,670 | N/A |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $177,490 | $84,980 | N/A |
| New Mexico | $175,960 | $134,310 | N/A |
| Northern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area | $175,960 | $134,310 | N/A |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY | $175,220 | $78,010 | N/A |
| Albuquerque, NM | $175,160 | $121,120 | $221,470 |
| New York | $174,160 | $77,510 | N/A |
| Wisconsin | $174,010 | $84,480 | N/A |
| Tennessee | $173,660 | $64,930 | $226,750 |
| Connecticut | $171,630 | $107,730 | N/A |
| North Carolina | $170,690 | $66,730 | N/A |
| Texas | $170,450 | $71,650 | N/A |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | $170,130 | $104,930 | N/A |
| Charlottesville, VA | $170,040 | $101,750 | $216,680 |
| Kentucky | $168,660 | $95,760 | N/A |
| New Jersey | $168,610 | $98,030 | N/A |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $168,280 | $102,000 | $214,330 |
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | $166,400 | $115,320 | $226,300 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $165,730 | $64,520 | N/A |
| Virginia | $164,180 | $99,920 | N/A |
| Maryland | $163,950 | $101,040 | $211,240 |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | $162,490 | $101,040 | $214,260 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $155,560 | $79,580 | N/A |
| Massachusetts | $153,890 | $92,350 | $222,390 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $153,890 | $92,350 | $216,690 |
| District of Columbia | $153,340 | $82,780 | $191,880 |
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | $151,860 | $79,730 | N/A |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $151,660 | $81,610 | $218,770 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $150,490 | $93,180 | $234,620 |
| Colorado | $144,670 | $109,250 | $191,880 |
| Boulder, CO | $144,670 | $109,250 | $183,170 |
| Ohio | $135,550 | $49,180 | $225,930 |
| Columbus, OH | $134,260 | $52,480 | $231,320 |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH | $134,030 | $86,730 | $202,750 |
| Salt Lake City-Murray, UT | $133,900 | $56,020 | N/A |
| Utah | $133,900 | $56,020 | N/A |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $133,070 | $68,990 | N/A |
| Memphis, TN-MS-AR | $132,250 | $62,140 | N/A |
| Idaho | $132,060 | $81,010 | $203,310 |
| Idaho Falls, ID | $132,060 | $81,010 | $210,800 |
| Arkansas | $131,880 | $104,200 | $213,030 |
| Northeast Virginia nonmetropolitan area | $131,750 | $86,960 | $186,140 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $131,560 | $77,740 | N/A |
| Georgia | $131,500 | $77,740 | N/A |
| Illinois | $131,260 | $78,410 | $207,880 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $131,260 | $78,410 | $207,880 |
| South Carolina | $131,100 | $101,940 | $222,210 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $129,380 | $71,650 | N/A |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | $129,140 | $102,900 | N/A |
| Madison, WI | $129,070 | $84,480 | $199,350 |
| Huntsville, AL | $126,770 | $77,590 | $225,630 |
| Knoxville, TN | $126,690 | $54,100 | $173,660 |
| Lexington Park, MD | $126,530 | $87,710 | $163,360 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $124,710 | $40,770 | N/A |
| Iowa | $120,810 | $62,500 | N/A |
| Mississippi | $120,640 | $59,950 | $235,470 |
| Washington | $120,080 | $67,240 | $224,320 |
| Nevada | $116,080 | $84,880 | $155,980 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | $114,900 | $51,630 | $173,790 |
| Alabama | $114,690 | $69,320 | $222,590 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $114,630 | $96,890 | $189,470 |
| Maine | $114,610 | $55,300 | $225,430 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $112,790 | $67,240 | $226,310 |
| Indiana | $110,410 | $51,870 | $224,410 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $109,540 | $59,550 | $216,200 |
| Michigan | $107,640 | $67,710 | $237,760 |
| Oklahoma | $84,570 | $53,640 | $226,840 |
| Delaware | $82,780 | $66,190 | N/A |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $79,610 | $47,360 | $158,850 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | $79,060 | $60,900 | $212,530 |
| South Dakota | $78,390 | $51,000 | $172,940 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | $67,710 | $67,710 | $135,150 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Physicists make?▾
The median annual salary for a Physicists is $166,290, with a typical range of $80,020 – N/A depending on experience, location, and employer.
What is the starting salary for a Physicists?▾
Entry-level Physicists positions typically start around $80,020 per year. Salaries increase significantly with experience and specialization.
Where do Physicistss earn the most?▾
Physicistss tend to earn the highest salaries in major metropolitan areas. Use the salary by city table above to compare compensation across different locations.